An entry in Slightly indulgent Tuesdays and Gluten-free Wednesdays.

Zucchini Apple Latke Fritter Recipe Main Course  Vegetables  American

Ingredients 2 cups coarsely grated zucchini 1 cup grated, peeled apple(I used granny smith) 1 egg or your favorite egg substitute for one egg (I would try Ener-g Foods Egg Replacer myself) 1/2 cup sorghum flour or your favorite whole grain flour (brown rice etc) small pinch baking soda 1/2 tsp dill weed 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste) 1/4 cup olive oil *special equipment: potato ricer Directions To prepare: Put one cup of coarsely grated zucchini in your potato ricer and press out the liquid, draining into a bowl or the sink. Do the same with your second cup of grated zucchini. Finally, press your apple. You may want to drink the delicious pressed apple juice, so drain that into a cup. If you don’t have a potato ricer, you can squeeze your grated ingredients in a towel, but I’ve always found that a bit messy. Put your dry grated ingredients into a medium-large bowl and mix to combine so apple is evenly distributed. Make a well in the middle and add your egg. Whisk the egg and then fold into the grated veggies. Add your flour, baking soda, dill and salt and combine. Stir vigorously with spoon or with your hands. I have to admit, I’m a hands-on kind of girl. Don’t worry if it seems too dry to stick together at first. With the salt and everything, the moisture will come out of the veggies and fruit and you will end up with a nicely sticky dough that you can shape. Heat your oil in a nonstick pan or well seasoned cast iron pan on medium. When hot, add two tablespoons of dough at a time, shaped into a loose patty, until the pan is full, leaving an inch or so between each pancake. Cook until golden brown on one side, and then turn over. Cook until the other side is golden brown and then remove to a plate lined with a paper towel. Serve with your favorite yogurt (coconut milk or soy yogurt is yummy) or plain. I had mine plain and they were delicious. Be careful. This is a recipe one hungry person can polish off, ahem. I had no trouble eating almost the whole batch singlehandedly, which was slightly unexpected. Yummy!

Rating:  10 Original Source:  inspired by various recipes, but my original creation. Please do not replicate without my written permission. Recipe ID:  1532 Added:  January 12, 2011 Last Modified:  January 12, 2011

Once Ali threw down the challenge, I started thinking about what dishes would be good in a tiffin. Lately I’ve been eating more quinoa than rice, and so a quinoa dish was a given. I could have packed my favorite quinoa masala recipe, but this time I thought I’d make a more basic recipe that would be the base note for the meal, rather than the star component. I riffed on a favorite rice cooker recipe, adding more spices and peas for fun. Lately I’ve been reveling in the fresh offerings at the Farmer’s Market, and I’ve got a serious crush on baby zucchini and zucchini blossoms. I decided to make a highly seasoned and decadent (but still healthy!) baby zucchini and baby pattypan dry curry that would travel well and complement the quinoa pilaf. And then, influenced by Japanese bento where a high-protein fried treat accompanies rice and vegetables, I decided to end on a slightly decadent note with a pakora (chickpea flour fritter) zucchini blossom. It tastes lovely hot, cold, with ketchup or simply kissed with salt, and marvelously blends the fresh flavor of the blossom with hearty, savory chickpea batter.

And so, a healthy Indian vegetarian (and vegan) lunch menu was born. Baby Yum is too little for such lunchbox menus as yet, but I think you’re never too old to treat your adult self with a healthy and delicious lunch, whether it be in a paper (or eco-reusable) bag, tiffin, or bento box. And when Baby Yum is old enough for school, I hope she’ll enjoy eating this type of International, vegetarian feasts as much as I will enjoy making them for her.

Here is Ali’s roundup of gluten-free lunch ideas

I also entered this post in Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays

More International Lunches from the Book of Yum:
Vegetarian Bento with Burdock and Lotus Root and Inari Zushi
Fusion Tiffin with Thai Lemongrass Corn and Quesadillas
Spinach Sesame Onigiri (Japanese Rice Ball) for Bento
Assorted Avocado Fusion Onigiri recipes for Bento

Looking for more inspiration for your Bento or Tiffin Box? Here are some of my favorite sites which have recipes that can be adapted to be gluten-free:
Just Bento (Japanese recipes)
Just Hungry (Japanese recipes)
Maki of Just Bento and Just Hungry’s Cookbook:
The Just Bento Cookbook: Everyday Lunches To Go
Cooking Cute (Japanese recipes)
The Cooking Cute cookbook:
Yum-Yum Bento Box: Fresh Recipes for Adorable Lunches
Lunch in a Box (no longer being updated)
Week of Menus (How about a Korean recipe bento?)
Hapa Bento (Japanese cuisine)

