Zucchini Tots

Napoleon, give me some of your tots.
No, go find your own.
Come on, give me some of your tots.
No! I'm freaking starving! I didn't get to eat anything today.
[[Randy kicking the tots]]
UGH! Gross! Freaking idiot!

Tots. Zucchini tots. These are so darn good. I actually got the idea from a coworker of mine. He told me about how big the zucchini in his garden was growing and that this is what his wife makes when they have a lot of zucchini. He said his little girl absolutely loves them. So, I had to try them!

A few things to note when making these: Take the time to wring out the zucchini after your shred it. I was lazy about it and didn't do it as much as I could have. Another thing, add more cheese if you want them cheesier. And lastly, if you have a mini muffin pan, use it, but make sure your spray down the pan! If you don't have a mini muffin pan, use parchment paper (and cut it better than I did) and spray it down. I used a cookie scoop to make the shape and just plopped them on the baking sheet. If you don't have a cookie scoop or mini muffin tray, just take a tablespoon of the mixture, roll it into a ball, and place it on the well greased sheet.



RECIPE

Ingredients

3 medium to large zucchini
3 large eggs
1 white onion, minced
1 cup of Italian breadcrumbs
1 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
cooking spray


Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Spray down whatever pan you're using with cooking spray (notes above).
2. Grate the zucchini and wring out the liquid (take the time to do it!). 
3. Whisk the eggs and combine the onion, breadcrumbs, and cheese. Add the zucchini and mix well with your hands. Add salt and pepper.
4. Scoop out about a tablespoon of the mixture onto your pan or into your mini muffin tray. 
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes (depending on how crispy you want the edges, you can put it in for longer). Rotate your pans half way through so that everything will cook evenly.

Adapted from SkinnyTaste.com.

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara with Grilled Chicken

No picture? Why? Because I am a perfectionist and didn't get this dish to look appetizing in my pictures. I will let you use your imagination on how this looks. So let's start. Close your eyes, think of bacon. Bacon. That should be enough to want you try this recipe, right? No? Okay. Try adding grilled chicken and Parmesan cheese to that thought. That should do it.

I was super excited to make this recipe so that picky pants and I could try something full of flavor, yet a bit on the healthier side too. Well, yeah... I say healthy, and he immediately shuns the idea. Oh well. He liked the bacon though. So, if you're not as picky as him (which should include the entire universe), then you should definitely try this recipe. Crystal, a coworker of mine, says that it is one of the best dishes I have brought in... Whether she's just being nice or she really means it, well, that's up for you to decide. 

RECIPE

Ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash

2 chicken grilled chicken breasts

6 slices of bacon, cut in small strips (or more if you'd like)

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

1/4 cup of chicken broth

2 egg yolks plus 1 egg whole egg

1 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Cut the squash lengthwise in half, scoop out the "guts" and place flesh side down in a baking dish. 
3. Add 1/4 inch of water to the pan and cook for about an hour. If the squash is not soft, continue cooking for ten more minutes.
4.  Let the squash cool and then fork out the strands.
5. Add the bacon to a saute pan and cook until crispy. Add garlic and chicken broth and let the broth cook down. 
6. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and cheese. Lower the heat of the pan and then combine mixture to the saute pan. Be careful not to cook the eggs.
7. Once eggs are warmed through, add squash, salt and pepper. Fold in the mixture to the squash, top with grilled chicken and serve immediately.