10-Minute Side Dish: Tex-Mex Zucchini

10 minute side dish, Low-carb, Mexican, My Tasteful Life, Paleo, side dish, spices, Zucchini

Since it’s still summer, zucchini continues to be abundant and on sale. Finding new ways to prepare it gives me a fun challenge, and my recent blog post on Zucchini Crisps turned out to be a delightful experiment. Today I’m sharing my Tex-Mex Zucchini. IMG_3463

Eating Mexican food doesn’t mean you must have beans and rice as a side dish. If you’re following a Paleo diet, then those items are prohibited anyway. Here’s a perfect low-carb side dish that takes just 10 minutes to make and pairs perfectly with any Mexican-inspired meal.

The unique ingredient is dried chipotle pepper flakes. Traditional in Southwestern and Mexican cuisine, chipotle peppers are smoke-dried jalapenos. Because they are dried, these peppers have a less intense heat than fresh jalapenos or dried red pepper flakes.

Chipotle peppers have a sweeter, smokier heat that tends to linger on the lips. If you truly dislike anything hot, then try reducing the chipotle pepper flakes to a half teaspoon on your first attempt.

This dish only takes 10 minutes to cook, but I like to let zucchini marinate in the chipotle pepper flakes and oil for at least 5 minutes before cooking. This dish serves three, so double it if you’re feeding a crowd.

Ingredients

1 large zucchini, sliced into 1/2″ rounds

1/2 red onion, sliced

2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil

1 teaspoon chipotle pepper flakes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Process

Mix the zucchini rounds, red onion, oil and chipotle pepper flakes in a bowl. Let sit for 5 to 15 minutes.

When the zucchini is done marinating, heat a dry pan on medium-high heat for 1 minute. Then add the zucchini mixture and sauté for 6 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the kosher salt and stir.

Turn the heat up to high and keep stirring for 2 more minutes. Turn off heat and keep warm until you’re ready to serve your meal.

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Hello Fresh, Hello Yes!

Family, meal planning, My Tasteful Life, Planning, tips

Parents everywhere are excited and a little overwhelmed as they get back into the school year routine. Between open houses, sports tryouts and the typical morning rush, what to have for dinner can be an afterthought. Wouldn’t it be great if healthy, fresh ingredients and clear recipes arrived at your door?

That’s where a meal delivery service, like HelloFresh, can come into play.
My good friend introduced me to this little luxury, and I’ve been pretty impressed with the freshness and quality of the ingredients. The recipes can make weeknight meals easier because you don’t have to come up with the idea and purchase the various ingredients. Even cooks like me will be impressed with the quality and variety that HelloFresh offers its clients.

Here’s how it works: you sign up and get your first box free. That box includes all the ingredients for three meals that feed two people. The box is well packed, and keeps everything cold. Each meal has a clearly written recipe, with pictures and nutritional values, that provides precise cooking instructions.

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After your first free box, then you’re charged weekly for whatever amount you choose. The options feed either two or four people. You can easily put a week on hold (as long as you do so a week and a half before delivery) so that you don’t have food arriving when you’re on vacation or during a week that you don’t need the service.

You can also pick your meals from different options the week before your delivery. This ensures that each box is perfect for your family. If you and your family don’t eat fish or need vegetarian options, then you can customize the box to fit your needs.

I’ve been most impressed with the types of recipes (great when you’re stuck in a cooking rut) and with the quality of the ingredients. HelloFresh has obviously partnered with some good brands and the mini condiments are not only tasty but also adorable.

There are other similar services out there like Blue Apron and Plated. I’ve only tried HelloFresh, and was honestly surprised that I liked it at all. As someone who enjoys cooking, I didn’t think I would need a service that spoon fed me ideas, recipes and ingredients. But I have to admit that some weeks my meals are less than inspired, and not having to plan for every night has its benefits.

Here are my overall findings. The pros: interesting meals, clearly written recipes containing all the nutritional information, and most recipes seem to stay between 400 and 600 calories per serving. Meals usually only require one pan for cooking, and the fresh ingredients get delivered to your home. The cons: it’s not cheap ($69/week for three meals feeding two people). Most recipes require a decent amount of prep-work for a weeknight meal, and you can’t choose your delivery day.

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Singles, young couples, empty nesters and families with a mix of vegetarians and meat eaters would truly benefit from something like HelloFresh. You will have to do some of the work, mostly chopping and cooking, but if you can prep your food before work or during a child’s nap, then you can have a delicious and healthy meal within 30 to 40 minutes that evening. Most recipes are made in one pan, which makes clean up a breeze.

So the next time you’re looking ahead on the calendar and see an upcoming crazy week, give a meal delivery service like HelloFresh, Blue Apron or Plated a try. You’ll be surprised at the inspired and delicious recipes you’ll put on the table.