I love most vegetables (though I will admit that I could probably use more in my diet), but I didn’t discover my love for zucchini until I was well into adulthood. My parents were always big on serving veggies with dinner, but growing up I remember consuming a lot of broccoli, spinach, corn, peppers, carrots and tomatoes. Then, when my parents began growing zucchini and squash in their garden when I was in my 20’s, my eyes (well, really my taste buds) were opened to a whole new delicious veggie experience!
Instead of lamenting the fact that I didn’t get to realize my love of zucchini sooner, however, I am just happy finding new and yummy ways of incorporating it into my diet. And ReadySetEat.com is such a great resource for this!
Recently I tried three ReadySetEat recipes that called for zucchini… and they were huge hits in our household! The funny thing is, Brian usually isn’t a fan of zucchini, but he loved each of the dishes.
First, Summer Tomato Vegetable Soup:
As good as this soup looks, it tasted even better! Plus, it was so easy to make; it’s served at room temperature, so there was no cooking time involved! It was so hearty and refreshing, and I loved the subtle lemon taste. It’s a fabulous low-calorie option for a quick meal on-the-go.
Next, Zucchini, Black Bean and Rice Skillet:
Isn’t it so colorful!? It was also super quick and easy to put together, and very filling – I didn’t miss having a meat in the dish one bit! It made my mouth water from the very start, with the smell of the zucchini and green bell pepper wafting through the kitchen. I can’t wait to make this recipe again.
Finally, Italian Chicken-Zucchini Skillet:
Throughout dinner, Brian kept telling me, “This is really good!” I agreed – and loved that we were getting a lot of veggies in the meal! It was also really simple to put together – while I cooked the orzo in a pot, I was able to make the rest of the recipe in just one skillet. Talk about easy clean-up! I haven’t made a lot of orzo dishes, but this one was such a winner, I am thinking orzo will have to become more of a staple ingredient in our home.
I’m a huge fan of summer because it means longer days, not having to wear a jacket, and, best of all, not having to brush snow off my car. But summer also means fresh veggies – and it’s even better when I can stop at a farm stand or farmer’s market to buy local! I was able to shop local for at least one ingredient in each of these recipes, which made me ridiculously happy. And I think it also helped make the dishes ridiculously delicious.
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Disclosure: I am being compensated by ReadySetEat.com for my time; however, all opinions are mine and my taste buds’!
I love zucchini! I can’t wait to try the black bean skillet — thanks!
I LOVE zucchini, but I have never made any of the recipes you’ve listed. I didn’t grow any zucchini this year, so I’ll have to buy some and try at least the soup and the chicken thing. YUM!