Zucchini Cakes Thanks to Ree and Ryan

Zucchini Cakes. Hmm? Is that kinda like a pancake but with Zucchini instead of flour?

The Pioneer Woman has done it again, introducing Delicious foods and now with her guest blogger Ryan. Ryan was kind enough to concoct something so wonderful and share with PW's groupies. Thanks to Ryan and Ree. Check out Ryan's Zucchini Cakes at http://www.thepioneerwomancooks.com/. Below you will find my version with Ryan's inspiration.

Herbed Garlic Zucchini Cakes

2 cups shredded garden fresh zucchini
1/2 cup garlic and herb bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp basil
1 egg (with white things gone)
salt and pepper
a few shakes Lawry's Garlic Salt

Olive oil
ketchup or marinara sauce or ranch dressing or some kind of yogurt dip

In a mixing bowl, combine zucchini, crumbs and cheese. Add the garlic and spices and stir. Now add the egg and stir until all ingredients are combined well. Pour olive oil into a fry pan, enough oil to fry one side at a time. Heat until zuke will sizzle.

Using a table spoon scoop a heaping blob of the zuke mix, take another table spoon and smash that into a patty. Yes, spoon your zucchini cake. Place zuke patty onto the pool of hot oil. Cook for about 2 minutes until the cake is browned. Flip and do the same to the other side. Serve immediately with whichever dip you chose.

Enjoy! They are crunchy, a little cheesy and just so darn tasty! Rob is not home yet. I will post his opinion once he eats one of these babies.

Zucchini Bread

The garden is still producing! The Zuke plants are supplying dark green juicy gems! Bust out the Cuisinart because it's time to shred zucchini, to make some bread to gift to neighbors or co-workers or just for your family! When the garden gives you zucchini, make bread.

Zucchini Bread

2 cups fresh grated zucchini
4 eggs (white things removed)
1 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
3 1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup of pecan or walnut pieces (optional)
cinnamon and sugar


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine zucchini, eggs, oil and water. Mix. Sift dry ingredients and add by cupful to wet mix (mixing after each addition) until all dry ingredients are used up. Prepare two loaf pans with oil. Sprinkle bottoms of pans with cinnamon sugar. Pour bread batter into pans and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour. Cool and enjoy!

Garlic Garden Fresh Zucchini

Do you have leftover zucchini and need to find a way to use it up? Cut it into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices and make this tasty side dish.

Garlic Garden Fresh Zucchini serves 2

2 zucchini sliced into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices
Lawry's garlic salt
fresh lemon slices to squeeze

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sorry no exact measurements for this side dish, it is very easy and hard to mess up. Spray the bottom of small casserole dish with olive oil. Place zucchini slices in a layer. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Layer some more zucchini. Sprinkle with a little more garlic salt. Squirt fresh lemon juice on top of that. Cover with foil and pop it in the oven for about 30 minutes. Serve alongside whatever!

When the Garden Gives You Zucchini, Make Muffins

My Mom lovingly tends to the garden each summer when my Dad's leaves for the Midwest. Tending to the garden is a time consuming and sometimes difficult job, especially when the temperature has been over 100 degrees many a day, and humid too!

Tomatoes, 3 colors of bell pepper, strawberries, lemons, onions and zucchini grow in this garden. The zucchini grow fast and big. I picked some zucchini yesterday. Gave a couple to a friend and brought a couple home.

I have decided to make MUFFINS! I am not a fan of zucchini bread. It weird, really. Put a zucchini in something sweet? I am used to eating grilled zucchini, not sweet zucchini. I found a basic recipe for Zucchini Muffins on the Internet. This site has just about every muffin you could imagine on it. http://www.muffinrecipes.net/. I modeled my recipe after one I read, but spiced mine up a bit.

Garden Fresh Zucchini Muffins

1 cup sugar
2 eggs (white thingies removed)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup shredded garden fresh zucchini
2 cups unbleached flour
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix the first four ingredients together. Add the zucchini, and dry ingredients and mix well. If you would like some of your muffins to be pecan free, stop here and fill muffins cups 2/3 full. Add the chopped pecans to the remainder of the batter and mix. Fill the remaining cups. You should have enough batter for 12 muffins and one mini loaf or 4 more muffins.

Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm with butter, or cooled with nothing.