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.

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.

10-Minute Side Dish: Bok Choy

10 minute side dish, Asian, Low-carb, My Tasteful Life, Paleo, Stir-fry, vegetables

Bok choy with teriyaki glazed Sea Bass.

Bok choy is a Chinese cabbage that lends itself to being sautéed over high heat. It’s a delicious vegetable that you can find in most grocery stores, and I think it’s a great alternative to my regular green side dishes.

I really love baby bok choy because of its delicate taste and texture. But the regular variety is just as good and easier to find. To prep bok choy, remove the lowest, hardest white part where all the leaves connect. Rinse with water and pat dry. Then slice into 1/2″ strips, including the leaves.

The rest is up to you. The recipe below calls for a quick sauté with ginger, garlic and onion, but you can add it to stir fry or even roast it in the oven. Bok choy works with any protein, so instead of green beans or sugar snap peas, grab some bok choy this week. Try it once, and I’m sure you’ll be adding it to your vegetable rotation.

Ingredients

1 large head of bok choy or 3 heads of baby bok choy

1/2 red onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional – reduce or remove if you don’t like heat)

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos

1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

Process

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat for 30 to 60 seconds. Then stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Add onion and cook for another minute. Then add all of the bok choy.

Cook, stirring regularly, for 6 minutes. Turn heat to high, add the soy sauce or coconut aminos, and the red pepper flakes. Continuously stir for another minute. Turn off heat and let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Low-Carb Appetizer: Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

Appetizers, Herbs, Low-carb, My Tasteful Life, Party Planning, tips, vegetables

Do you ever have one of those fun and busy weeks that by Sunday afternoon you feel like you need another weekend? That’s how last week was for me. There were dinners out during the week, farmers’ market and a cookout with friends on Saturday, and then I spent Sunday helping out around my mom’s house.

By Sunday evening, I had no energy to cook and no desire to eat out. That’s when a stocked refrigerator is my best friend. Ummm … what do I have that isn’t a lot of work, that’s tasty, and that isn’t too far off from Paleo?

I found some sopressata (Italian dry cured pork similar to hard salami), a block of Irish cheddar cheese (I know it’s not Paleo but my house would revolt without a little cheese), and three fresh zucchinis from the farmer’s market. In my pantry, I located a can of olives and a bag of pistachios.

A cheese and meat board is simple and delicious, but I used this opportunity to do something new with the zucchini. Since I wasn’t making a full dinner, I decided to try my hand at Zucchini Parmesan Crisps.

This simple recipe had been floating around the web for a while, and now was a perfect chance to try something new while sneaking veggies into my charcuterie and cheese plate.

On my first attempt, I was able to create a delicious and surprisingly healthy finger food. However, the zucchini rounds didn’t quite get crispy enough for my liking, probably because zucchinis naturally contain a lot of water. Don’t get me wrong – we ate all three zucchinis’ worth. However, I couldn’t help but think a slightly alternative prep work could have yielded a more delicate and crunchy texture.

Round two was more successful and that recipe is below. Make it tonight for a low-carb appetizer or keep it in mind the next time you need a vegetable to round out a meal or a table of finger foods.

Tools You’ll Need

Paper towel or hand towel

Baking sheets

Parchment paper or baking mat

Basting brush

Ingredients

3 medium to large zucchinis, sliced into 1/8” to 1/4″ thick rounds (this is a great time to use a mandolin slicer)

2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil

4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons your choice of herb (I use chives, parsley or basil)

1 scallion, green and white parts, chopped

1 teaspoon pepper, freshly cracked

1/4 cup Kosher salt

Process

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix cheese with pepper and herbs, set aside.

In a single layer, spread the zucchini rounds on a large paper towel or clean hand towel. Generously sprinkle the kosher salt over the zucchini. The salt helps draw out the moisture in the zucchini, which will help make it crisper.

After 10-15 minutes, pat the zucchini dry, removing the majority of the salt. Then line a baking sheet with either the parchment paper or the baking mat, and place the zucchini rounds in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Using a basting brush, lightly spread the oil on top of the rounds. Then sprinkle with the cheese mixture. Bake on the center or upper third rack for about 30 minutes until they are crisp but not burned. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Stuffed Campari Tomatoes

Appetizers, Greek, Low-carb, Mediterranean, Paleo, Tomatoes

My book club meets tonight, and I’ve been tasked with bringing an appetizer. Trying to make something that excites a group while also remaining semi-Paleo can be challenging. I know there will be plenty of other delicious and indulgent cuisine so I’m aiming to bring a light bite that won’t hurt our waistlines.

Since it’s tomato season, I’ve decided to stuff Campari tomatoes with fresh basil, feta cheese and toasted pine nuts. A quick drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar and a touch of good olive oil and this appetizer is ready. I’m sure the ladies will enjoy it and hopefully its prettiness will make up for the fact that I didn’t finish the book.

Stuffed Campari Tomatoes

What you’ll need:

Melon baller

Sharp knife

Ingredients

8-12 Campari tomatoes or 8 plum tomatoes (cherry and grape tomatoes are too small for this recipe)

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 green onion (scallion), chopped

3 1/2 ounces of feta cheese (I use reduced-fat)

6 large basil leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Process

Carefully slice the very top off each tomato. Using a mellon baller, carefully remove the inside pulp and seeds from the tomatoes to create little cups.

In a bowl, mix together the scallion, pine nuts, feta cheese and basil and combine well. Fill each tomato with feta-mixture. Then drizzle one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar over the top of all the tomatoes. Repeat with olive oil. Serve immediately and enjoy.

*You can make this ahead of time and keep it lightly covered in the refrigerator. However, don’t add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar until you’re ready to serve your dish.

Paleo Lunch: Asian Cucumber Bites

Appetizers, Asian, Chicken, Leftovers, Low-carb, Paleo

Eating Paleo can be very delicious and satisfying. However, planning meals and adhering to the “no dairy, no bread” diet can be a challenge. Personally I can follow Paleo for almost every meal, but I occasionally add a non-Paleo element to satisfy the masses.

The peanuts in this simple Asian Cucumber recipe aren’t Paleo, but my husband loves their flavor and crunch. So feel free to replace them with almonds or just omit them when you make this nice light lunch or pretty appetizer. These little guilt-free “bites” are perfect to pop into your watering mouth.

Using leftover or rotisserie chicken makes this recipe a snap. The key is to let the cooked chicken marinate in the ginger dressing for at least 30 minutes to absorb the flavors. Slice the cucumber and radishes thinly, and you can assemble this an hour ahead of time. This recipe serves one for lunch, but you can double or triple it if you are using it for an appetizer.

Ingredients

4 ounces shredded cooked chicken

8 cucumber slices, 1/8” to 1/4” thick

8 radish slices, 1/8” to 1/4” thick

2 tablespoons ginger dressing (I use Makoto)

2 tablespoons peanuts or almonds, chopped

Process

Marinate the shredded chicken with the ginger dressing for 30 minutes. Place one radish slice on top of one cucumber slice, then top with the shredded chicken and chopped peanuts. Enjoy!