Zucchini Cakes with Mushroom Ragout

The original recipe for Zucchini Cakes with Mushroom Ragout was on MSNBC.com - I'm not a big fan of roasted red peppers so I substitute tomato sauce thickened with tomato paste - it gives it a sweeter taste but still blends well with the kick in the cakes. I also use the larger muffin tins and serve 2 muffins per serving.

This is the original recipe (with notes on my changes - scroll below for substituting Homesteader Cornbread for the muffin mix (including milk and egg)

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 of a medium zucchini, shredded (1 cup)
1 8-1/2 oz. pkg. corn muffin mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 oz.)
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
12 oz. assorted mushrooms, quartered (4-1/2 cups)
1 cup drained bottled roasted red sweet peppers (1/2 cup pasta sauce plus 1 sm can tomato paste)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In mixing bowl combine zucchini, muffin mix, cheese, milk, egg, and cayenne pepper; spoon evenly into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 11 to 14 minutes or until golden.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Place roasted peppers in blender. Cover; blend until nearly smooth. (Instead of blending roasted peppers, cook mushrooms in sauce and tomato paste)
4. Arrange 3 cakes on each plate with some of the mushrooms and pepper sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Appx cost:
Zucchini: $0.50
Muffin Mix: $0.99
Cheese: $0.87
Milk: $0.05
Egg: $0.13
Mushrooms $3.00
Pasta sauce $0.25
Tomato paste $0.50

Grand Total: $6.29 or $1.57 per serving


***To make using the Homesteader Cornbread recipe:
Make Homesteader Cornbread according to recipe, adding 2 cups zucchini, 1.5 cups cheddar cheese, and cayenne pepper, and omit 1 egg. Bake for 20 minutes in 1-cup muffin tins. Makes 10-12 muffins - Total cost becomes $6.95, or $1.73 per serving!