A Garden Zucchini Pie

This morning began with a bang.  The alarm went off, but I don’t think that’s what really woke me up. It was more of the loud MOAN that I let out when hearing the soft “beep – beep – beep” of the subtle alarm.  I scared myself! 

Waking up was not really a problem. I was ready to get back into a good workout. It was chest and biceps today.  I did 20 minutes on the elliptical. 40 minutes of weights. Shane and I went for a jog/walk for 45 minutes.

Breakfast was the usual weekday menu of steel cut oats with wild blueberries and cinnamon. 1/2 a grapefruit.  A terrific cappuccino shake with more blueberries.

But all that’s history, because on the menu NOW is a wonderul … and easy… Zucchini Pie.

The stores and road side produce vendors have begun to display loads of lovely green zucchini.  They are getting a little bigger and a lot more appealing to purchase. 

There is so much you can do with zucchini.  It can be a grilled vegetable by itself or a beautiful accompaniment on a skewer.  It can be a sweet dessert or breakfast bread.  It can also be a wonderful Zucchini Pie which was an additional dish to the Crabby feast of last night.

Garden Zucchini Pie

• 3 Medium Red Potatoes, peeled and shredded
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (or your favorite grated cheese)
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced in thin rounds
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 TBS Olive Oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (about 3 oz)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Prepare your potatoes (peel and shred) – put into a bowl of hot water while you mix the following:  1 egg, onions, and parmesan cheese. 

Drain the potatoes and pat dry.  Mix into the egg mixture, stir and transfer to a 9 x 9 square pan. Pat mixture down on top and up the sides.  Bake for 40 to 45 minutes and cool slightly.

Reduce oven heat to 350 F.   In a skillet heat the oil and add the zucchini and garlic.  Cook until the zucchini slices brown slightly.  Arrange on the cooked potato crust.

In a small bowl, mix the 2 eggs, shredded cheese, milk, oregano, salt and pepper.  Pour this mixture on top of your zucchini slice you placed in the crust.   Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes to set before enjoying.

Approximate nutrition calculations:  175 cals. 14 carbs. 8g fat. 120 chol. 9 g protein.

Here is a fat fact:  If you want to increase the absorbtion of those many nutrients in a fresh garden salad, add a little fat to it.  Simply accomplished by using a regular italian dressing. Skip the fat free dressings and let your body enjoy natures bounty.

Have a great night!