Shakshouka-style: 

Egg Poached in Tomatoes & Zucchini

I thought something bright and cheerful was in order here, after a gloomy few days of weather. 

I seem to remember my grandma used to make me a simple dish of just tomatoes and zucchini, cooked together with some oil. That's the kind of delicious dishes she used to make for me: nothing fancy, but full of flavor and love.

I had zucchini, and a can of diced tomatoes, and olive oil. I put them all in a pan, and cooked them together on medium/medium-low, stirring every so often, for about 30-40 minutes. I had other things to do in the kitchen at the same time, so this was not a problem.

When the sauce was "done" to my liking, I cracked an egg into it, covered the pan, and cooked it on medium-low/low for about 10 minutes. I know that many recipes for Shakshouka call for the egg to cook less; it's personal preference here. (Shakshouka is a North African dish of tomatoes and peppers cooked together, as a base for poaching eggs in this manner.) You can use any leftover sauce for pasta, if you like.

 Rava Idli 

(South Indian Steamed Dumplings), 

with Carrot & Zucchini Sambhar 

(South Indian Legume & Veggie Dish)

This includes some of the Rava Idli (South Indian Steamed Dumplings) featured in the last post, with Carrot & Zucchini Sambhar (South Indian Legume & Veggie Dish). The Sambhar was featured in a post on February 6 (with a different batch of Rava Idli). This was the same Sambhar, as leftovers from the freezer. Very convenient. I noticed, as I hadn't before, that the Sambhar had a bit of a sweet taste from all the carrots ... I liked it! 

Spaghetti with Carrots & Sauce

The sauce is store-bought pizza sauce = what I had. A few weeks ago, when I made Carrot & Zucchini Kofta with grated veggies, some of the ends of the carrots didn't quite get grated. However, I didn't want to waste them. So, I added them to the water for the spaghetti. When I'm just making a small amount of pasta like this, I like to use a small pan and less water. Once the pasta is cooked, I add some sauce, and cook it a little further, until it looks like this. I might add some dried Italian herb seasoning, as I did this time, for a little extra flavor. And here we are! 

Rava Idli (South Indian Savory Dumplngs) 

with Carrot & Zucchini Sambhar

This Idli was made at the same time as those in the photo featured 2 posts ago. (Please see it for more info on the Idli.) However, I steamed it in an ovenproof bowl, on a steaming rack, in the Instant Pot (not sponsored). I steamed it for the same amount of time as the more dumpling-like Idlis. Later, once they were cool, I cut them into wedges. I wasn't sure how that would turn out, but it ended up being a nice alternative. 

Here, the Idli is served with a Sambhar from Healthy South Indian Cooking by Alemalu Vairavan and Patricia Marquardt. This is a soupy South Indian dal/legume dish, which here contains masoor dal/red lentils, tomatoes, and lots of veggies. A very healthy and delicious combination. 

Zucchini & Carrot Koftas

These were made in an ebelskiver pan rather than deep-fried. The recipe is from Just a Girl from Aamchi Mumbai. These weren't actually crisp, as I didn't quite manage to squeeze all the water out of the veggies. However, I liked the flavor, and didn't mind. It was a nice way to get one's veggies! 

Just a Girl from Aamchi Mumbai Website, Zucchini & Carrot Koftas

Lauki Chana Dal 

(Zucchini Chana Dal Curry)

This was based on the recipe of Not Out of the Box. The original recipe calls for bottle gourd, but since I didn't have that, I substituted zucchini. It looks a bit different than her beautiful photos, as I first ground up dry chana dal, mixed that with a little water, and then let it sit for a few hours, before adding it to the veggies. (I did this to save time. Otherwise, I have to soak chana dal for twice as long as the recipe, cook it for twice as long, and then put it through a blender or food processor. If I don't, then I can't eat it.) The dish also includes fresh tomatoes. I made this last month, but just realized I hadn't yet shared the pic. Although it doesn't look exactly like the original, it was still satisfying and nourishing. 

Not Out of the Box Facebook

Not Out of the Box Instagram, Lauki Chana Dal (Bottle Gourd Chana Dal Curry)

Not Out of the Box Website, Lauki Chana Dal (Bottle Gourd Chana Dal Curry)

Tsik-Tsik (Summer Vegetables with Egg)

Throwback to: My post a week ago, of Tsik-Tsik (Summer Vegetables with Egg), from the recipe of Mia Kouppa. It contains fresh tomato, zucchini, and egg. (For more details, please see the original post.) This photo features the dish, all by itself in its glory. It was very yummy, and easy to make with what I had.

