7.15.2010

Summer Zucchini Bites: Webisode #32

   

What's Going on Today: Big pancake breakfast, morning trip to the beach (hence the wet hair in the video), sunday chores.
Naptime Goals: Make Zucchini Bites with the zucchini I recently picked up at the farmer's market this week, finish up some Babble columns.
Tonight's Menu: Grilled Soyaki Chicken Thighs, Zucchini bites, cous-cous, Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Blondies.
Parenting Lesson of the Day: Never engage your child in negotiations regarding candy before lunchtime.

If you've ever seen a woman at your farmer's market hording zucchini from every available stand it's probably me. My love for zucchini knows no bounds and I am not afraid to admit that I buy it by the ton this time of year. I have a whole roster of great zucchini recipes and this is one from my mother-in-law. I love to make these little bites for a healthy afternoon snack or to serve alongside dinner. Or both.


As you'll see in the webisode, making these merely requires a bowl, spoon and measuring cup. The rest is simply a matter of grating and mixing. I easily whipped these up during my daughter's naptime so that we could all enjoy them for an afternoon snack. The best way to describe their taste is somewhere between a mini-quiche and a muffin. Savory and light, they are puffy and easy on the stomach since, after all, none of us want to be eating heavy foods in the middle of summer. Perhaps I shouldn't admit this, but after we shot this video the three of us polished off the whole pan! Ah, summer.

Summer Zucchini Bites
2 c. grated zucchini
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. sharp cheddar, grated
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. fresh parsley, finely chopped
Makes approximately 24 mini-muffin sized bites

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Butter a mini-muffin tin, set aside.
2. In a large glass bowl add two eggs and beat lightly with a whisk. Then, add the zucchini, onion, cheddar, bread crumbs and parsley and combine them with a wooden spoon.
3. Using your hands or an ice-cream scoop, fill each muffin cup just to the top. Bake  for 15-18 minutes or until the top is browned and set.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Serving Ideas: These would be great served as a light bite at a dinner party or on a buffet table. If you want to mix up the flavors try using shallots instead of onions.
Naptime Stopwatch: Making this batter takes less than 15 minutes. Baking times is 15-18 minutes.
Naptime Reviews: This is a fun healthy vegetable bite for toddler. Despite the fact that my daughter dislikes eggs she will take a few bites of these.

12 comments:

  1. Very interesting idea, sounds good!

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  2. Thank you for zucchini! It's in season and he already eats zucchini bread so why not your recipe? Takes some thought to work with zucchini, esp with kids. Nice.

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  3. My mouth is simply watering. Yummy. Can't wait to try it!

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  4. I am so trying this on Sunday!!! Thanks for the wonderful idea! This is the exact kind of blog I've been looking for.

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  5. Had them last night! Delicious!

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  6. Are these freezeable? I keep fast to make/reheat snacks around for my toddler since he has a tantrum when he decides he's hungry RIGHT NOW! I was thinking of flash freezing these then perhaps reheating in the microwave for 20-30 seconds?

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  7. Hi @philandlauren, glad you like it! @SommerJ, welcome to the blog, always let me know if you have any questions! @Linda, so glad you enjoyed them! @Jen, make sure they are frozen solid since there i egg in them. Yes, they will reheat just fine!

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  8. When my Zucchini comes on I will be making Zucchini bites. Love your website

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  9. I have more zucchini then I know what to do with! On Sunday I made a zucchini crisp (replace apples with zucchini) and today I made a shredded zucchini chocolate cake. I am looking forward to trying these little bites tomorrow!

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  10. Even if you pay for zuchini, this comes in at $2 for the whole thing and pnnies per serving. And if you want your toddler to get some calories then they should be able to get a hundred or so for every cup. This book http://bit.ly/5jARKt "Eating on $1" in amazon shows easy food prep, the dollars and the calories.

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  11. Thanks so much for the recipe!
    I found this website yesterday, 30 minutes before I had to pick up my preschooler. A few minutes later I decided to make these zucchini bites and threw the onion and then eggs in the food processor. Then I plucked out the s-blade and popped on the shredder disc and shredded the zucchini and cheese into the bowl. Then I just stirred in the rest of the ingredients (I used a combo of parsley and chives because they grow next to each other in the garden and I just grabbed a quick handful) - it worked out beautifully and so quick!

    I was able to pull the pan out of the oven with a couple minutes to spare, and then had the perfect warm snack for my girls after school.

    It also made a fantastic breakfast this morning, with wheat toast and some berries, and took all of three minutes to get breakfast on the table! Thanks again :)

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  12. Saw this on photograzing and just had to click. I'm so glad I did. These look wonderful.

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