Seven Easy Zucchini Recipes to Put On Repeat All Summer

Posted on July 13, 2023 by Jennifer FIsher

Does my life need yet another zucchini recipe? YES! Yes, in fact, it does! Even though this squash cultivates joke after joke in the summer about its seemingly inexhaustible, high-volume production (lock the door and turn off the porch lights), I personally can’t get enough of this good-for-me and versatile staple of the season.

Fun & Interesting Facts About Zucchini:

What’s to love about zucchini? Here are some reasons to add more zucchini to your life (along with a few fun facts).
A medium zucchini (about 200g) has just 33 calories, 6g carbs (2 of which are dietary fiber), 0g fat and 2g protein which make it a good choice for low-carb, keto and diabetic diets.
Zucchini is a culinary chameleon. It’s mild flavor allows it to take on the flavor profile of the dish it’s cook in.
Zucchini is actually a fruit, botanically speaking. That is harvested while immature from the flowering part of a zucchini plant.
In addition to being a great source of dietary fiber, zucchini is also rich in potassium and vitamin C.
The world’s largest zucchini was 69.5” long and weight 65 pounds!
But bigger isn’t better when it comes to zucchini squash. Zucchini experts say the best-tasting ones are small- to medium-sized. And, the darker the skin, the richer the zucchini is in nutrients.

Gluten Free Salmon Zucchini Quinoa Burgers

Grilled Salmon Zucchini Quinoa Burgers are totally off the hook with fresh flavor and will make a splash at your next backyard cookout, pool party or seaside soiree. Plus, they are a sneaky way to add a little veggie to the meal, thanks to grated zucchini – and we all know zucchini is prolific this time of year. GET RECIPE

Mushroom Pizza-stuffed Zucchini Boats are an easy, cheesy, vegetarian meal with a lower-carb profile. Plenty of protein to make this a balanced meal thanks to a satisfying cottage cheese filling. Feel free to customize the toppings if you don’t love mushrooms. GET RECIPE

Chipotle-Lime Code with Summer Veggie Saute is a delicious fish dinner you can make up in a single skillet, no sweat! Fresh and flavorful with a southwestern-inspired medley of veggies that includes corn and zucchini. Also a fast fix – in only 10 minutes you’ll be feasting. GET RECIPE:

Zoodles Marinara with Stuffed Mushrooms for meal prep

Zoodles Marinara with Three-Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms is an easy zucchini noodle for your low-carb, gluten-free, vegetarian dinners and meal preps. So simple with steamed, spiralized zoodles and the bottled marinara of your choice (I like a no-sugar added sauce) – and the cheesy stuffed mushrooms on top make this zucchini pasta next level. GET RECIPE

12-Minute Zoodle AND Noodle Toss is for those who want both their veggies and their pasta! It’s a great compromise and the secret ingredient is salty preserved lemons which make this dish so vibrant and tasty. A perfect pairing for the chicken, seafood or meat paring of your choice! GET RECIPE

Green Glow Zucchini Salad with Lemon Gremolata Dressing is a yummy summer dish that is Paleo, Vegan, Gluten-free and super easy to make.

Green Glow Chilled Zucchini Salad with Lemon Gremolata Dressing is more than just another “zoodle” recipe, this salad made of spiralized zucchini also boast loads of other green goodness – like edamame beans, avocados, pistachios, and more. Plus, the lemon gremolata dressing adds lot of citrusy zing! GET RECIPE

Making Pork Verde Zucchini Enchiladas with Hatch Green Chile Pulled Pork

Pork Verde Zucchini Enchiladas are missing just one thing – tortillas! But who needs tortillas anyway, when ribbon-cut strips of zucchini can substitute quite nicely! Creamy and cheesy, this low-carb enchiladas and filled with delicious morsels of shredded pork and mildly spicy green chiles. GET RECIPE

Summer Sides! Tomato Salad with Savory Ancho Granola

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Jennifer FIsher

Botanically a fruit, embraced as a vegetable, the vibrant and vitamin-packed tomato is tops when it comes to versatility. Tomatoes are enjoyed at the annual rate of 31 pounds per person, eaten raw on salads and as a key ingredients in sauces, salsas and many soups. Even my tomato-avoiding son gets his fair share in the form of ketchup!

