Zucchini Casserole

Zucchini Casserole

Begin by slicing 4 medium sized zucchini. You can add several more when you have more zucchini than you know what to do with. If you are having a 4th of July party, double this recipe because believe me..people are going to love it! Next, slice or dice a large onion and add it to the zucchini. I used a big sweet vidalia.

The original recipe calls for a bag of Stovetop stuffing. I don't use that so I threw in a sleeve of crushed Ritz crackers and added 3 T. of poultry seasoning (do not omit this seasoning).

Add 4 or 5 grated carrots.

Add 1 cup of sour cream. You can use low fat sour cream if you wish. This recipe easily adapts to low fat ingredients. Add a cup of grated cheddar cheese.

Add 1/2 cup of melted butter. pour it over top

Then add 2 cans of cream of chicken soup. You can see that I used fat free.

Add some cracked black pepper and a bit of salt. Stir it all around until thoroughly combined.

Place it in a casserole or heavy pot and bake it for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

It should be golden and bubbling around the edges. This can also be served at room temperature if you want to make it a bit in advance. Enjoy!

Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup

Plain tomato soup can be thin and sharp. Adding cream--the usual stodgy solution--merely dulls it. We wanted to tame the tartness without losing flavor.
If half of the soup fills your blender by more than two-thirds, process the soup in three batches. You can also use an immersion blender to process the soup directly in the pot. For an even smoother soup, pass the pureed mixture through a fine-mesh strainer before stirring in the chicken broth in step 2.

Serves 6 to 8

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil , plus more for drizzling
1 medium onion , chopped medium (about 1 cup)
3 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
Pinch hot red pepper flakes (optional)
1 bay leaf
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 large slices good-quality sandwich bread , crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
Table salt and ground black pepper

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using), and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Using potato masher, mash until no pieces bigger than 2 inches remain. Stir in sugar and bread; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.

2. Transfer half of soup to blender. Add 1 tablespoon oil and process until soup is smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and repeat with remaining soup and oil. Rinse out Dutch oven and return soup to pot. Stir in chicken broth and brandy (if using). Return soup to boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve soup in individual bowls. Sprinkle each portion with pepper and chives and drizzle with olive oil.

Zucchini Fritters with Yogurt Dill Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 medium zucchini
• 1 medium onion, halved
• 2 tablespoons Greek-style plain full-fat yogurt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
• Yogurt Dill Sauce, for serving

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; set aside.
   
2. Grate onion on the large holes of a box grater into a medium bowl. Transfer grated onion to a piece of cheese cloth. Squeeze excess liquid from onion and discard. Transfer onion to a clean medium bowl; you should have about 1/2 cup grated onion. Grate zucchini into bowl with onion on the large holes of a box grater; you should have about 3 1/2 cups grated zucchini. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss to combine; let stand 30 seconds.
   
3. Transfer zucchini and onion mixture to a clean piece of cheesecloth and cover. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible and discard. Transfer zucchini and onion to a large bowl. Add yogurt and egg; season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined.
   
4. Slowly add 3/4 cup of the flour mixture, while folding it into the zucchini mixture. If mixture seems too wet, fold in 1/4 cup more.
   
5. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, using about 3 tablespoons of the zucchini mixture, gently form a patty and place in skillet. Cook until fritters are firm and begin to turn golden on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn fritters and continue to cook about 2 minutes more. Turn fritters again and cook for 30 seconds; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat process with remaining zucchini mixture, adding more oil as necessary.
   
6. Season fritters with salt and serve immediately with yogurt-dill sauce.
   
   
   Yogurt Dill-Sauce
   
   

   Ingredients

   • 1 cup Greek-style plain full-fat yogurt
   • 2 tablespoons milk
   • 3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
   • Coarse salt and freshly ground white pepper

   Directions

   1. Mix together yogurt and milk in a small bowl until well combined. Fold in dill; season with salt and pepper. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.