Zucchini and other summer squash are about 95% water—which means they are very low in calories and only moderate in vitamins and minerals. They do contain a fair amount of phytonutrients, though. Vitamin C, Vitamin A, beta carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin are all present (mostly in the skin) and can help boost your health. Beta carotene is converted into vitamin A in the body, where it acts as an antioxidant and may help prevent cataracts and cancer. Lutein and zeaxanthin, other carotenoids, also act as antioxidants to protect against macular degeneration in the eyes, and may prevent plaque from building up in the arteries. A serving of zucchini is 1/2 cup. It contains about 10 calories, 2 grams of fiber, and about 20% of our daily potassium and vitamin C needs. Zucchini is available all year round at Gelson's, with Italian squash, golden zucchini, and squash blossoms being available in the summer months. When selecting your summer squash, look for small to medium specimens no more than seven inches long, since more mature fruits can be coarse and stringy with large seeds. Skin should be firm and glossy and it should feel heavy for its size. When you bring them home, store them in their plastic bags in the crisper and use them within a week. Wash them and trim the ends just before using. Zucchini can be eaten raw, and can be cooked many ways. Keep in mind that because of their high water content, they produce a lot of water when they're cooked. In order to avoid this, you can cut, salt, and drain them (like eggplant), blanch them whole for 2-4 minutes, or shred them and press the shreds between layers of paper towels. This will help with browning if you're sautéing and minimize wateriness if you're baking. Zucchini is wonderful when baked, sautéed, stir-fried, and even steamed. It pairs especially well with other summer squash, tomatoes, eggplant, onion, basil, mint, oregano, black pepper, and parmesan cheese. This month, try my recipes for Sautéed Zucchini and Mahi Mahi with Southwestern Succotash.
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fascinating new study about the Glycemic Index of different common American potatoes has recently been released. If you recall, the Glycemic Index (GI) measures how much a person's fasting blood sugar is raised over the course of two hours by a food containing 50 grams of available carbohydrate. People with diabetes and insulin insensitivity should be particularly interested in GI.
id you know that zucchini are close relatives of pumpkins, cucumbers, and watermelons? This all-American gourd is picked while it's still immature, which means it's light in color, tender, usually green, and can be eaten in its entirety, raw or cooked.