Zucchini Recipes – Chocolate Zucchini Bread and Oven-Fried Zucchini Rounds!

It’s that time again – when gardens are bursting with fresh summer vegetables – and zucchini runneth over! I have been getting e-mails asking for my favorite ways to prepare zucchini, and the great news is that moist, mild tasting zucchini is extremely versatile.

For breakfast, sliced or grated zucchini can be tossed into omelets, breakfast bakes and frittatas, for lunch it makes a great addition, whether raw or cooked, to salads and sandwiches, and for dinner tempting dishes such as my Light-as-a-Feather Zucchini Casserole (found in Eat More of What You Love), and Stewed Italian Parmesan (from Eat What You Love), will make anyone a zucchini lover!

Here’s two recipes that once made, my zucchini-hating boys devour. First up:

OVEN-FRIED ZUCCHINI ROUNDS

The trick to making crispy, healthy zucchini chips is to bake them in a hot oven on a wire rack. Baking them on the rack exposes all sides of the breaded rounds to the heat, crisping the seasoned breadcrumb as well as the Parmesan coating. (PS I would highly recommend doubling this recipe!).

1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2teaspoon garlic salt
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
2 1/2 cups zucchini slices, cut 1/8-inch thick on the diagonal (about 2 medium zucchini)

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.

2. In a wide, shallow bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, oregano, and garlic salt.

3. In a separate bowl, beat together the egg white and water

4. Dip each zucchini slice into the egg mixture; then roll in breadcrumbs. Place onto the wire rack and repeat until all of the zucchini has been coated.

5. Lightly spray with cooking spray and bake for 8 minutes. Serve hot.

Dare to Compare: A single small serving of Fried Zucchini contains almost twice as much sodium, four times the carbohydrates and calories, and eight times the fat as these Oven-Fried Zucchini Rounds.

And, for those of you who so graciously asked, here is my Chocolate Zucchini Bread recipe from Eat More of What You Love. SO good!

CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD

A healthy bread that tastes totally decadent—what’s not to love? This deep, dark chocolatey tasting bread has just one-third the sugar and half the fat of most zucchini bread recipes. Enjoy!

Makes 12 servings

¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated no-calorie sweetener*
1 large egg
1 large egg white
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups grated zucchini
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons orange zest
½ cup cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with non-stick baking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, sweetener, eggs, applesauce and vanilla. With a large spoon, stir in the grated zucchini and mix until well combined.

3. In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Create a well in the center and add the zucchini mixture. Stir until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and smooth.

4. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes and then remove from pan.

*If you prefer to use sugar, reduce the baking soda to 3/8 teaspoon and bake for 1 hour (check with toothpick to ensure doneness).

Note: This batter is fabulous for gift loaves. To make smaller loaves, fill 2 to 3 loaf pans two-thirds full with batter and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, depending on size of pans.

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