Indian Baby Zucchini, pattypan squash, and tomato dry curry recipe Side Dish  Vegetables  Indian

Ingredients 1/2 lb baby zucchini 1/2 lb baby pattypan squash 2 small tomatoes or one medium tomato, cubed and dusted with salt 2 tbsp. of olive or canola oil, divided 1 1/2 tbsp. ground coriander 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp. ancho or cayenne chili pepper (or paprika for kids) 1/2 tsp garam masala 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/4 tsp salt Directions Clean zucchini and pattypan squash and towel dry. Cut Baby zucchini in half lengthwise, and cut pattypan squash in half horizontally so that you have two circlets, one having a pumpkin-like stem and os one not. Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a large nonstick pan on medium high and then add your baby zucchini so that you have one layer in the pan. You may have to do this in batches. Let it brown for a minute or so and then lower the heat. Let brown for 8 minutes, turning halfway through to get even browning. Remove zucchini from pan and reserve. Heat the remaining oil on medium high again and put a single layer of your pattypan squash in the pan. After a minute or so, lower heat and brown for 5-6 minutes. Turn halfway through or as soon as the bottom layer is brown and brown the other side. Add the zucchini back into the pan and add your spices, mixing thoroughly. Let the spices heat up and brown slightly. Add the cubed tomatoes and mix again. Let the tomatoes cook down slightly and then take off burner. Taste and season with additional salt if needed. Serve! Notes *vegetables can be replaced with Okra if desired.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Adapted from a recipe for Okra Supreme from The Best of Lord Krishna’s cuisine cookbook, but changed to be a new recipe. Please do not replicate. Recipe ID:  1521 Added:  September 27, 2010 Last Modified:  September 27, 2010

zucchini blossom pakora fritter recipe Side Dish  Vegetables  Indian

Ingredients Batter: 1 cup chickpea flour pinch baking soda 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or 1/4 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp chipotle pepper) 1 tsp roasted ground cumin 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 cup water canola oil for deep frying 1 farmer’s market package of zucchini squash blossoms salt for taste Directions Combine pakora batter ingredients in a small bowl. Pour enough canola oil in a small, deep pan for deep frying. Heat on high until hot but before reaching smoking point. If oil is too hot, fritters will burn. If not hot enough, the fritters will absorb too much oil. Oil is ready when a drop of batter rises to the surface immediately and sizzles. Lower heat to medium high to keep at correct temperature. Dip your squash blossoms into the batter, coating all sides evenly. Drop them into hot oil, turning frequently so that the blossom browns evenly. Remove fritters from oil with tongs or metal strainer and set on rack to drain. You can reheat them later in the oven on 375 and they will taste hot and fresh! Sprinkle lightly with salt if desired. Notes Good with ketchup, chutney, or even plain! *this photo is of whole baby zucchini and blossom from my first experiment with this recipe. However, I found it better to just batter and fry the blossom separately, and those are the versions pictured in the tiffin photos!

Rating:  9 Original Source:  Pakora batter based on the Bombay Cafe, variation my own. Please do not replicate without permission. Recipe ID:  1522 Added:  September 27, 2010 Last Modified:  September 27, 2010

Special Indian Quinoa Recipe Side Dish  Alternative Grains  Indian

Ingredients 5 tsp sesame oil 1 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained 1/2 – 1 cup green peas 3 1/2 cups water 3 tsp fresh lime juice 1/2 tsp. turmeric 1/2-1 tsp sea salt Directions Heat sesame oil in your rice cooker and then add your black mustard seeds and cumin. Heat until seeds pop and then add your quinoa. Heat the rice cooker again (by pressing cook), stir the quinoa, and let it cook a few minutes. Open rice cooker and add your peas, water, lime juice, turmeric, and salt. Stir. Start your rice cooker cycle again and let cook. Can keep warm in the rice cooker for a bit or serve immediately. Enjoy!

Rating:  7 Original Source:  Inspired by an old recipe for rice but radically altered to be my own. Please do not replicate without permission. Recipe ID:  1523 Added:  September 27, 2010 Last Modified:  September 27, 2010

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we have. Every time I make it, our meal becomes a special occasion, and this dish reminds me that fresh, local ingredients can be the best inspiration for a gluten-free and/or vegetarian diet.

Looking for more gluten-free, vegan fried veggies? Try Fried Artichoke Fritters *contains corn*

This recipe is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays where you will find many other great and mostly gluten-free recipes.

