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I am finally sharing these little bite-sized roll ups with you guys! They’ve been on my “to share” list for a while now but the last two times I’ve made them, they magically disappeared before I could pick up my camera to snap a picture. Once you try these, you will totally get where I’m coming from. They are absolutely mouthwatering good!
My mama makes these little eggplant roll ups smothered in mayo + garlic and topped with slice of tomato and sprinkle of cheese. It’s probably one of my favorite “russian” appetizers. I mean garlic and mayo, that’s pretty much a Russian food group. Absolutely delicious, no doubt. So I kind of went with the same roll up idea but more on a healthier side…I think.
Thinly sliced zucchini, grilled, then topped with the most delicious herb cream cheese (you will probably want to make an extra of the cream cheese because it can go on everything…think bagels, toast, crackers, etc.). I ended up eating the leftovers with a spoon just because I ate all the crackers prior to that. True story. This baby business is no joke.
Pretty much these are a must in your life. They are filled with creamy herby cream cheese then rolled up with fresh baby spinach and basil leaves. Simple, yet so so flavorful. The cream cheese is everything!
Pack them for a picnic, serve as an elegant appetizer or as a side dish along your favorite grilled entree. You can make these up to a day in advance. I personally love them the next day as all the flavors come together and they just melt in your mouth.
You’re welcome 🙂
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Grilled Herb and Cheese Zucchini Roll-Ups
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 8 mins
- Total Time: 38 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 3 small zucchini (1 1/2 lbs. total), cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices, outermost slices discarded
- 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 tsp. fresh minced parsley
- 1 tsp. fresh minced dill
- 1 garlic clove, pressed
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
- handful fresh baby spinach leaves, stems removed
- handful fresh basil leaves
- olive oil
- salt and fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the grill over medium-high heat.
- Brush both sides of zucchini slices with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill until tender, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a platter and cool completely.
- In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, parsley, dill, garlic, and onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture on each zucchini slice. Top with one spinach leaf and one small or half of large basil leaf. Roll up and place seam down on a platter.
- Repeat with the rest of the zucchini slices.
- These can be served immediately or made a day before and stored in airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Heidi says
Made this recipe using all fresh herbs from my garden. The recipe looked and sounded delicious! BUT, it was not. The flavors were all there, but the texture and size of each piece was less than desirable. The zucchini has a lot of water naturally and once it is grilled, the moisture is released and the flesh becomes very mushy. I didn’t grill it long so it would keep its shape and strength to wrap and hold the cheese. It held together perfectly and they looked exactly like the recipe photo. In addition to the undesirable texture, they were way too big to be a bite size canape. Because the flavors were lovely, I put them in my food processor and turned them into a zucchini and herb cheese spread/dip. I think the spread will work well on a thick piece of grilled or toasted baguette like a bruschetta spread.
I’ve made MANY of Katya’s recipes and have loved every single one. Katya, this is the first one I didn’t care for but I was able to make it into something good because the flavor profile was spot on! Don’t worry, we can’t be perfect every time and you are still my “go to” for great recipes! I’m getting ready to make the orzo caprese salad this weekend!
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KalynsKitchen says
Happy Friday! Just letting you know I featured this recipe in my Low-Carb Recipe Love on Fridays post today. I hope a lot of my readers will click over to get the recipe and try it!
Katya says
Thanks so much! I appreciate you sharing the recipe!
Anna says
Hi Katya, how funny, I made zucchini roll-ups for dinner tonight. I made them with cheddar, onion and tomato, and topped with cashew sauce. I can imagine how tasty your version is. Should try. Oh my goodness, Katya, of course Russian eggplant roll-ups with mayo and garlic spread was a traditional appetizer for at our holiday dinner table, I remember! It’s something else! I try to substitute mayo whenever possible but not when I make these babies, nuh-uh 😉
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Katya says
I love your version of zucchini roll-ups. They sound different and tasty. That’s funny about the russian eggplant roll ups…I guess they were popular in every house. And yes sometimes you just gotta eat some mayo 🙂