new to this whole cooking thing, and would like to make mashed zucchini

So, as the title says, I'm new to cooking. Well not completely new, but I've begun enjoying it more and trying out new things. I don't really like looking up recipes and following them, but rather just thinking of things in my head, and trying them out. So I kinda want to run this past some of you more experienced people for advice:

I want to make mashed zucchini. Would it be enough to just boil the zucchini till its soft, drain it, maybe add some milk, and mash it? And possibly add in some green peas for taste. How does that sound? I tend to like things relatively plain, but any suggestions/advice for additions is welcome.

I have never made mashed zucchini, but I have made mashed cauliflour.  I make it the same way I make mashed potatoes.  Boil, drain, mash, season, enjoy.  I think it would be about the same way, although you might want to peel the zucchini for texture reasons.

Now, I don't like squash of any kind except sliced thin, coated with egg and cornmeal and fried crispy...so taking that in mind:

I'd peel my zuccini's and slice them about 1/4 inch thick (so they cook fairly fast).  I'd put in their some sliced onion, minced garlic (or garlic powder), salt and pepper and boil til zuccini is tender.

Then I'd drain off most of the water and add in a little bit of lowfat Land of Lakes butter for taste and a bit of evaporated milk for texture and mash.

If you try it let me know how it tastes.   Hmmm Let's see what the calories might be in the MY RECIPES section:

1 pound peeled sliced zuccini, 1/4 cup sliced onion, 1 clove garlic, 2 tbsp light butter, 2 tbsp evaporated milk. salt and pepper.  Serve 4.  84 calories per serving.

I have no idea how much 1/4 pound of zuccini is.  If your servings are bigger then calories are more.  If you use skim milk calories are lower, but taste suffers.  

Good luck

Never tried it but I don't think the texture would make very good mash - too watery imo. You can make great zucchini rosti though, by grating the zucchini, squeezing out the water, stirring in a little egg, salt and flour and then baking/grilling/pan-frying.

I'd cut it up unpeeled, cook it until soft, drain it, mash it, drain it again, then season it with salt, pepper, oregano, basil or thyme - whatever you lke - maybe add a tsp of olive oil or margarine.

Sooo, just to let you guys know, the mashed zucchini experiment didnt turn out too amazing. I boiled, drained, mashed, drained, and then added onions, garlic, chopped tomatoes, and lots of pepper. It was interesting, but the taste of the zucchini was still too strong for me, and the rest of my family agreed.

With the leftovers, we added an egg, some flour, and lots of parsly, and now its a zucchini pastry!

Zucchini makes a pretty decent "imitation crab" cake. IMO, it doesn't really taste anything like a crab cake, but I like them. There are lots of recipes online for them, and they can definitely be baked instead of pan- or deep-fried, which makes them much lower in fat and calories.

I've not done this, but you can mash kohlrabi, cauliflower, rutabagas, and turnips (of course, there's always the good ol' potato or sweet potato - leave on the skins, throw in some greens, and go easy on the dairy)