I had the best dinner tonight – used up the last of that zucchini.  I think I may have to get more at the farmer’s market because it was just toooo delicious.

This is a recipe I have made for many years, it’s very complimentary as a side dish to just about anything, tonight I could have eaten the entire pan, but then my Kate would not have had some veggies today

This calls for cutting the zucchini in special rounds on a diagonal so that you get these great long sortof discs of zucchini vs strips, sticks or rounds.

Saute some sweet onion rounds and garlic, add zucchini, add white pepper

RULE: over cooked squishy zucchini is totally discusting – don’t go there.

I simmer the diagonals until the meat of the zucchini starts to weep or perspire, I turn over and add a splash of tamari (which is a wonderful lower salt alternative to soy sauce – something I switched to years ago when I started my cleaner healthier eating) and simmer a bit longer or  until slightly browned – the soy will make it sortof crispy   Cooked this way they are tender crisp vs squishy. A deal breaker when eating this vegetable.

I ate my zucchini first and then in the same pan tossed in some eggs and scrambled them.  The tamari, garlic and onion residue tasted amazing on the eggs and sortof had them scramble up ” dirty ” but who cares  – it was just me eating them.

Quick and easy by the way.

So here’s the deal, I was trying to find a picture of the diagonal cut I like , this comes close but I do mine thicker. By the way if your ever hungry just type your favorite veggie or whatever at Flickr, it will have you drooling in no time. This seems to have green onion and goat cheese – that sounds good too!

K a r e n     H a n r a h a n
Wellness Educator/Nutritional Consultant
Mentoring YOU to Health Success
 
Websites:
Nutrition
Weight Loss

Member of BNI – West Suburban BNI: “Chapter Mentor”
Member of West Suburban Women Entrepreneurs www.wswe.org
WSWE Board Member and Programming Chair

If you had only one chicken breast for two how would you handle that?  We have reached the cabinets are bare moment in time. With great creativity however, a raw carrot, celery stick chopped fine and some white pepper, celery salt and a so so little amount of Penzey’s curry. All that, and the last dollop of safflower mayo became Chicken Salad! Some wonderful mixed ends of bread, toasted. The rest of those snap peas with some little pear tomato’s from my garden.

Chicken Salad for Dinner!! ( ever have it on raisen toast?)

By the by — I am always always looking for ways to make chicken - do share.

Noone has asked me yet why we call it “If I had a Hammer” chicken

oooh this looks way chicken salad yummy – flickr image credit

K a r e n     H a n r a h a n
Wellness Educator/Nutritional Consultant
Mentoring YOU to Health Success
 
Websites:
Nutrition
Weight Loss

Member of BNI – West Suburban BNI: “Chapter Mentor”
Member of West Suburban Women Entrepreneurs www.wswe.org
WSWE Board Member and Programming Chair

Ever have some leftover tomato paste, an amazing locally grown organic zucchini, 1/2 a lb of ground beef, some marinated mozzarella balls that you needed to use up and not know what to do with it??

This is a version of something I make in the autumn that is baked. I never made it with a dash of paste before and the addition of the mozzarella balls was total brilliance.

Saute ground beef, onion, garlic until translucent, add one tablespoon of tomato paste, add zucchini cut in small chunks, then add one can of diced tomato’s with basil – i like Muir organics. Put water to boil for some Farfalle (bow tie’s – love that word farfalle – have no idea how to say it, in public I say bow tie’s so I don’t embarrass myself) and boil to a la dente.

Combine drained pasta with zucchini tomato mixture and add mozzarella balls – warm until they just start to get slightly melty but still have their form. Top with parmesan.

We ate this with a plate of raw plate of tri-colored peppers.

This made a meal for 4 and/or  is a great thing to have again.  It was really delicious. Sometimes w/ zucchini you risk that they might be bitter ( hate that) this zucchini was truly amazing. The epitome of summer!!

If you find you try one of my recipes  or like what your reading,  make a comment – especially if it’s a hit with you or your family!

I’d love if the things we enjoy become your favorites too.

zucchini gorgeous blossom flickr image credit

K a r e n     H a n r a h a n
Wellness Educator/Nutritional Consultant
Mentoring YOU to Health Success
 
Websites:
Nutrition
Weight Loss

Member of BNI – West Suburban BNI: “Chapter Mentor”
Member of West Suburban Women Entrepreneurs www.wswe.org
WSWE Board Member and Programming Chair