Zucchini properties, benefits and recipes to best use them in the kitchen
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Zucchini properties, benefits, green, yellow, round or long: today we are talking about zucchini, queen of our summer dishes, genuine and rich in benefits for our body. Whether they are in first courses, second courses or side dishes, zucchini should never be missing in our shopping list and in our kitchens, let’s find out together why.
Belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family, zucchini are annual plants with creeping or climbing stems, which tend to ripen in the warm months, between June and September. Low in calories and rich in vitamins and minerals, courgettes have an unmistakable delicate taste, a characteristic that makes them incredibly versatile in the kitchen. In nature, there are numerous varieties of zucchini, all tasty and full of benefits for our health. Here is a small guide to learn more about this vegetable, with some tips to enhance it in the kitchen.
Zucchini properties
Rich in water (almost 95%), courgettes are among the least caloric vegetables that we find in nature (just 16 kcal per 100gr). Low in fats and sugars, courgettes are rich in vitamins, in particular vitamin C, vitamin A and folate (vitamin B9) and there is no shortage of mineral salts including potassium, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, iron and manganese. Extremely digestible, courgettes contain a negligible amount of proteins, carbohydrates (about 1 / 1.5 gr) and fiber (1.2 grams), which we find mainly in the peel and in the flowers. We find a fair amount of amino acids and antioxidant elements including carotenoids, lysine and leucine while cholesterol is completely absent.
Benefits
In addition to being incredibly digestible and therefore recommended in any type of diet, zucchini bring numerous benefits to our health, among the main ones we find:
Composed almost entirely of water, courgettes have a draining and anti-cellulite effect, they help to eliminate excess fluids and therefore help to naturally lose weight;
the presence of potassium means that zucchini, consumed regularly, can counteract the action of sodium and reduce blood pressure;
the vitamin C present in zucchini helps the regular functioning of our immune system, protects the tissues from free radicals and promotes the absorption of iron in the intestine;
being strongly diuretic, zucchini are great allies of our urinary tract and help the natural functioning of the kidneys;
courgettes are indicated during pregnancy because they are rich in folic acid, a substance useful for the health and growth of the fetus;
courgettes can have a laxative power and are therefore recommended for those suffering from constipation and constipation;
rich in mineral salts, courgettes help to replenish losses of water and liquids, perfect on hot summer days or after a sport session;
zucchini can also be used in cosmetics to counteract bags under the eyes, just apply some slices for 15 minutes on the area you want to deflate.
Use in the kitchen
Black, long, round, yellow and even white, in nature we find numerous varieties of zucchini, a factor that makes this vegetable very versatile in the kitchen. In fact, courgettes can be the protagonists of many recipes and, not to be underestimated, they can be cooked in many different ways.
Perfect for flavouring your first courses – try the vegetarian zucchini carbonara or a fragrant and delicate risotto with prawns – courgettes can also be the protagonists of second courses or side dishes: among all we recommend the parmigiana recipe but also the meatballs excellent for an aperitif with friends, perhaps in a combo with a courgette rosti. If you are looking for a side dish to have on hand all year round, you can prepare zucchini in oil but if you really want to experiment in the kitchen, follow our recipe for zucchini spaghetti, a decidedly greedy and unconventional dish.
You may be interested to read about the Queen Elizabeth’s favorite lemon blogpost/ peruvian ceviche recipe/ fish ceviche recipe/ Noodles recipe/ Peruvian sangria recipe.
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