So I’ve been attempting to get my family to sit at the table together for dinner at least a few times a week … I know, I know … such an archaic concept! I grew up in a family in which my mom cooked every single night. Every. Single. Night. Dinner was at 5:00 and we all sat down together. I loved it then, and I appreciate it now and am attempting to pass this on to my family. It’s difficult to juggle 5 people … with my teaching schedule constantly changing, sports practices, workout schedules, etc … In order for this to happen, it’s on me to get the food on the table when everyone is actually in the house. Not always an easy feat.
Today, I had a meeting, office hours, taught a class, picked up my kids and made it home by 5:00. Dinner, dinner … what to make for dinner? When I’m in a hurry, one of my go-to dishes is a big bowl of spaghetti. I do use pasta sauce from a jar, but I hook it up with lots of diced vegetables – some are even from the garden. I often make garlic bread to go along with it, but recently, I’ve been trying to cut down on the carbs. Also, I’m trying to use what I can from our garden. Sometimes the simplest dishes are the best. Baked zucchini and tomatoes is born …
Ingredients
- 1 medium-ish zucchini (I grow Black Beauty)
- sliced tomatoes (quantity depends on the size of your tomatoes – mine have been quite small this year – I think I used 5-6 small-medium sized tomatoes of various varieties)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
- parmesan
- bread crumbs (I use plain)
Preheat the oven to 375. Put the olive oil in a roasting dish. Microplane in the garlic. Add salt and pepper. Slice the zucchini and toss them around in the oil, evenly distributing the oil and garlic. Slice the tomatoes and arrange by alternating the zucchini and tomatoes slices. (Notice: I do all this in the dish I’m going to put in the oven – I’m all about using less bowls/dishes for preparation – that just means more dishes to wash!)
Microplane some parmesan cheese over the entire dish.
Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle a couple small handfuls or breadcrumbs and microplane some more parmesan cheese. I don’t have exact measurements – just add as much or as little as your taste buds desire. Bake for another 5-7 minutes or so, making sure the top doesn’t burn.
I forgot to take a picture before we dug in, but here it is. This is a great side dish. It is easy to make, simple, and most importantly, homegrown … not to mention the calories you save by not eating piece after piece of garlic bread, delicious as it is … Enjoy!
According to Ai 