#SundaySupper #BackToSchool Tots Your Tots Will Love!

As I’ve mentioned, I’ve started making lunch for the ladies in the office and I’m a big fan of Meatless Monday.  So, when I needed something to pair with a Cream of Tomato Soup, these were the perfect match!  I threw together a batch of these ridiculously easy zucchini tots one evening to “test” the recipe to make sure they were good…and, my husband and I devoured the entire pan before they could cool. Needless to say, they are delicious.

Not only are these tots easy to prepare, they can be frozen and reheated in the toaster oven for a quick breakfast or afternoon snack. An added bonus is your family will love them and it’s an tasty way to sneak some veggies into the pickiest of eaters. Feel free to play around with the vegetable and cheese combos.  I think carrots, squash or broccoli would be great substitutions as would monterey jack, swiss or muenster.

Zucchini Tots

printable recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini, grated
• 1 large egg
• ½ onion, diced
• ¼ cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Grate the zucchini over a paper towel. Pat the excess water out of the zucchini once grated. Combine all the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste. Fill the muffin tins with the mixture. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden. Use a knife to help remove the muffins from the pan and enjoy!

Mix all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl (I was making a double batch in this pic).

Be sure to fill the tins to the top for a perfect-sized tot.

Related articles

• Spicy Zucchini Pepper Soup (thehealthyflavor.com)
• Classic Zucchini Bread (kitchen-chronicles.com)
• Cheesy Zucchini Rice (todaysmama.com)

Check out more delicious #BackToSchool recipes from the #SundaySupper community listed below:

• Greek Dogs by Supper For a Steal
• Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad by Magnolia Days
• Double Duty Fajita Chicken: Nachos Supreme and Enchiladas by Doggie at the Dinner Table 
• Zucchini, Corn and Bacon Crepes by Vintage Kitchen
• Oregon Shrimp Quesadillas by Pescetarian Journal 
• Korean omelet rice by Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
• Lemon Dillled Salmon Croquette Burgers by Granny’s Southern Cooking 
• Gluten Free Pepper Steak with Rice by  No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
• Crispy Ravioli in Cherry Tomato Sauce by Shockingly Delicious
• BLT Soup by Meal Planning Magic
• Korean Pan-Fried Fish by Kimchi Mom
• Stove top mac ‘n cheese by Gotta Get Baked
• Deconstructed Enchiladas by In the Kitchen with KP
• Croque Monsieurs  by Juanita’s Cocina
• Summer Squash and Mushroom Quesadillas by Chocolate Moosey
• Seared Lamb on a bed of Mashed potatoes with Artichoke Hearts by Cooking Underwriter 
• Pasta with Creamy Kale Pesto by Webicurean 
• Baked Spanish Tortilla by Happy Baking Days
• Grilled Chicken Caesar Pizza by In the Kitchen with Audrey
• Chicken Pasta with Spinach and Beans by The Lemon Bowl
• Tomato Pie by My Catholic Kitchen
• Shredded Chicken in Peanut Sauce Tacos w/ Corn & Zucchini Sauté by GirliChef
• Tomatillo Chicken Stew by Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Pollo a la Crema by La Cocina de Leslie
• Baked Tilapia Fish Tacos by Home Cooking Memories
• Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken with a Yogurt Dill sauce and a Greek Salad by Noshing with the Nolands
• Wagon Wheel Pasta with Pancetta & Peas by Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence
• Lemon & Dill Shrimp Pasta w/ Oven Roast Corn by Mama, Mommy, Mom
• Ricotta – Tofu Tomato Toasts by Yummy Smells
• One Pot Spicy Asian Chicken and Rice by Hezzi D
• Turkey Italian Brown Rice Casserole by Momma’s Meals
• Flatbread Pizza with Cilantro Garlic Sauce by Mom’s Test Kitchen
• Kung Pao Shrimp by Mangoes and Chutney
• Cashew Chicken Stir-fry by Diabetic Foodie
• Chicken Bacon Avocado Quesadillas by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• Roasted Butternut Lo Mein by The Meltaways
• Potluck Casserole with Cornbread Stuffing by Cindy’s Recipes & Writings
• Jerk Chicken Chili by Mrs. Mama Hen
• Loaded Chicken and Steak Stuffed Potatoes by Big Bears Wife
• Steamed Tofu Serve with Fried Mix Vegetables by My Trial’s in the Kitchen
• Pasta with sausage and cherry tomatoes by Tora’s Real Food
• Chicken Ravioli with Peas and Bacon by Daddy Knows Less
• Chorizo Tomato Pasta with a Creamy Sauce by Avocado Pesto
• Quick N Easy Thai Coconut Shrimp Stir Fry by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Whole Wheat Pizza with Hummus & Fresh Greens by Family Spice
• Speedy ‘n Spicy Shrimp Pasta. Will be dinner this Friday by The Weekend Gourmet
• End of Summer Grilled Peach and Chicken Salad by Sustainable Dad
• Teriyaki Tuna Bowl by Family Foodie
• Weeknight Stir Fry by From Fast Food to Fresh Food
• Baked Egg with Mushrooms and Bacon by Pippi’s in the Kitchen Again
• Taco Bake by Daily Dish Recipes
• Fried Rice and Black Beans by Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Chicken with Broccoli, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Bow Ties by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Pasta in Tomato sauce and turkey meatballs by Basic & Delicious
• Pasta Primavera by Midlife Road Trip

Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day on Sunday. We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 p.m. EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat where we’ll talk about Back to School Meals and ways to make meal time easier!