Egg-free Gluten-free Fried Zucchini Blossoms Side Dish  Vegetables  American

Ingredients 1 package zucchini with blossoms or 2-3 fat, short farmer’s market zucchini, sliced with ends removed 2/3 cup sorghum flour or 1/3 cup sorghum, 1/3 cup buckwheat or other flavorful whole grain gluten-free flour 1/6 cup arrowroot starch 3/4 cup club soda 1 tsp. your favorite seasoning (Italian seasonings, pasta seasonings, whatever) 1/4 tsp. salt extra gluten-free flour for dusting olive oil More salt for serving. Directions Sift together flour and whisk together with club soda. If you think the batter is too thin, add more of your main flour 1 tbsp. at a time until you like the texture. For zucchini and blossoms, slice in half. For zucchini, dry each slice with a paper towel and dust with flour. Heat a tablespoon or so of oil in a cast iron or nonstick pan on medium-high. Immerse zucchini in batter and place on hot griddle. Turn gently when golden brown and fry other side. Add a little extra oil to the pan if necessary. Remove to wire rack, sprinkle with additional salt and let cool slightly. Serve zucchini with blossoms plain, Serve zucchini slices with marinara or your favorite pasta sauce on the side.

Rating:  9 Original Source:  The contents of my brain, please do not replicate without permission. Recipe ID:  1498 Added:  April 8, 2010 Last Modified:  September 12, 2010

*sorry to any who might have read this post on Tuesday- the date of the scheduled post got messed up so it was briefly up and got emailed early. Don’t worry, you shouldn’t receive any other posts emailed twice.*

Honey Mustard Peach Tofu Salad Recipe with Vegan Variation Side Dish  Tofu  American

Ingredients 1 tbsp. GF mustard (your favorite variety) 1 tsp tahini 1 tsp brown rice vinegar 1 tsp honey or agave syrup (for vegan variation) 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 package firm tofu, pressed for at least 30 min in a towel and cut into cubes dried dill smoked paprika or chipotle pepper salt to taste 1/4 small onion, diced 1 carrot, peeled and grated 1 small peach or nectarine, pitted and sliced 1 small zucchini cubed Very large handful fresh spinach Generous handfuls of nutritional yeast Braggs liquid amino acids (soy sauce) or your favorite GF Tamari like San-J low sodium Directions Combine mustard, tahini, vinegar, and honey (or agave) in a small container. Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan and add firm, pressed tofu cubes. Season with dill, smoked paprika and salt to taste. When tofu has browned on one side, turn, season other side and begin to brown. Add your mustard sauce and evenly distribute through the tofu mixture. Add your onion and let it begin to cook. Add grated carrot, peach slices and zucchini, cook for a minute or two, and add spinach. As spinach wilts, fold into dish and sprinkle with nutritional yeast. Fold yeast into dish. Taste and then sprinkle with Braggs soy sauce to taste. Check that tofu is browned and zucchini is done to your taste. You can eat hot, but I prefer to let it cool and sit for half of a day or so and then serve it cold. It would be great as a substitute for “chicken” salad- on lettuce and/or in a gluten-free sandwich.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Contents of my brain, please do not replicate without my permission. Thanks! Recipe ID:  1425 Added:  June 8, 2009 Last Modified:  June 8, 2009

Here are some of my favorite zucchini recipes from the Book of Yum:
Vegetarian Zucchini Green Chili Enchiladas
Grilled Zucchini Parmesan Recipe
Chinese Szechuan Zucchini Brown Fried Rice
Zucchini Crust Pizza Flatbread Recipe

Feel free to share the URL of your favorite gluten-free vegetarian zucchini recipe in the comments, and I’ll add the link to this post!

Celiac Tips shared a recipe for Roasted Zucchini and Goat Cheese. (YUM!)

Menu of the Week
Sunday: Thai
Green Bean Pineapple Basil Stir Fry with Jasmine Rice

Tuesday: Vegetarian
Hash Brown Potato Crust Vegetarian Savory Pie

Wednesday: Mexican
Oven Baked Sopes with Zucchini Corn Filling

Friday: Vegan
Brown rice and Caribbean Pineapple beans with greens

You can find more great menus over with Org Junkie. As always, many thanks to Cheryl for temporarily housing the Gluten Free Menu Swap at her blog.

Participants in this Week’s Gluten-Free Menu Swap:

Cheryl of GF Goodness has a menu with plenty of whole grain gluten-free goodness as well as an announcement about a Virtual online Recipe Baby Shower she is throwing Baby Yum! Is it bad if I say that I’d love to see you there? :)

A Modern Gal’s Menu features a variety of international dishes with Mexican, Chinese, and Thai flair.

