Recipe: Easy Peasy Zucchini with Spices
By Pam Turczyn
Even when we are just too tired or too busy to think about preparing something complicated, it’s possible to whip up delicious meals. “Easy peasy” means there are only a few ingredients in this recipe, but lots of ways to doll it up. Iit all depends on what you have on hand. This recipe makes two side dish servings for about $1 each. The key features here are the method of preparation and the spice mix of your choice.
Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini (or equivalent amount of green beans)
A few shakes of your favorite spice mix
1 teaspoon or so butter or olive oil
Optional add-ins:
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion or shallot, sliced into thin wedges
2 large shiitake mushroom caps, sliced
Other types of mushrooms
1/2 tomato, chopped
Directions:
Peel zucchini and cut it into roughly triangular shapes, with approximately one-inch sides. To do this, lay the zucchini on your cutting board and cut the first piece off one end by holding your knife at an angle. Rotate the zucchini a quarter turn and cut the next piece. Repeat until the whole zucchini is cut up.
Add butter or oil to a hot, medium- to large-sized skillet. Add the zucchini, preferably with flat sides down. Cook at medium-high heat. To control oil splatter, you can use a splatter screen or cover the pan partly with a lid (you want the zucchini to fry and not steam cook).
As the bottom sides of the zucchini brown and caramelize, stir them so other sides will be on the bottom. Once the zucchini seems cooked through and is nicely caramelized, sprinkle with spice mix and stir till well coated. Serve.
About those options:
You could use as many additional ingredients as you like. As a rule of thumb, garlic is added first to flavor the butter or oil. Then add onions. When they are translucent and beginning to caramelize, push them to the outer perimeter of the pan and use the center to sauté sliced shiitake, portobello or cremini mushrooms. Once those have browned, move them over to join the onions and put another teaspoon of butter at the center of the skillet. Add the zucchini as described above. If you are using delicate maitake or oyster mushrooms, add them now with another pat of butter. Or, you could finish off the dish with some chopped tomatoes, covering the pan briefly with a lid.
At the Co-op, we have quite a collection of spice mixes you can add to this recipe:
Herby Harissa by New York Shuk: Chile peppers, fennel seed, oregano, spices, sunflower seed oil, garlic, salt. $5.90 per 2 ounce bottle
Ras el Hanout by New York Shuk: coriander seeds, ginger, clove, turmeric, spices, sunflower oil. $7.50 per 1.6 ounce bottle.
Za’atar by New York Shuk: za’atar leaves, sumac, sesame seeds, extra virgin olive oil and salt.
Organic Garam Masala by Frontier Co-op: cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, black pepper, coriander. $5.71 per 2 ounce bottle
Organic Cajun Seasoning by Frontier Co-op: paprika, onion, garlic, marjoram, thyme, fennel seed, cumin, cayenne. $4.73 per 2 ounce bottle.
Brownsville Blend by Breukelen Rub: Chile ancho, papilla chili, dried chiles, black pepper, white pepper, granulated garlic, onion powder, red pepper, fennel, mustard powder, cayenne, celery seed, aleppo, guajillo, kosher salt, paprika, pink peppercorn, bell peppers, ghost pepper, Carolina reaper, bird’s eye chili pepper. $9.10 per 4 ounce jar.
Flatbush Blend Jerk Rub (Hot) by Breukelen Rub: green onion, kosher salt, brown sugar, scotch bonnet, mace powder, allspice, cinnamon, garlic powder, clove, scorpion pepper, paprika, cayenne. $9.10 per 4 ounce jar.
Flatbush Blend Jerk Rub (Mild) by Breukelen Rub: green onion, kosher salt, brown sugar, scotch bonnet, soy sauce powder, allspice, cinnamon, garlic powder, nutmeg, ahi Chile, celery seed, fennel, thyme, vinegar powder, paprika, cayenne. $9.10 per 4 ounce jar.
East New York Blend by Breukelen Rub: Guajillo pepper, white pepper, red pepper, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, fennel, granulated garlic, Aleppo, kosher salt, Sezhuan peppercorns, celery seed. $9.10 per 4 ounce jar.