This Super Green Zucchini Slice is your new lunchbox staple. We’ve taken out the flour to make it gluten free and added in some leftover quinoa for a serve of whole grains and extra protein. To make the slice EXTRA green, simply add your baby spinach into a jug with a couple of the eggs and whiz it up until the eggs are a vibrant green and completely smooth. An extra serve of leafy greens, without the leafy green bits (I don’t know why zucchini greens are a pass, but leafy greens are a hard fail?)
We’ve also taken out the bacon to make it vegetarian friendly, but added in some crumbled feta and a few pitted green olives (optional) for the saltiness.
The recipe is rich in greens, eggs and cottage cheese, which are great vegetarian sources of iron, so pack it alongside a source of vitamin C to increase the bioavailability (citrus, berries, kiwifruit, capsicum, raw or lightly cooked brassicas)! The cottage cheese also adds a lovely creaminess to the slice.
This green slice has 8 plant foods in it, making it a great source of fibre and phytonutrients for a happy gut. It’s also rich in protein from the eggs, cheeses and quinoa to keep kids full and focussed throughout the day.
I also tried this recipe COOKED IN A WAFFLE IRON and not only did it work PERFECTLY, it was so quick and there were extra crispy bits, and it was maybe just me at my peak genius.
This recipe made one loaf, 6 small loaves (the kmart silicon moulds) and one waffle. It freezes beautifully and is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner with a side salad.
Ingredients
450g zucchini (about 2 medium), grated
1/2 tsp salt
8 eggs
2 handfuls baby spinach
1 tbsp pesto
250g cottage cheese
3 florets broccoli (about ¾ cup),finely chopped
3 spring onions, finely chopped
¼ cup chopped green olives (optional)
50g feta, crumbled
3/4 cup frozen peas
½ cup grated parmesan
1 cup cooked quinoa
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 180C and grease or line your slice pan or muffin trays (or waffle iron!!)
- Place zucchini in a colander or sieve and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
- Crack two eggs into a bowl or jug along with the baby spinach, and blend with a stick blender until smooth and vibrant green (you could also do this in a food processor).
- Pour the green egg mixture, remaining eggs, pesto, cottage cheese, broccoli, spring onions, olives, feta, peas, parmesan and quinoa into a bowl, stir well to combine.
- Remove as much liquid as you can from the grated zucchini then stir zucchini through the egg mixture.
- Pour the mixture into your slice pan or muffin trays and place in the oven for 40 minutes or until set. Serve hot or at room temperature. Freezes well.
Add more plants:
Although this is a great source of plants, you could also add some grated carrot or roasted sweet potato or pumpkin chunks. Serve with a mixed salad for extra vitamin C and to round out the meal.