Zucchini season is here which means it’s fresh and plentiful, and there’s so many more ways you can use it other than as a pasta noodle stand in!
Due to its somewhat plain Jane flavor and its composition, zucchini is incredibly versatile. Their function in these recipes is not to add flavor or even texture. Their purpose is to add volume. Just like shoulder pads, although hidden in a tuxedo blazer dress, help create a more aesthetically pleasing look by adding lift and volume, zucchini makes theses dishes more filling and satisfying not by adding flavor, but by adding volume.
Zucchini contains two powerful antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, which help prevent premature aging. Zucchini is also 94-95% water! To have a youthful glow, we must be hydrated. Since both of the recipes are raw, none of the water is cooked out, so we enjoy all that beauty juice!
BLUEBERRY BEET PARFAITS
Use frozen zucchini chunks to thicken a parfait or a smoothie! Here it is used in a recipe from the MIND chapter in Sexy Starts in the Kitchen because Sexy Starts with Self-Love. Zucchini is blended with raw beets and fresh ginger. If you don’t care for raw beets, it is kind of a acquired taste, instead of topping with blueberries, blend them with the zucchini, and nix the beets. It just won’t be as pretty. 🙂
Bottom layer: Blend: 1/2 cup UNSWEETENED SHREDDED COCONUT, 1 pitted DATE, 1 cup WATER, 2 tbsp CHIA SEEDS.
Pour in 2 jars. Set in fridge or freezer to thicken. If doesn’t thicken after 30 min, add 1/2-1 tbsp chia seeds.
Beet layer: Blend till smooth: 1 medium sized BEET (peeled), 1 frozen ZUCCHINI (roughly chopped-apx cup), 1 tbsp FRESH GINGER (minced or cut really small). Add water if needed.
Pour beet layer overtop bottom layer. Top with protein powder if desired. Top with fresh or frozen BLUEBERRIES.
RANCH ZUCCHINI DRESSING
Use fresh zucchini to make thick and creamy sauces! I love this hack because I LOVE thick and creamy sauces, and you’re basically using nutrient rich water to thicken them. I sometimes peel the zucchini, sometimes I don’t. If I’m able to get my paws on organic or from my garden, I tend not to. Conventional, I either peel all the skin off or half of it. It does not affect the flavor either way, and the skin does provide extra nutrients. But you definitely want to cut off the bad bits if there are any.
For the Cooking with Lyndsay Facebook Live, I used the dressing over red leaf lettuce, blanched broccoli featured in the broccoli salad in episode 2 and topped with the Gochujang Coconut Chips featured in episode 1.
RANCH ZUCCHINI DRESSING
Blend till smooth: 1 ZUCCHINI (roughly chopped), 1 tbsp NUTRITIONAL YEAST, 1 tsp ONION POWDER, 1/2 tsp GARLIC POWDER, 1/2 tsp SEA SALT, LEMON JUICE from 1 juicy lemon, a handful of PARSLEY LEAVES, 3 tbsp RAW SUNFLOWER SEEDS, 1-2 tbsp EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL.
Enjoy!
