Recipes

[Carol1229]

Zucchini, zucchini and more zucchini......it's comin' fast and furious out of the garden. That's OK though-we love it and I have more than enough recipes using it in my arsenal waiting for me to try.

I just received this cookbook last week (I LOVE Quail Ridge Press' Christmas in July sales!) and when I saw this recipe, I couldn't wait to try it. I told my MIL about it so she copied it and gave it a go before I did. She made it in a 13x9x2-inch pan and said it rose about 1/2" so she cut it into 4x3-inch squares-said it was delicious.

I make a zucchini pie that is similar to this one so thought I'd give it a try in my quiche dish that I sometimes use and make a round "pie".

I took advantage of fresh picked zucchini, green peppers and parsley from the garden and added some fresh garlic to the mix. I didn't worry as much about squeezing all the liquid out of the shredded zucchini for this pie-I just gave it a light squeeze. The batter of eggs and oil was pretty thick so some of the squash liquid helped thin it out and make it more spreadable.

Since I have turkey pepperoni slices in the house for our usual Friday night homemade pizza, I chopped that up and used it-worked great. My MIL used regular pepperoni (the stick one) chopped up in hers.

Is this good? OH YOU BETCHA! Bob loves the other zucchini pie I've been making for years and said it would be hard to top it.....until he tried this one. It's got the perfect combination of flavors from the vegetables, the pepperoni and the cheese. Speaking of cheese, I think the next time I make this I'll either up the amount of Parmesan to about 2/3 cup or will use Romano cheese since it has a little stronger flavor. I think that will add a nice level of flavor to the mix.

You can serve this plain or with a drizzle of pizza sauce over top-that adds a really nice touch....and a tasty one too.

Whether you choose to make this in a rectangular baking dish or a pie plate, I hope you'll give it a try. I know I'll be turning to this recipe again and again.......it's a winner!


Carol


ZUCCHINI PIZZA
(Source: adapted from Best of the Best From Pennsylvania cookbook-recipe published from Three Rivers Cookbook III)

4 large eggs, well beaten
1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil
1 c. buttermilk baking mix (I always use Heart Smart Bisquick)


3 c. grated unpeeled zucchini
1/2 c. finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 c. finely chopped turkey OR regular pepperoni

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley OR 2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Pizza sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" glass pie plate OR a 13x9x2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and oil until well mixed. Add baking mix; stir until blended and smooth.

Add zucchini, green pepper, onion, garlic, pepperoni, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, mozzarella and Parmesan, stirring until well mixed.

Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake @ 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let sit 15 minutes before cutting.

If desired, serve with pizza sauce. 8 servings.