Sunday, May 30, 2010

Zucchini & Summer Squash - bland no more!

I have stumbled onto a great way to use zucchini and summer squash (do not think this will be so good with winter squash). They are normally pretty bland vegetables and my other favorite way to make them, pan fried with salt, pepper, cayenne and turmeric, is not the MOST healthy and I get tired of cooking things one way.

So, this simple way to cook the squash is really great!

Cut the zucchini/squash in half, lengthwise (quarters if they are large), and then into 1/2-inch (1 cm) chunks. Toss all this in a large bowl. Dice up a bunch of onion (the amount should be one part of onion to 4-5 parts of squash). Toss this in the bowl. Add diced jalapeno peppers to your liking. Add salt, pepper and cumin to taste. Add about 1/2 cup (about 150 ml) of shredded cheddar cheese to the bowl. Toss well. Transfer the contents to a 9-inch (25 cm) baking dish and place in a pre-heated 350-degree F (175 deg C) oven and bake for about 30 min. Remove the pan and sprinkle another 3/4 cup (about 200 ml) of shredded cheddar cheese on the top of the squash along with a generous portion of dried bread crumbs. Cook another 15-25 minutes until the top is bubbling and golden brown.

To save some calories, I use cheese with only 2% milk fat.