Recipes with Kale and Zucchini to Save Money

Kale and its cousin broccoli are fantastic in raw or cooked salads and smoothies.

Recipes with Kale and Zucchini to Save Money
Photo by Deryn Macey / Unsplash

Okay, this will be strange, but we eat too. People who know me well know I love cooking. That’s great because I also love eating. You know I am still experimenting with my website, so while I will put my work and non-work projects, this time, since I am not traveling much due to COVID-19 restrictions, I want to give you some samples of recipes with kale and zucchini to save money.

COVID-19 has messed up the supply chain in many respects. Farmers have a more challenging time getting food to market, and the market has shrunken as fewer people go to restaurants. Consequently, a surplus of food is being produced, and much of it is not making its way to the market for consumption before perishing. The COVID impact is very nuanced and not as straightforward as I am explaining it here, but for those interested to know more, check out this link from Mckinsey & Company. In some of my other articles, I write about the impact of COVID-19 on tourism, logistics technology, and how to travel safely.

Zucchini Galore

Some farmers figured out that they could get tax credits for food donations rather than absorb the loss and waste of food. A friend of mine got some benefits from that program and gave me about 20 pounds of zucchini (a courgette for my friends in European countries). I hate to waste food, so I figured out a few recipes to save as much as possible.

You will find multiple options online for zucchini recipes, from healthy zucchini bread and cakes to casseroles and pasta, stir-fries, pizza, and more. I pickled some in a jar, which I now realize I could do with beets and several other roots. You can find some excellent vegetable recipes in the book below from one of my favorite Chefs, Jamie Oliver.

Kale is a Rock Star of Vegetables

Kale and its cousin broccoli are fantastic in raw or cooked salads and smoothies. I made a pizza with kale (kale is in season from Summer until about February, so you can get enormous bunches for cheap in August and September). Kale has all kinds of well-needed vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and is fantastic for you in many ways.

After de-stalking the softer leaves from the center hard stem, I blended a bunch of kale. In a food processor, I added Emmental cheese. It was what I had at the time. However, it’s also delicious with smoky cheeses like gruyere or aged cheddar. You could also use Parmesan or whatever is your favorite cheese. I added about a quarter cup of olive oil, two tablespoons of salt, and a can of anchovies. Then, I laid all of this on a pizza dough I had kneaded earlier and left to rise. I poured more olive oil on top and spread it out.

Photo by Jason Briscoe / Unsplash

Conversely, I could have easily added zucchini in place of the kale. But I will get to the zucchini in a minute. I baked the kale pizza at 375F for 20 minutes. To save money in these recipes with kale and zucchini, try using them as fillers toward a grander dish.

Zucchini Tzatziki Sauce

With the rest of the zucchini, I blended it with about two tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, and coconut yogurt. Then, I blended it to use as a tzatziki sauce. I got a nice thick consistency and saved that in a container in the fridge. I can use it over several days, either as a garnish for my plating or even in soups or sauces. You can do the same with beets. The beet version produces a rich royal red color that genuinely brightens the sight of your food.

A Dish of Fish and Zucchini

I also stir-fried a few of the zucchini with ginger, garlic, turmeric roots (cut fine), onions, and green peppers cut big. I first caramelize the onions on high heat to get them charred on one side, with no stirring. Then I added the other ingredients with salt and black pepper and a few drops of liquid smoke. This was then used as a topping for a mahi-mahi fish fillet, which I will bake later. Unless I am following a recipe, I am horrible at proportions. I tend to cook like my grandmother, with measurements based on vague mental plans. Please forgive me for my lack of measurements.

For a bigger dinner, you can have the kale and anchovies pizza as a meal or a side dish. I will have the pizza for lunch, but the other zucchini dishes, I will have for dinner with the Mahi-mahi. The bright orange vegetable on the plate is sweet potatoes baked in their skin. These were baked whole for 20 minutes at 375F and then cut in slices.

See below my results. Please let me know in the comment section below if you enjoyed reading about my recipes with kale and zucchini to save money. Try these recipe ideas or share yours with these two rock stars, zucchini, and kale.

Elliott's Kale and zucchini dish

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Kitchen Cooking in Your Vacation Rental Requires the Perfect Travel Kit
I love my large chef’s and accompanying peering knives, so these are necessary.