Zucchini Jalapeño Soup

The bold flavors of this spicy green soup make it a lot more satisfying to me than the typical veggie soup. Jalapenos, cilantro, and fresh limes combine with the mild zucchinis for a soup that is a bit Mexican-inspired.

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Penne with Zucchini and Yogurt Cream Sauce

After a long weekend away, we came back home to an empty fridge and (on my part) not much motivation to cook. Summer weekends tend to do that--a couple days of waking up with the sun on the beach and going from one restaurant or cafe to another zaps me of all desire to operate in a normal routine.

Can't life be like vacation always? (Or at least all summer?)

On days like this, my go-to is pasta, and this easy dish of Penne with Zucchini and Yogurt Cream Sauce can be made with the kind of ingredients you might be likely to have hanging around in your pantry or fridge: yogurt, spices, and some kind of vegetable (zucchini in this case, but honestly anything you have would work--roasted butternut squash, broccoli, frozen peas or corn, bell peppers, etc.).

The base of the sauce is yogurt, which is stirred into the hot pasta, creating a light, but creamy, sauce with just a tiny bit of tang.

It's a simple, but satisfying dish that's perfect for those days when you need to keep things easy.

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Loved this Penne with Zucchini and Yogurt Cream Sauce recipe? Here are three other easy pasta recipes you might like:

• Chimichurri Pasta Salad
• Rigatoni with Chorizo and Spicy Chipotle Cream Sauce
• Creamy Avocado Mint Pasta

And let's connect so you can find out the next time I post! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates.

Thanks so much for reading!

Penne with Zucchini and Yogurt Cream Sauce
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 pound penne pasta
Olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 large zucchini, diced
3 large garlic cloves, sliced
1 1/2 cups thick Greek-style yogurt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions
Prepare pasta according to box directions.

While pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the onions. Saute 1 minute, then add the zucchini and garlic, and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until slightly tender.

Drain the pasta and return to pot (remove from heat). Add the cooked zucchini and onions, along with the yogurt, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano. Stir well to coat, then add the grated cheese and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Garnish with red chile flakes, if desired.

Serve immediately.

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Creamy Green Vegetable Soup with Bacon

I believe the best quick soups start and end with bacon. You don't even need much, but it adds an unmistakable richness and level of background flavor that's otherwise tough to recreate unless you have hours.

(And I am very impatient, so I rarely have hours.)

For this soup, I follow up the bacon with handfuls of green things--asparagus, zucchini, spinach--cooked just barely, then pureed until smooth and creamy. A bit of lemon for brightness. Garlic for spice.  Toasted pumpkin seeds and the reserved bits of bacon, for crunch.

I made this soup on one of those days when I needed a filling meal, but didn't want chicken or shrimp or pasta or any of the other things in my fridge.

It was soothing and cozy and (so so) easy.

I pureed this until velvety smooth in my blender--a super high powered Ninja that I love, but you can also use an immersion blender or a food processor. Whatever you have.

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Creamy Green Vegetable Soup with Bacon
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 strips bacon, cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 medium onion, diced
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed and discarded, chopped into 1" pieces
3 large zucchini, diced
4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt 
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup loosely packed parsley
5 cups baby spinach
Juice of 1 large lemon

Directions
Fry bacon in oil in a large pot over medium heat, until bacon is crisp and fat is rendered. Remove crispy bacon and set aside (reserve bacon fat in pot). Add the pumpkin seeds, and saute 2 minutes, or until toasted. Remove and set aside alone with cooked bacon.

Add the onions and garlic, and saute 2 minutes, just until fragrant. Add the asparagus, zucchini, water and salt, and let simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the parsley, spinach, and lemon juice, and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve garnished with pumpkin seeds and bacon. 

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Raw Zucchini Noodles with Lemon-Parmesan Dressing

Earlier this year, I bought myself a kitchen gadget that I've been wanting for a long time.

A spiralizer, which is used to make noodles and long ribbons out of vegetables and fruit.


I'd had it on my wish list for a while, and with the rapid succession of Christmas, our anniversary, my birthday, and Valentine's Day, I was convinced the spiralizer would appear in my hands at some point.

But, strangely, it did not!

It turns out that Eugene did not want to get it because he thought it would just "take up space" and "never get used."

Well...because there is no quicker way to get me to do something, than to tell me "no," I pulled it up on Amazon, hit the one-click button, and had it out of the box and ready to use within 2 days!

And you know what?

I LOVE this little machine! It's super lightweight and easy to use--simply insert whatever vegetable you'd like, turn the crank et voilà! Fresh healthy low-carb noodles!

This dish--a Raw Zucchini Noodles with Lemon-Parmesan Dressing was my first spiralizer recipe. I loved it so much that I made it about 4 times that first week. It's quick, filling, and super healthy. I have a big bowl of this at least twice a week, if not more.

Even Eugene has turned into a believer, happily gobbling up giant bowls of veggie noodles with nary a complaint. 

P.S. Want to get your own spiralizer? Click here for the one that I own, which is by the brand Paderno. It's just $33 on Amazon. FYI that this is an affiliate link, which means I'll get a few cents if you buy it...not enough to quit my day job, but hey...it all helps! :)

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Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!  

Raw Zucchini Noodles with Lemon-Parmesan Dressing
Serves 2

Ingredients
2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
1 large lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions
Pass both zucchini through your spiralizer according to manufacturer directions (if you don't have a spiralizer, you can also julienne or slice the zucchini by hand).

