July is Zucchini Month at Veggie Buds Club and we are excited to bring you this summer treat from Katie at Eat Pretty Darling! You can find more recipes and tons of fun zucchini activities in our "Zany for Zucchini!" eBook, check it out here.

Katie Blauser is the mama of two boys, wife of a picky eater, and food lover at Eat Pretty Darling. She believes in making food fun, healthy, & pretty! Katie’s not only outnumbered by boys in her little family, but also by picky eaters. She loves trying to find new ways to get both kids and adults to eat healthy while making food pretty yummy, pretty healthy, and pretty fun! Find Katie on Instagram (@eatprettydarling), where she shares colorful and cute food ideas for both picky and adventurous eaters.

​Nice cream is all the rage in our house! My kids love it and I love that it’s just fruit. But did you know you can also throw in some veggies?! Frozen zucchini adds a creamy texture with no real taste. YES! We wanted to really make it green and add in spinach for color and mint to make it into mint chocolate chip flavor. 

Ingredients​

• 1 small zucchini, chopped into medium sized cubes
• 2 ripe bananas, peeled and cut into rounds
• Handful of fresh spinach
• 6 mint leaves
• ⅛ tsp mint extract (optional)
• Dark chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Take zucchini and bananas and put them into a freezer bag and place in the freezer. Let them freeze until firm.
2. Place frozen zucchini, bananas, spinach, extract and mint into a food processor. Pulse until it becomes creamy. It will take a while so keep going! Use a spoon to scrape down the sides as needed.
3. Once ingredients are nice and creamy, mix in chocolate chips by hand. Serve immediately and sprinkle with extra chocolate.

July is Zucchini Month at Veggie Buds Club and we are excited to bring you this summer treat from Heather at Happy Kids Kitchen! You can find more recipes and tons of fun zucchini activities in our "Zany for Zucchini!" eBook, check it out here.

This recipe was developed by Heather Staller, a mom of two boys, ages 6 and 4, and cooking instructor specializing in bringing cooking into preschool classrooms. After college, Heather knew she wanted to be a teacher, but first followed her lifelong dream of going to culinary school. Teaching cooking combines both of her passions, and she truly enjoys introducing young children to the joys of cooking with fresh ingredients. Find Heather on Instagram (@heather.happykidskitchen), where she shares inventive kid-friendly recipes and ideas for cooking with kids at home.

Blending up zucchini into a creamy, chocolate smoothie and freezing it in molds, makes for a yummy frozen treat perfect for summertime. Not only are these treats made with a handful of wholesome ingredients, they are packed with nutritious zucchini! This is the perfect recipe to get the kids in the kitchen with you and get those veggie skeptics on board with trying the veggie of the month. If you want to enjoy this treat right away, there are also instructions below on how to turn the smoothie into a frosty milkshake.

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized zucchini
  
• 1 can full fat coconut milk*
  
• ¼ cup almond butter, peanut butter, or sunflower seed butter
  
• 3 to 4 large dates, pitted or 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
  
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• Pinch of salt

 Instructions

1. Trim ends off zucchini and cut into strips. Your child can now help cut the zucchini into a dice. Measure 2 cups of the diced zucchini and add to a blender.
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend until very smooth. Taste and add more sweetener if you’d like.
3. Pour blended mixture into popsicle molds and freeze overnight. Allow frozen pops to sit out at room temperature for about 1 minute before enjoying. If you don’t have popsicle molds or want to enjoy this treat right away, blend 2 cups of ice into the chocolate zucchini mixture and drink like a milkshake!

*If you don’t want to use coconut milk, feel free to substitute 1 cup plain yogurt and ½ cup milk of your choice. 

Have you tried zoodles yet?! They are noodles made from zucchini and are available at many grocery stores now. You can also make your own with a spiralizer, this is definitely a fun way to get your kids involved in the kitchen! We love mixing zoodles with traditional noodles to create a familiar yet more healthful plate of pasta.
Be sure to check out Veggie Buds Club for more ways to make veggies (such as zucchini!) fun and approachable for kids.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces spaghetti or linguine (half standard box)
• 1 large zucchini, spiralized
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, sliced thin
• 2-4 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 2-4 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large lemon, juiced (reserve rind to zest)
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Boil water and cook spaghetti, drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 F.
3. Remove tough ends from asparagus, place on baking sheet, drizzle with 2 Tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook for 15-20 minutes.
4. When asparagus goes into the oven, heat a large pan over medium heat. Add butter and 2 Tbsp olive oil, when heated add herbs, shallots, and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.
5. Turn heat down to medium-low and add lemon juice and spiralized zucchini. Cook for about 5 minutes then add cooked spaghetti to combine. 
6. Serve spaghetti and zoodles with salt, pepper, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and lemon zest. Serve roasted asparagus on the side or slice and incorporate into pasta. 

