Crazy for Zucchini

There are many tasty zucchini recipes out there, but these have been two of my favorites-creative and delicious! 


FOR LUNCH OR DINNER:


Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake

*From 101 Cookbooks (click on the link to view the recipe/check out Heidi Swanson's other great recipes-her blog has to be one of my favorite cooking blogs!) 

Image from 101 Cookbooks 

2 cups zucchini, unpeeled & grated
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
zest of one lemon
2 large eggs, well beaten
1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
drizzle of olive oil

Preheat oven to 325F degrees, racks the middle. Butter/oil a 7-inch springform pan.

In a strainer, toss the shredded zucchini with the salt and let sit for ten minutes. Now aggressively squeeze and press out as much moisture as you can. Set aside.

In the meantime, combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, shallots, garlic, dill and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Stir in the eggs and continue mixing until well combined. Now stir in the shredded zucchini. Fill the springform pan with the ricotta mixture and place on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for sixty minutes. If there is any moisture left on top of the cake at this point, carefully use a bit of paper towel to dab it off. Now sprinkle with the goat cheese and return to the oven for another 20 -30 minutes or until the goat cheese is melted and the cake barely jiggles in the center (it will set up more as it cools).

At this point, if the cake is baked and set, but the top isn't quite golden, I'll zap it with the broiler (just about a minute) to get a bit more color on top. Remove from the oven and let cool five minutes, then release the cake from its pan. Cool completely, serve at room temperature drizzled with a bit of olive oil and a few sprigs of dill.

FOR DESSERT: 


Chocolate Zucchini Cake 

      *From Simply Recipes

Image from Simply Recipes 

2 1/2 cups regular all-purpose flour, unsifted

1/2 cup cocoa

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup soft butter

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini

1/2 cup milk

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Glaze (directions follow)

      Preheat the oven to 350°F.

      Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.

      With a mixer, beat together the butter and the sugar until they are smoothly blended. Add the eggs to the butter 

      and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a spoon, stir in the vanilla, orange peel,  

      and zucchini.

     Alternately stir the dry ingredients and the milk into the zucchini mixture, including the nuts with the last

     addition.

     Pour the batter into a greased and flour-dusted 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan. Bake in the oven for about 50

     minutes (test at 45 minutes!) or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15

     minutes; turn out on wire rack to cool thoroughly.

     Drizzle glaze over cake.

    Glaze: Mix together 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 Tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until smooth.