What Can You Do with a Zucchini?
You can make a lot with zucchini, and I’ll share some ideas with you in this post, but the real takeaway is … (this may surprise you) — when to cook!
The time-consuming part is the cooking time, and the oven does that for you. Your job is just to remember to get it in there to roast, and find five minutes or so to prep it.
It doesn’t take much time for you to prepare it. It takes time to cook. So, when can you cook so it seems effortless, and have it ready to roll when it’s time to make dinner?
You only need ten minutes.
Ten minutes to
- slice the zucchini in half
- score it with a knife (or not)
- drizzle with olive oil
- put it in a pan
- and pop it in the oven to roast
You could really do this in under five minutes. Then all that’s left to do is turn on the oven and let it roast.
While you’re waiting, what do you want to do?
- Watch your favorite show
- Read a book
- Call a friend
- Fold some laundry … help the kids with their homework … feed the dog … get the mail … water the plants … clean up the kitchen …
In about twenty-five minutes, your zucchini will be ready to use within the next few days — and there’s so much you can do!
Warm and serve just as it is
Add some cheese — mozzarella, herbed goat, or Boursin. Whatever you like!
Sprinkle with fresh or dried herbs — with or without cheese too.
I love it with tomato sauce and mozzarella and a bit of fresh basil when I have some.
Top it with that little bit of leftover sauce in the fridge.
Thyme and a dab of blue cheese, I’ve found to be yummy too.
Tap on the picture to view the caption and, if available, the link to the recipe.
Toss it up with other leftovers for an easy dish!
This is where your kitchen intuition comes in … what do you have on hand? Keeping it simple with some infused olive oil, salt & freshly ground pepper alone is divine. And there’s really nothing to do.
When you find this simple rhythm in your kitchen, your home-cooked meals will come together with ease. And that’s what we all need: an easy routine of cooking fresh ingredients, without much work or worry, and a few good ideas to pull them together.
If you struggle to find time to cook or dread the time it takes to make dinner, try this. Before you sit down to watch your show or you head off to tackle some laundry, put your zucchini in the oven to roast — or bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower … what do you want to make?
You can do this with meat too! How about roast beef, pork, or chicken? The prep is the same, and now dinner’s almost done!
And the leftovers ... they're really just ingredients you can use throughout the week.
What will you roast this week?