I’m flashing back to one of my favorite easy recipes of summer, Tomato Salad with Savory Ancho Honey Granola. Get the recipe in an archived post FOUND HERE:

The Tomato Salad with Savory Ancho Honey Granola recipe can be FOUN

Ancho Honey Skillet Granola recipe FOUND HERE

I like using Love Grown Food”s Super Oats for this Ancho recipe — it’s packed with all sorts of extra nut and seed goodness!

I’m also putting this gorgeous Crab & Heirloom Tomato Salad on my dinner lineup this week — it looks so light and refreshing!

Summer Eats! Tomato Salad with Ancho Honey Granola #fitfluential

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Tomat-O, tomat-OH, what is your favorite way to eat tomatoes? Please share in the comments below. Also, who’s training for what — I’m looking for some fall half marathons! XOXO, Jennifer

Caramelized Nectarines with Bacon and Blue Cheese + More Recipes

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Jennifer FIsher

Don’t you just love nectarines?! The sweet juicy goodness of this stone fruit is at a peak in the summer season — so I’ve celebrating with lots and lots of nectarine recipes. Nectarines salads, nectarine smoothies, nectarine salsa — you get the idea!

Yesterday, I confirmed a hunch that nectarines would go together awesomely with bacon and blue cheese – duh! What doesn’t go with bacon and blue cheese?! In order to get straight to the good stuff, let me present Caramelized Nectarines with Bacon & Blue Cheese:

JUST BACON IT! Caramelized Bacon Blue Cheese Nectarines get summer #recipe

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Surprisingly, this decadent sounding summer fruit recipe isn’t all that much of a healthy diet bomb. Fist, you get all the luscious nutrients found in a nectarine like fiber, potassium and quick-sourced quality carbs to provide energy for workouts and life. Plus, the color of nectarines is a dead giveaway that they are loaded with Vitamin A and the antioxidant Beta Carotene.

Less than 125 calories (without the ice cream)! Get the full macros here.

Also, check out more Nectarine Recipes like my TDF Blackberry Nectarine Margarita (and virgin smoothie option). Head here for the recipes

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Just Picked Possibilities – Fruit & Veggie Recipes + Grilled Steak Salad

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

Snapping peas, shucking corn, wandering through the woods in search of huckleberries – the chores of summer have me salivating! Fresh fruits and vegetables are the cornerstone of my kitchen creations and the summer season offers so many fresh-for-the-picking possibilities. In addition to the Any Way, Any Day Grilled Steak Salad recipe I share below, I’ve gathered up this collection of some of my favorite warm weather recipes that are ideal for outdoor entertaining! Enjoy!

If you are looking for a “no recipe” recipe that takes advantage of the season’s freshest ingredients, then my Any Way, Any Day Grilled Steak Salad will delight you with its lack of details – but let me assure you this healthy salad is in no shy in sunny day, farm-fresh flavor! You can fix up this entrée salad on a plate or platter for dinner tonight, or package up in a mason jar to take for the best lunch break ever. Jar salads are genius in form and function – a vibrant rainbow of goodness layered in a handy container that can be taken “to go” en route to a picnic, concert in the park, the gym, or even work (sigh). When ready to dig into the salad simply give it a shake and then eat from the jar or pour onto a plate – because it is layered in the reverse order of a typical salad, the lettuce ends up on the bottom of the plate and the salad dressing on top!

Any Way, Any Day Grilled Steak Salad Recipe

12 ounce top sirloin steak, 1” thick
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon coarse ground pepper
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
8 cups chopped greens (like romaine lettuce, kale, spinach, an assortment)
4 cup assortment of chopped or shredded vegetables of choice (like cucumber, snap peas, carrots, radish, celery, tomatoes, etc.)
1 (15-oz) can beans of choice, drained and rinsed (like black bean, chick pea, edamame, kidney, etc.)*
1 cup salad toppings (like pecans, almonds, feta cheese, dried or fresh fruit or assortment)

Dressing:

1 6-oz carton plain Greek Yogurt
1 tablespoon or equivalent “sweet” dressing component (honey, maple syrup, agave, etc.)
1 teaspoon “spicy” dressing component (Sriacha sauce, chipotle powder, Tabasco, etc.)

