Easy Cheesy Zucchini ♥

It doesn't get easier than this! Just chunks of zucchini cooked in a skillet with lots of garlic and tossed with a little cheese. Low Carb. Gluten Free. Vegetarian and easy to adapt to Vegan. Weight Watchers PointsPlus 2. Did I mention, Easy Peasy?!

2007: My mom added a big hunk of butter to every bowl of vegetables – except when she draped them with a slice of cheese. No wonder: butter and cheese are fast and cheap and reliably turn even turn-up-your-nose vegetables into tasty bites. (And if I'm representative, it also raises first-borns to be, well, vegetable-obsessed. But my sister loves vegetables. The real test is my dad, who didn't eat vegetables when he and my mom first met. Now, get this, he eats Brussels sprouts!)

So now, when vegetables recipes call for butter or cheese and the cook near-audibly moans, my immediate reaction is always, "Well, duh. Of course it tastes good. It's fat with butter. It's sticky with cheese!" But when Kalyn's Kitchen featured a cheesy zucchini recipe, my immediate reaction was, "I must make this."

And so I did, that very night, albeit with more zucchini, less cheese and fresh basil. And yes, it's good – really good – and spectacularly easy, which of course makes it taste still better. I also bet it's kid friendly, something Freddie and Alexandra of the Great Big Vegetable Adventure might like. In their honor, I re-name this recipe, "Easy Peasy Cheesy Zoosy-keesy-neesy". Say that, three times, fast!

2015: This is one of those recipes that really isn't a recipe, more of a reminder, really, just how good summer vegetables can be, so simply prepared. We're eating zucchini from the garden now, what heaven it is with just a little butter and cheese and lots of fresh herbs. Last night? For breakfast yesterday, with a fried egg over top? Gorgeous!

COMPLIMENTS!
"Alanna [you've] done it again!" ~ Rapunzel's Castle
"I was in zucchini heaven! ... it was perfect!" ~ LindseyPinzey

EASY CHEESY ZUCCHINI
aka Easy Peasy Cheesy Zoosy-Keesy-Neesy

See Kalyn's Kitchen's inspiring recipe
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 20 minutes
Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin (see ALANNA'S TIPS)
1 pound zucchini, ends trimmed, cut in half length-wise (unless baby zucchini) and then in half-inch thick half moons
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (Kalyn uses parsley, any fresh herb would do, I think)
Kosher salt to taste
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons grated other melt-y cheese (Kalyn uses 4 tablespoons mozzarella, I used one of those "Mexican" blends)

In a large skillet with a cover, heat the oil til shimmery. Add the garlic and stir to coat with oil, then cook for a minute or two, just until garlic begins to turn golden in color. Add zucchini, stir several times to coat with oil and garlic. Cover and cook for four minutes, stirring once or twice. Uncover and let continue to cook til done (slightly crisp suits my taste). Stir in salt and basil. TURN OFF THE HEAT. Sprinkle cheese over top, cover and let rest for 1 - 2 minutes til cheese is slightly melted. Serve immediately.

ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
GO FOR THE GARLIC Kalyn recommends four to six large garlic cloves and loves the garlic that comes in a big jar from Costco. I used only two smallish cloves of garlic because I'm cooking with just-harvested home-grown garlic that's still fresh and 'wet' - a little goes a long way. That said, the garlic is really key so use more than you think!
PORTION SIZE I suspect that this is going to taste so good that while a pound of vegetables can be counted on for four generous servings, you might want to budget otherwise.

NUTRITION INFORMATION
With 2 tablespoons of an "other" Cheese: Per Serving: 86 Calories; 6 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 6 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb 4; 2 g Sugar; 86 mg Sodium; 7 mg Cholesterol; 4 g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS: WW Old Points 2 & WW PointsPlus 2

With 4 tablespoons "other" Cheese: Per Serving: 102 Calories; 7 g Tot Fat; 3 g Sat Fat; 6 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb4; 2 g Sugar; 112 mg Sodium; 11 mg Cholesterol; 5 g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS: WW Old Points 2 & WW PointsPlus 3

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MORE FAVORITE SIMPLE ZUCCHINI RECIPES

~ Fried Zucchini Sticks vs Baked Zucchini Sticks ~
~ Zucchini with Tomatoes & Cheddar ~
~ Simple Zucchini Ribbon Salad ~
~ Feta-Stuffed Zucchini ~
~ more summer squash recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture

~ Zucchini Spiral "Noodle" Salad ~
~ Carrot & Zucchini Bread ~
~ Mediterranean Eggplant ~
~ more summer squash recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade, my food column

THIS WEEK IN JULY, YEARS PAST

Eggplant, Tomato & Mozzarella Sandwiches Southern Farm-Stand Stew (< this week's healthy favorite!) Fresh Tomato with Fresh Mozzarella Artichoke & Pepper Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Zucchini Timbale with Cheese (Crustless Zucchini Cheese Pie) My First Panzanella Clean-out-the-Fridge Noodle Bowl Spring & Summer Sliced Salad What Is This Pan? Carrot & Sesame Salad Jicama Slaw Cucumbers in Vinegar Zucchini Carpaccio Cowboy Coleslaw Farro with Beet Greens How to Keep Fresh Vegetables Fresh Longer Raw Eggplant Salad Tossed Caprese Salad Falling In Love with Green Beans: Favorite Recipes Creamy Feta Mousse with Greek Salads < just gorgeous! Crustless Quiche with Greens & Garden Vegetables Vegetables 101: What Is a Tomatillo?

A Veggie Venture is home of 'veggie evangelist' Alanna Kellogg and the
famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.
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