Gluten Free is Life likes zucchini roasted with EVOO and a little salt, and shares a hearty family-friendly menu using ingredients on hand.

Heather of Celiac Family plans to take inspiration from Elise of Simply Recipes and adapt a recipe for zucchini fritters this week. She is celebrating a birthday this week and contemplating chocolate, but her menu reflects her attempt to balance nutrition with her family’s diverse taste buds. Happy birthday, Heather!

Angela of Angela’s Kitchen is continuing strong with her walk for breast cancer training in the midst of a busy week. She’s planning on sauteeing some zucchini up this week, and has also planted seeds for fresh-from the garden zucchini later this summer. Angela will host next week’s menu swap with an avocado theme and I can’t wait to participate!

Celiacs in the House has a very photogenic post with menu ideas as well as a link to an intriguing Martha recipe for pickled zucchini ribbons.

Esther of the Lilac Kitchen reminded me that zucchini is also known as Courgette in New Zealand or British English, and shared a menu with some local, fresh produce and comforting fare.

I’m including a Thai-Chinese inspired zucchini stir fry recipe I enjoyed for dinner last night, as well as an absolutely delicious grilled zucchini salad that premiered on the Book of Yum two years ago, when I’d just started the blog. I hope you enjoy them, and at least one of these recipes inspires you to experiment with zucchini, even if it has never been one of your favorite vegetables.

Soy free Jicama Zucchini Stir Fry Main Course  Vegetables  Asian  Thai

Ingredients 1 tbsp peanut or other szechuan peppercorns 1 inch knob ginger, minced salt 1/2 small jicama, cubed handful green beans, chopped 3 green onions, sliced 1 zucchini, cubed 1/8 cup raw cashew halves Sauce: 3/4 cup GF veg broth (from cube like Edward and sons not-beef) 1 tbsp mirin 1/2 tsp sesame oil white pepper 2 tsp corn starch 1/2 bunch of fresh thai basil Directions Heat wok on high and add szechuan peppercorns, toasting lightly. Add oil and let it heat until a white wisp of smoke curls off of it, and then add your minced ginger. When ginger turns brown, strain peppercorns and ginger out of the oil and leave oil in pan. Let oil heat again and add salt to it. When oil is curling up in smoke again, add your cubed jicama and stir fry for a few minutes or until it is lightly seared on multiple sides. Add the green beans and fry for another minute, moving around pan occasionally. Add green onions and let them soften slightly before adding cashew halves and finally zucchini cubes. Combine veg broth and mirin (or other GF alcohol of choice) in a small bowl and whisk in sesame oil and sprinkle in some white pepper. Add some of the sauce to the vegetables in the pan and let it heat. Add cornstarch to the remaining sauce, whisk in thoroughly, and then add to the pan. Combine so vegetables are evenly coated in sauce. Let thicken to taste and remove from pan. Add thai basil and serve with rice or rice noodles. Notes For a variation, fill thai rice wrapper with rice noodles and stir fry ingredients, wrap up, let cool into a sealed pouch, and enjoy.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Completely original creation from my own brain, do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Thanks! Recipe ID:  1413 Added:  May 16, 2009 Last Modified:  May 16, 2009

Grilled Zucchini with Tomato and Olive Salad Side Dish  Vegetables  Mediterranean

Ingredients 1 lb fresh zucchini and/or squash 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil 1 1/2 tsp fresh minced thyme 1 medium sized tomato cut in small dice 1 lg garlic clove, minced 16 kalamata olives, pitted and sliced (or regular blk olives) 1 tbsp chopped capers 1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar salt, freshly ground pepper 1 tbsp pine nuts 8-10 fresh basil leaves Directions Heat or otherwise prepare grill or grill pan. (charcoal or propane grill is best) Cut zucchini lengthwise 1/4 inch thick, baste in 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle fresh thyme until evenly coated. Combine diced tomato cubes, garlic, olives, capers, and red wine vinegar in a bowl and put aside. Salt and pepper zucchini or squash rounds and grill until marked with grill stripes (3 minutes or less depending on heat). Place on serving platter when done, spread tomato olive mixture on top and season with salt and pepper. sprinkle with pine nuts and attractively cut basil and serve. Notes DH and I don’t even like zucchini, and we gobbled this whole recipe up in a night. A good pizza-less “pizza”- very tasty tapa dish. Yum! Perfect for using fresh farmer’s market zucchini available everywhere this year.

Rating:  9 Original Source:   Recipe ID:  1078 Added:  May 28, 2007 Last Modified:  May 16, 2009