​Have you joined Veggie Buds Club yet?! Teach your kids to love a new veggie each month through hands-on activities delivered right to your door. Learn more and join the club by clicking here. July is Zucchini month here at Veggie Buds Club and we hope you enjoy this healthy and delicious zucchini-packed recipe from our monthly contributor Noelle Martin, MScFN RD, of Motherhood and Meals!

Zucchini is one of those vegetables that has limitless possibilities. It works as a meal side when sautéed, a pasta alternative when spiralized, a nutrient density booster in "zoats", and a variety of baked goods. One of our family's favorite recipes that includes zucchinis is for Peanut Butter Oatmeal Coconut Cookies. These cookies are packed with nutrition from zucchini, pumpkin seeds, oats, and more! They are free of milk, eggs, refined sugar, and flour which means they are safe for Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free diets. And for anyone with a peanut or legume allergy, the peanut butter can be replaced with Almond Butter, WowButter, or SunButter. 

Enjoy the recipe, and be sure to check out a few home school tips at the bottom for times when your children help you make them!

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups of oats
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1 cup peanut butter (or alternate nut or seed butter)
• 3/4 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds
• 3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 2/3 cup honey 
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I use the MadeGood dairy free ones)
• 3 Tbsp hemp hearts
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 Tbsp baking powder

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients together. 
2. Form small balls about 1-2 Tbsp in size and place on baking stone or cookie sheet. 
3. Bake at 375 F for 12-14 minutes (time with vary with ovens). 

*Serve with a glass of milk or crumble over your favorite yogurt with a few more pumpkin seeds and hemp hearts sprinkled on top. 
*Storing Guidelines: Cookies will remain fresh longer if stored in the fridge or freezer.

​I always love to include a learning component for my children when we make a recipe. While making this recipe Rhett and I talked about the letter Z, the color green (and also yellow since some zucchinis are yellow), the texture difference between whole and shredded zucchini, and we practiced numbers by counting the ingredients as we added them in. 

I hope you get to try making these with your little ones this summer. They are sure to be a crowd pleaser!

​So you might be thinking, why is the color of the week yellow when zucchini are most definitely green? Zucchini are yellow inside! Sometimes the insides of fruits and veggies are the prettiest part. Think of all the fun produce that can fit more than one category! We think of kiwi as green although they are brown on the outside. This week we rounded up yellow squash, lemons, bananas, and of course zucchini. Zucchini is one of those awesome veggies that can be turned into just about anything! One of our favorite ways to eat it is in our baked goods. We all know that yummy zucchini bread, but add in a few other ingredients and you have a new twist on an old favorite!

Ingredients

• 2 cups old fashioned oats*
• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup honey (or maple syrup)
• 1 cup shredded zucchini (moisture rung out)
• 1 cup shredded yellow squash (moisture rung out)
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 lemons (juice and zest)
• 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

 Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 F and grease a 9 x 13 pan. Place oats on a baking sheet and toast until lightly browned (about 8 minutes) stirring halfway. Let oats cool. Pour oats into a food processor until oats become a flour like consistency.
2. Turn oven up to 350 F. Mash bananas until there are no lumps (or beat with a mixer on medium speed). Add eggs, honey, squash, almond extract, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.
3. Add the dry ingredients (oats, baking powder, baking soda) to wet ingredients. Mix until just incorporated. Fold in poppy seeds and lemon zest. Pour mixture into greased pan and bake for for 45 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing into squares.

*You can also sub in whole wheat flour or all purpose flour and skip step 1.

Makes 24 Brownies
Ingredients

• ½ cup whole wheat flour*
• ⅓ cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 medium sized zucchini
• 2 eggs**
• ⅓ cup neutral oil***
• ½ cup coconut sugar or granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt
• ¼ cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a mini muffin tin (silicone ones work best) with oil or line with baking cups/cupcake liners.
   
2. Add flour, cacao powder, baking powder, and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk ingredients together to combine and break up any clumps.
   
3. Trim the ends off your zucchini and grate it using the small side of a box grater. Chop the grated zucchini a few times to make the shreds a little smaller. Using a kitchen towel or paper towel, remove some of the extra moisture from the zucchini (you don’t need to ring it out and remove all the liquid).
   
4. In a second bowl, mix eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, yogurt, and grated zucchini until combined. Add flour mixture and half of the chocolate chips to the bowl and mix together.
   
5. Scoop batter into prepared mini muffin pan filling each cup almost to the top. Place the remaining mini chocolate chips on the top of each brownie. Bake until puffed and just set, about 12 minutes.
   
6. Once brownies are cool, remove from pan and enjoy! Store brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to one month.

*King Arthur white whole wheat flour works great but any flour (gluten-free or paleo blends) can be substituted.
**Substitute flax eggs for egg-free version. (2 tablespoons flax meal mixed with 5 tablespoons water)
***Any vegetable, avocado, or melted coconut oil will work well.