Preheat grill to 400 F degrees.
In small bowl, make a paste of garlic, olive oil, pepper and salt.
Use fork tines to slightly pierce steak all over the front and bottom. Apply paste liberally to steak, rub until well coated.
Grill steak for approximately 5 -6 minutes per side, flipping only once if possible. Remove when instant read thermometer registers 135 F degrees. Let rest for approximately 5 minutes (temperature should rise to 145, which is medium rare).
Slice steak into thin slices across the grain. If desired, then cut slices into bite-sized pieces.
In small bowl, whisk together yogurt and chosen dressing components.
To assemble salad on plate, start with lettuce, then vegetables, beans, beef slices, salad toppings and then dressing. For the jar salad, dollop dressing in the jar first and then layer with vegetables, beans, beef, lettuce and then salad toppings. Serves 4.

*If lettuces and other delicate ingredients are layered at the top of the jar (away from the dressing and juicy meat), the salads will remain fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make ahead for busy work day lunches!

If you like the idea of jar salads, don’t miss these other two I love:

Thai Peanut Chicken Jar Salad

Chopped Ancho Chicken Jar Salad

This post is sponsored by Foodie.com. However, all commentary, opinions and recipes are naturally my own.

Superfoodie: Spicy Sesame Salmon on Seared Watermelon

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Jennifer FIsher

I love living life on the “wedge.” I’m crazy like that. Watermelon is one of my favorite fruits. Actually, it’s a vegetable related to cucumbers and squash, but don’t tell that to my kids. Everyone in the family agrees that there’s not much that tastes better in the heat of the summer than a big slice of juicy watermelon – the five of us have no problem polishing off a whole melon in one day! A simple and healthy dessert for picnics and pool parties, watermelon can be enjoyed right off the rind or dressed with a little spicy surprise – check out my recipe for Watermelon with Spicy Salsa that was once featured in Better Homes & Gardens.

Last night I decided to add a little sophisticated spin to watermelon and put it on the dinner plate as something other than just a sweet side. My experimenting has been named Spicy Sesame Salmon on Seared Watermelon and it is super delish, especially topped with my favorite fish – salmon. Hey, that’s two superfoods in the same recipe for maximized nutrition! I served it on a bed of organic red quinoa and broccoli, but you can tweak that to suit your tastes.

Spicy Sesame Salmon on Seared Watermelon Recipe

For Watermelon & Fish:

1 cross section watermelon (1″ thick)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt
2 wild caught salmon filets, skinned

For Sauce:

¼ cup sweet chili sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Cut watermelon into 2 planks approximately 1” thick, 6” long and 3” wide. Add olive oil to skillet and bring heat to medium high. Add watermelon and sear for approximately 2 minutes on each side, or until watermelon flesh is beginning to caramelize. Remove from skillet, season with sea salt and set aside until fish is ready.

Keep heat on and add fish to skillet used for watermelon; leave residual juices and oil in there. Saute for approximately 5 -6 minutes per side until cooked through and fish is lightly browned on the outside, firm and flaky.

In a small bowl, whisk together chile sauce, Sriracha sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, oil and sesame seeds. Pour over fish during last 2 minutes of cooking to glaze salmon and warm up.

To serve, place fish atop seared watermelon plank and spoon extra spicy sesame sauce from pan over the top.*

Serves 2.

More reasons to love watermelon:

Low Calorie: Watermelon is basically free of fat, cholesterol and sodium and has only 80 calories in a 2 cup serving. Plus, with a high water content, along with some fiber, this melon gives you a feeling a fullness that will help curb unhealthy snacking.

Nutrient Rich: An abundance of vitamins and minerals are found in watermelon including Vitamin A (25% DRV), Vitamin B6 (6% DRV), Vitamin C (30% DRV), Thiamine (6% DRV), Magnesium (6% DRV), and Potassium (8% DRV).

Lycopene Leader: Watermelon actually trumps tomatoes when it comes to lycopene, offering up to 20 milligrams in a two-cup serving. Not only does this amazing antioxidant give watermelon its pink-red pigment, it’s an efficient oxygen scavenger that helps to repair cell damage caused from daily living.

Heart Health: Eating six cups of watermelon (not that hard, trust me) increases free arginine which maintains cardiovascular function. Plus, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, as opposed to a diet filled with bad fats and processed foods has been shown to contribute to longer living.

Hydration: Watermelon is a tasty way to replenish body fluids, plus it is naturally infused with electrolytes. Because watermelon flesh is comprised of 92% water, eating 1 cup of diced watermelon is the equivalent of drinking 7.36 ounces of water. Get super hydrated with my recipe for Watermelon Blueberry Nuun Agua Fresca!

Facts come from the National Watermelon Promotion Board.

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