Mia Kouppa Website, Tsik-Tsik (Summer Vegetables with Egg)

Blueberry Focaccia 

(slit open with a filling of store-bought ricotta), 

& Tsik-Tsik 

(Summer Vegetables with Egg)

The Tsik-Tsik recipe is from Mia Kouppa. I could only use a smaller amount of olive oil than the recipe suggested, and it also includes egg, fresh tomatoes, and zucchini. I had already finished up the eggplant I'd bought, and was too tired to bother with adding potatoes. However, in the story along with the recipe, it sounded like this is meant to use up excess or leftover veggies, and so it's okay to put in whatever you have. 😉 This was so good, and I think it will be nice to make again, the next time I have these veggies to use! 

The Blueberry Focaccia is my variation of the Sweet Grape Focaccia in Lauren Chattman's Mom's Big Book of Baking. I just replaced the grapes with fresh blueberries. The bread rose so nicely, that I could easily cut a slit in the middle, and fill it with the ricotta. I've also tried it with some ricotta spread over the blueberries, which is quite good. 😃It might be nice to use for baked French toast.

Mia Kouppa Facebook

MiaKouppa Instagram, Tsik Tsik

Mia Kouppa Website, Tsik-Tsik (Summer Vegetable with Egg)

Lauki ki Sabzi Sandwich 

(Indian zucchini & tomato)

The Lauki ki Sabzi (Indian zucchini & tomato dish, recipe of @justagirlfrommumbai) featured yesterday, here is part of a sandwich with scrambled egg. It's amazing how just about anything can be turned into a sandwich! 

Just a Girl from Aamchi Mumbai Website, Lauki ki Sabzi

Lauki ki Sabzi 

(Indian zucchini with tomato)

The original recipe of @justagirlfrommumbai on Instagram called for bottle gourd, which I didn't have, so I used the zucchini as a substitute. I like even plain zucchini with tomato, so I really enjoyed this version. There are instructions for cooking it using a pressure cooker, but I found it easy enough to cook in a saucepan. Although I cooked in oil, as I can't have butter/ghee, I added a bit of coconut oil at the end. Outstanding!

Just a Girl from Aamchi Mumbai Website, Lauki ki Sabzi

Spring Veggie Sambhar

This version follows the general method in Healthy South Indian Cooking, by Alemalu Vairavan and Patricia Marquardt. Sambhar is a soupy veggie and dal/legume dish of South India. This one includes a spring veggie mix, of carrots, zucchini, and yellow squash. Too bad that several ingredients that make it look pretty, always sink to the bottom! 

I used, for the first time, the ground up "flour" of toovar/toor/arhar dal (split pigeon peas). For me to be able to eat legumes, they have to be thoroughly soaked (even if normally they wouldn't require soaking), then cooked twice as long as normal, and then ground up in a food processor or with an immersion blender. This takes a lot more time and effort than usual; even a pressure cooker would only help somewhat. So, I decided to try grinding up dry dal, mixing it with some water, and leaving it for a couple of hours to "soak." Afterwards, I would then add it to the dish, and cook it for a normal time. This dish, is the first time I've tried this method, and it seemed to work well.

As part of the sambhar here, I used carrot water, drained from the canned carrots used in the Handvo featured here recently. (I didn't want to waste the vitamins!)

Thai Red Curry 

with Zucchini, Yellow Squash, & Carrot

The curry is pictured here over a quinoa-brown rice combination. I made the curry according to the method of Nancie McDermott in Real Vegetarian Thai, and with vegetarian store-bought Thai red curry paste, as well as light coconut milk. As the coconut milk was creamy, so was the curry. Very easy to make, and I really enjoyed it!

Nancie McDermott Facebook

Oven-roasted Potatoes & Vegetables,

 with Herbes de Provence

This is from the recipe of Eye Candy Popper. Several potatoes, along with a leftover zucchini and a carrot, were mixed with some olive oil and Kouzouna's Kitchen herbes de Provence, and baked on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I almost forgot to salt them, but remembered before it was too late. They go well with eggs in the morning, or with anything else at any other time!

Eye Candy Popper Website, Oven Roasted Potatoes & Vegetables with Herbes de Provence

Veggie Lasagna

Throwback to: my recent Veggie Lasagna. (See quote below from my previous post, for all the details!) This pic was taken with my camera, the next day. The other one, was taken by my phone, right after the lasagna finished baking. Yummy, either way, just presented differently. 