All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat! We’ll be sharing great recipes and tips all afternoon, and we’ll be talking all things Back to School Meals during our chat!

We’d also love to feature your Back to School Recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers!

Monday Menu Plan

It’s a new year, so let’s stick to those healthy resolutions by featuring, not one, but two vegetarian dinners this week.  The portobello burgers have become a weekly regular for us.  So tasty AND guilt-free.  Who’d a thought adding a couple of shakes of steak seasoning to mushrooms would make them taste so meaty and delicious???

Meatless Monday: Butternut Squash Soup & Kale and Quinoa Pilaf

Meatless Tuesday: Portobello Burgers

Wednesday:  Leftovers

Thursday:  Jim’s Making Indian

Friday:  Gu’s Bistro

Related articles

• 3 Most Popular Meatless Monday Vegetarian Recipes for 2011 (planetforward.ca)
• Statistic of the day: New Year’s resolutions (marshallstanton.com)
• 10 Green New Year’s Resolutions for 2012 (motherjones.com)

Monday Menu Plan

Meatless Monday:  Roasted Vegetable Gourmet Pizza from Whole Foods

Tuesday:  Broccoli Cheese Soup; Lemon Lamb Chops with Sautéed Greens

Wednesday:  Bison Burgers with Cabernet Onions and Canadian Cheddar

Thursday:  Holiday Party

Friday:  Dirty Santa Party {LOTS of apps to prepare!}

Related articles

• Meatless Monday: 10 Vegetarian Recipes To Help You Get Your Greens (blisstree.com)
• Bleu and ‘Shroom Bison Burger on Whole Grain Bun w/ Reduced Chips (beatcancer2010.wordpress.com)

Southeast Meets West

At first glance, this recipe looked like a healthy, vegetarian meal.  Great dish for a Meatless Monday. 

At second glance, I questioned if Paula Deen got her her hot little hands on the original recipe. I mean, vegetable oil for frying and 11 TABLESPOONS of butter?!?  Since when did Paula start fixing tofu???

After I got over the amount of oil and butter in the recipe, I realized it looked like a great dish with a lot of yummy flavors, so I may as well give it a shot.  I tweaked it a bit with the addition of green bell pepper, decreased the amount of serranos (I mean, eight?!? I guess Bobby Flay got his hands on this, too) and I lessened the amount of butter, reflected below.  I just can’t consciously tell people to put 11 tablespoons of butter in their food. 

It turned out to be an extremely flavorful dish that I will definitely make again.  I hope you enjoy it just as much as  we did!

Black Pepper Tofu

• 1 3/4 lbs firm tofu
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 stick  of butter
• 12 small shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 serrano chili, thinly sliced
• 12 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
• 3 tbsp sweet soy sauce
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 4 tsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp black pepper
• 16 small and thin green onions, cut into 1 1/4-inch segments
• I green bell pepper, julienned

Start with the tofu. Pour enough oil into a large frying pan or wok to come 1/4 inch up the sides and heat. Cut the tofu into large cubes, about 1 x 1 inch, then add to the hot oil. (You’ll need to fry the tofu pieces in a few batches so they don’t stew in the pan.) Fry, turning them around as you go, until they are golden all over. As they are cooked, transfer them onto paper towels.

Remove the oil and any sediment from the pan, then put the butter inside and melt it. Add the shallots, chiles, garlic and ginger. Sauté on low to medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients have turned shiny and are totally soft. Next, add the soy sauces and sugar and stir, then add the black pepper.

Add the tofu to warm it up in the sauce for about a minute. Finally, stir in the green onions and green bell pepper. Serve hot, with Jasmine rice.

Meatless Monday

Ok, so I know I haven’t blogged in a while, but I have a good excuse(s).  In the past month, I have gotten engaged, turned 30, started WeightWatchers (the latter because of the former two) and been out-of-town 11 out of the past 22 days.  Oh, and my camera has been in the shop — hence the picture below, which was taken with a BlackBerry (not too bad, I think).  Needless to say — it’s been a crazy few weeks!

So, in honor of starting a healthier way of eating, I thought I’d post a WeightWatchers recipe I made last night.  I must say, I was a little leery about trying a WW recipe.  I thought if it’s only a few “points” it can’t taste good, right?  Wrong.  This is your perfect Meatless Monday Meal.

Pan-Roasted Mahi-Mahi with Olives, Lemon and Spinach Orzo

(Serves 2, 7 points)

• 1/2 cup uncooked orzo
• 2 TSP olive oil
• 2 skinless Mahi-Mahi fillets (I have the best luck with the frozen fillets)
• 1/2 red onion, sliced vertically
• 1/4 cup sliced pimento stuffed olives
• 6oz bag of fresh spinach leaves
• 1/3 cup white wine
• zest from one lemon
• 1/2 TSP dried dill
• 4 lemon wedges
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.  While orzo cooks, heat EVOO in a pan over med/hi heat.  Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper, to taste, on each side and add to pan.  Cook fish 4 minutes per side, remove from pan and keep warm.

Add onion to pan and saute until clear, about 4 minutes.  Add olives, spinach, wine, zest, dill and salt and pepper to taste and stir until spinach begins to wilt.  (I like to throw a lid on the pot for about a minute to help wilt the greens.)  Stir in the orzo.  Divide evenly between two plates, add the fish and serve with lemon wedges.  And who said healthy had to taste bad?

 

Only 7 points!