Zucchini Pancakes

Daily dose of vegetables? Check! Absolutely delicious? Check!

Ingredients:

1. 2 medium or large zucchini

2. 2 eggs, beaten

3. 1 cup all-purpose flour 

4.  Water, by tablespoons

5. 1/2 - 1 cup of your favorite cheese

6. Green onion, chopped (if desired)

7. Sausage, sliced (if desired)

8. 2 tbs. ranch dressing 

9. Salt, pepper to taste

10. 1-2 tbs. butter

Directions:

1. Shred zucchini, or chop into small bits.

2. Mix zucchini, egg, cheese, green onion, sausage, ranch dressing, salt, and pepper. Add flour depending on how many pancakes you wish to make. 

3. Add water to reach desired consistency. It should not be sticky enough so that it won't fall apart, but it likely won't look like actual pancake batter, which is often liquidy and can be "spooned" out. This batter will need some patting flat in the pan.

4. Fry pancakes on both sides until browned and crispy using a skillet, 1/4 tbs. of butter. About 3-5 minutes on each side.

Enjoy!

Ellie

Eggplant Parmesan

Sorry for the late post! Hope Thanksgiving was wonderful. Here is the promised eggplant recipe!

Ingredients:

1. 1 American eggplant

2. Cheese, shredded or cut slices, of your choice

3. Bread crumbs, seasoned

4. 2 eggs, whisked

5. Pasta / tomato sauce

6. Minced garlic, pepper, salt as desired

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare 1-2 baking trays by layering with tin foil, if desired.

2. Cut eggplant into 1/2-inch thick slices. Make sure there is an even number of slices.

2. Coat each slice in egg, then in bread crumbs.

3. Put 1 coated eggplant slice on baking tray. Top with some cheese. Top cheese with minced garlic, salt, and other desired seasonings.

4. Spread some pasta sauce over first eggplant slice. Top with 2nd coated eggplant slice. Top with cheese and more pasta sauce.

5. Make another 2-layered eggplant "tower." Repeat for all slices.

6. Bake for ~30 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and eggplant is at desired softness (test with fork).

Enjoy!

Ellie

Breakfast and Dinner

Met the guys of The Jubilee Project (!!!!) on Friday; they were just as amazing in real-life as in their videos. I'm definitely a "Jubileever" now! :D

They've definitely renewed the hope I have in a school club I'm in -- we're a branch of an international non-profit organization that does public health and medical volunteer work abroad. It's been so difficult making some members who are going on our trips passionate and enthusiastic about volunteering; everyone's been so caught up with either the "traveling" and "vacation" aspect of the volunteer trip, or in school work that even fundraising for part of their trip (so they don't have to pay all of it out of pocket) has been hard! 

Anyway, after an eventful night, I woke up on Saturday and decided to make a very simple breakfast. Then, tonight I followed that with a super simple Pear and Zucchini Medley as a side-dish for dinner. See below!

Breakfast

Ingredients:
1. As many slices of bread you want (thick slices; french bread; artisan bread, etc. -- not sure if pre-sliced white bread would work as well)
2. Butter, softened
3. Breakfast sausage
4. Toppings (ie. garlic powder, cheddar/swiss cheese, powdered sugar)

Directions:
1. Turn oven to 350F
2. Lightly butter one, or both sides of bread on baking tray
3. Sprinkle with toppings of your choice
4. Place breakfast sausage on baking tray next to bread
5. Bake for about 15 minutes, turning sausages at the 8 or 10 minute mark (or until sausages are done!)

Tips:
1. If you're hoping to save $$, buy bread from the on-sale "expires today!" section. I also have a friend who lives near a bakery and she goes "bread dumpster diving" after hours (unfortunately, I don't live near a bakery)!
2. Slice and freeze bread if it's about to go bad or become stale to retain whatever moisture there is left.

 

Pear and Zucchini Medley

Ingredients:
1. 1-2 zucchini, depending on size and how much you want to make, in slices
2. 1 pear (don't remember what it was called! but it was green and pretty hard)

3. Seasoning
4. 1/3 tbs. vegetable / cooking oil

Directions:
1. On a medium-sized pan/skillet over medium heat, stir-fry pears and zucchini slices. Season as desired.

Enjoy!

Ellie