"Ingredients: no-boil noodles; paneer (Indian cheese) seasoned with salt and dried Italian herbs and basil; frozen "spring blend" veggies (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and yellow squash), defrosted and par-cooked in the microwave; mozzarella cheese; and jarred pasta sauce from the store. After I bought the jar of sauce, I found myself thinking about making lasagna. Once I had made the paneer, it was a done deal!  

I made this similar to the style of my mom's lasagna, but vegetarian, and with the kind of no-boil noodles I discovered several years ago, as well as paneer in place of cottage cheese. It's very simple: oil the pan, place a layer of sauce so nothing sticks/burns, place noodles to cover the pan, then a layer of paneer and some veggies, more noodles and sauce, and continue layering until it's as you like. Finish off with a layer of noodles, more sauce, and then some cheese. Cover with foil -- I like to put the dish on a baking sheet -- and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for about an hour or until bubbly. Remove from oven, and let sit for 15 minutes. Then enjoy!

You can use cottage cheese or ricotta or paneer (or maybe even tofu?), any kind of veggies and sauce, and more mozzarella cheese than I did."

Kolokithokeftedes 

(Greek Zucchini & Kale Baked Fritters)

These were from the recipe of Feel Good Foodie. This is a baked version of a traditional family recipe, and I think the long, slow baking really brought out the flavor and sweetness of the zucchini. I've really been enjoying these fritters! Yum. 

I didn't want to waste the water squeezed out of the salted zucchini (which there was a lot of!), so I heated it up and added some potato flour. I thought it would make a good sauce for the fritters, or a soup (with added water). (When I boil zucchini, I save the water to use for rice or soup, but sometimes I just drink it, because I really like it.)

I didn't have the spring onions or feta mentioned in the recipe, and I forgot the frozen homemade paneer (Indian cheese) that I was going to use as a substitute for the feta. And although I did squeeze out the water from the salted zucchini, as instructed, I didn't do quite enough; I added some breadcrumbs to dry it up a little. After I set out spoonfuls of fritter batter on a baking sheet, I sprayed them with oil. The cooking time in the recipe was good, but I added a few minutes on each side, as the fritter batter was a bit wet (due to my fault). The fritters were nicely browned, and even a little crispy. Mmmm... 

Feel Good Foodie Facebook

Feel Good Foodie Website, Zucchini & Kale Baked Fritters

Potato-Zucchini Pancakes

Flashback to : Potato-Zucchini Pancakes, made from shredded zucchini and potato, egg, rice flour, onion powder, and salt. These are what my grandma would call "cold-potato pancakes," as raw potatoes are added to the batter. If you don't have oodles of time or energy, you can use (thawed) frozen hash browns. 

Angelhair Pasta with Zucchini Sambhar Sauce

This is Angelhair Pasta, cooked with leftover Zucchini Sambhar (from the photo of a few days ago). This pasta cooked very quickly, and then I drained most of the water, added in some sambhar, and cooked them together for a few minutes. Very easy. The original zucchini sambhar recipe was from Healthy South Indian Cooking: Expanded Edition by Alamelu Vairavan and Patricia Marquardt

Zucchini Sambhar

This is a soupy dish with dal (legumes) and a lot of veggies. Recipe from Healthy South Indian Cooking:Expanded Edition by Alamelu Vairavan and Patricia Marquardt. I felt that this was a very warm and comforting dish on a cold, snowy day. The colors were bright and cheerful, too. I used some leftover masoor dal (red lentils) from the other day, instead of the toor dal in the recipe.

Potato-Zucchini Pancakes

Made from leftover zucchini, shredded for the moong dal cheela aka pesarattu of the other day, and some frozen shredded potatoes. I added an egg, some salt, some rice flour, and a little onion powder. I defrosted the potato in the microwave, and it's possible that after doing that, I didn't really need the egg to bind it. (In case anyone wants to make it for a vegan friend). Fried in a little oil in a nonstick pan. I had it with some organic whole-milk yogurt, which is creamy and can stand in for sour cream.

My grandma used to call something like this, "cold-potato pancakes," as raw potatoes are shredded (she always did it by hand!) and used. These are supposed to be best right after being made. You can also make "warm-potato pancakes," with mashed potatoes mixed with chopped and steamed veggies. Those are supposed to be better as leftovers.

Basmati Rice with Zucchini

I made this to accompany the moong dal cheela of the previous photo. I heated some olive oil, then lightly fried the grains of basmati rice in the oil, before adding the chopped zucchini, water, and salt. That's all, but I always think it tastes creamy and warm and comforting like that.