Meat-free Monday, again…
Meat-free Monday was upon us again, and sometimes, just sometimes, the ideas won’t flow as easily. A lot of times the best way to think of what to cook for supper is to open the fridge and see what ingredients are staring at you. I’ve noticed that a lot of my friends’ fridges are quite empty and they go to the grocery store each day buying specific ingredients for a dish. That is not how it is in our house. I buy a whole lot of ingredients at once and figure out what to cook with them as I go along. So, once again, these ingredients (zucchini, pesto and goats cheese) were in the fridge and I merely had to come up with an idea, hence this recipe.
Wonderful Zucchini
Zucchini, also known as marrow or courgette, has become a staple food in our house – almost fully replacing pasta, because of its nutritional value. It is very low in carbohydrates and fat, making it an ideal ingredient for banters. It also contains some vitamins and minerals, namely, vitamin C, vitamin B6, Potassium, and even some Omega 3 fatty acids.
The zucchini’s I used were quite large, but you can use smaller ones. You can also add some more if you would like to increase the portion size.
Hi, my name is Al Dente
You will notice the recipe calling for al dente zucchini. ‘Al dente’ is a term that refers to a food item being tender, yet firm. When cooking pasta, you always want the cooked pasta to be al dente. Seeing as the zucchini is our vegetarian ‘pasta’ in this dish, you also want it to be cooked al dente.
The Final Look
If you would like a more rustic looking dish using a soft boiled egg, you can break the egg with your hand and gently place it on top of the dish, letting the egg yolk ooze out.
If you would like a dish more towards the perfect side you can cut a medium boiled egg in half and gently place it on top of each portion.
You can obviously add more eggs should you like some more protein! 😉
Enjoy meat-free Monday!
Notes
You can also add some freshly chopped rocket and/or toasted pine nuts.
Rocket pesto can be replaced with basil pesto.
Ingredients
- 3 Large Zucchinis (washed thoroughly until the outside texture is smooth & grit-free)
- 15ml Olive Oil
- Handful Roma Tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons Rocket Pesto
- ½ Traditional Chevin Log (Goats Cheese)
- 2 Eggs
- Salt & Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- By using a vegetable peeler, slice the zucchinis into thin slices, forming small, pasta-like sheets.
- Depending on your taste, soft or medium boil your eggs in either a pot or by using an egg boiling machine. Once they are done immediately put the eggs in cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Heat the oil in a pan and gently sauté the zucchini slices al dente, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Half the tomatoes and using the same pan, gently sauté them until they are softer and have a slightly golden hue to them. Add the cooked zucchini to quickly make it hot again. Try not to overcook them – you still want a crunch. They soften really fast. You still want a crunch.
- Add the salt and pepper.
- Immediately dish into separate plates or into one larger bowl.
- Roughly spoon the rocket pesto over the dish.
- Break the goats cheese into smaller chunks and place over the dish, along the pesto.
- Peel the eggs, cut them in half and place onto the dish.
- Grind some black pepper over the dish.
This dish is served hot. If you are looking for a cold dish using zucchini, look at this Brown Lentil Greek Salad.