In a large bowl, whisk together lemon and olive oil.

Add the zucchini and toss to coat. Top with the cheese, and toss again. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.

Serve immediately, or within 24 hours (the zucchini will soften a bit as it sits in the lemon dressing).

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Mushroom and Goat Cheese Stuffed Zucchini (Vegetarian)

I went out for dinner with a friend the other night and ordered a lackluster version of this. Obviously, I didn't realize it was going to be lackluster when I ordered it; I thought it was going to be freaking delicious! The menu promised zucchini stuffed with a savory mixture of mushrooms, herbs, and ricotta, which felt like just the perfect light summer dinner I was craving.

Only problem is that what I got ended up being rather...bland. I spent the whole meal shaking the salt shaker.

But it had potential. So I fixed it! (You know...by adding flavor!)

At home, I revamped the filling by sauteing finely chopped mushrooms with onions, garlic, fresh thyme, and a pinch of chili flakes. I then swapped the insipid ricotta for a tangy chevre that I stirred through the mushroom mixture, letting it melt in the heat. I generously filled the scooped-out zucchini boats (the ones at the restaurant had been quite skimpy) and topped it off with mozzarella.

(Relatedly: When I told Eugene I was going to make stuffed zucchini, he replied "But how can you stuff zucchini? There's no room in there!")

Into the broiler for about 7 minutes and the results were impressive. Tangy and umami-rich from the mushrooms and goat cheese, plus just the perfect amount of salty gooey-ness from the mozzarella. Since I cooked it in the broiler, the zucchini was perfect--cooked through, but still firm enough to hold the filling and slice evenly.

I served these for dinner one night along with a salad and a crusty baguette, and then again for lunch this week when my mom came by. I've just popped the ingredients into my Fresh Direct cart so that I can make them again this weekend!

(I confess that I very nearly kept this recipe from you just because I hate the photos. It was a dark and cloudy day, I was hungry, and I didn't feel like taking the time to pull out my good lens. So I just took a few shots, right on the baking pan and called it a day. But it's a good recipe so that would have been silly!)

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Mushroom and Goat Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 large zucchini
1 lb button mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme 
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
6oz chevre goat cheese
6 slices low-water mozzarella cheese

Directions
Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Rinse zucchini and pat dry. Cut in half lengthwise, and use a spoon to hollow out the center, reserving the zucchini that you scoop out. Season the insides of the hollowed-out zucchini boats with kosher salt and black pepper, and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Chop the mushrooms finely (caps and stems) finely. I like to just toss them in my food processor and let pulse until finely chopped, but you can also use a knife.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the chopped mushrooms, the scooped out zucchini insides, diced onion, and garlic. Season well with salt and let cook until the onions get tender, the mushrooms shrink and release their water, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the thyme and red pepper flakes, and stir in the goat cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning with black pepper and more kosher salt, if necessary.

Use a spoon to fill the hollowed out zucchini boats, allowing the filling to overflow slightly. Top with torn pieces of mozzarella cheese. Place in preheated broiler (allowing several inches below the flame--I put it on the middle rack in my oven) and broil about 7 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden, and the zucchini is cooked through.

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Mini Egg Muffins with Zucchini and Chorizo

These adorable little portable egg muffins take mere minutes to throw together and will last you through the week. Make a dozen or more of them and wrap individually. In the mornings, you can grab one or two as you head out the door. (These are wonderful cold, but if you prefer your eggs warm, you can pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to heat them up.)

Think of the recipe below as just a formula and feel free to improvise. Replace the chorizo with diced ham or leftover cooked chicken or turkey. Replace the vegetables with whatever is in season or on sale; add onions, garlic, chives, or scallions for more flavor. You can even add other spices and herbs to change the flavor. Use different kinds of cheese Experiment with things like chili powder, cayenne, smoked paprika, curry, or Asian five spice to come up with new combinations.

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And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me.
Thanks for reading!

Mini Egg Muffins with Zucchini and Chorizo
Servings: 6

Print this Recipe

Ingredients
10 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground turmeric (optional, but adds great flavor, color, and health benefits)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup diced fully cooked chorizo sausage (you can substitute: diced cooked ham, chicken, turkey, shrimp, or other protein)
2 cups raw zucchini, diced into 1/2" pieces (you can substitute an equal amount or mix of another vegetable such as squash, spinach, mushrooms, sweet potato, tomatoes, peas, carrots, kale, potato, etc.)
1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped (you can also use chives, scallions, cilantro, tarragon, or other herbs)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (you can substitute any other cheese you'd like)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a muffin tin with olive oil or spray well with oil spray. Set aside.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, black pepper, and turmeric until well combined and light and frothy (about 1 minute). Set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the diced onion and saute just until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the chorizo and zuccini and saute for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley. Let the vegetable mixture cool for 1 minute before adding to the eggs. Stir to distribute and add the grated cheese.

Use a ladle to scoop the egg mixture into the muffin cups until each reaches almost to the top. Place in the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the muffins puff up high and are fully set in the center. Remove from the oven and run a butter knife around each muffin then remove and let cool completely on a plate. Serve immediately or if using later, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to one week. (These can also be frozen for longer storage.)

Can be eaten cold, at room temperature, or reheated in a microwave.

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