Z is for Zucchini

IT is finally here the last day of the blogging challenge. So what better Z food than zucchini...ok to be honest it is the only one I can think of. But that is ok because I love zucchini! This recipe is quick and easy and oh so yummy.



Fried Zucchini:
4 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Zucchini sliced with peel on
Flour
Panko Bread Crumbs
grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Mix together first 8 ingredients until it is the consistency of a pancake batter.Adding more buttermilk or flour as needed

Dredge sliced zucchini in dry flour. Dip flour coated slices in batter then coat with panko bread crumbs.

Deep-fry in 360-F cooking oil till golden brown.
When both sides are golden brown, remove slices from oil and set on paper towels or grid to drain.
Sprinkle the tops with cheese. Serve hot with favorite marinara sauce to dip in to.

Y is for Yam

Ok I admit I'm not a yam fan. It has some sort of aftertaste that I quite frankly don't care for. However yams are fairly healthy so I know I should be eating them more than plain old potatoes. I have not tried this recipe so I can't give my honest opinion on it but it seems to be really yummy. This is a recipe my sister gave me. I imagine she got it from cooking light or the like as it seems to be a rather healthy recipe.





Split Pea and Yam Soup
6 cups water
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups dry split peas
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 medium yam, peeled and diced
1 medium white potato, peeled and diced
4 ribs celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground celery seed
1/2 -1 bunch fresh greens chopped


 1. Fill a large pot with stock and split peas and bring to a boil. Turn down medium-low. Heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the onion, yams, potatoes, celery and dried herbs/spices, and continue to cook at a medium boil for about 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally.

3.Use immersion blender to smooth and thicken soup. (if it is too thick you may add more water/broth). Add in the greens and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot.

V is for Vinegar

OK so I have a soft spot for vinegar. Partly because it is a tradition to go down the shore and get boardwalk fries. Boardwalk fries are salty thick fries lightly sprinkled with vinegar. I don't know if it is just a Jersey thing or if other states do it. But here in Jersey its just a thing we do kinda like pork roll (aka Taylor Ham for those not from Joisey)

Anyway the following recipe is like salt and vinegar chips only healthier. Why? Cause there is no frying and you use zucchini instead of potatoes. So that means those watching their carbs can enjoy them. Warning you will need a food dehydrator for this recipe. I got this recipe back in my days of being a vegetarian on Weight Watchers. Wish I could tell you where exactly I got it from but it again is one of those mystery sources.


Salt and Vinegar Zucchini Chips    

Photo Courtesy of WordRidden on flickr

3-4 Zucchninis thinly sliced
4 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
salt
Olive Oil


combine water and vinegar and soak zucchini in mixture for at least 12 hours (overnight is better). Drain but do not rinse the slices. Using a mister gently lightly mist with olive oil and sprinkle with salt (obviously you can pick your level of saltiness). Place in dehydrator and heat at 135 for 6-7 hours. They should be nice and crispy. Serve and enjoy!

A-Z Blogging Challenge

 To help keep me blogging I have signed up for the 2013 A-Z blogging Challenge. The simple idea of it is we will be writing for 26 days (skipping Sundays) in April. Each day follows the letters of the alphabet. So April 1 will be A April 2 will be B To find out more or join visit http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/.


Among the ideas I have is daily recipes, kids crafts, feature etsy shops whose name starts with daily letter, along with other fun things that follow that days theme letter. I'm looking forward to this and hope to meet and learn a lot from my fellow bloggers along the way.

Don't have a blog? This is a great opportunity to jump on the blogging bandwagon. the more you blog the more addictive it becomes. What topics would you feature? If you haven't blogged in a very long time this is your chance to get back into action.