We still had a few tomatoes left over from our neighbor’s recent gift, as well as a small pile of fresh zucchini. These two vegetables are divine baked together and served over brown rice or quinoa. You can adjust the spice level to suit your individual tastes. We like ours spicy! This dish is simple, but so delicious that you won’t be able to stop devouring it. It’s great for those evenings when you don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking, but you still want a dish with a gourmet flair.

INGREDIENTS

3 large zucchinis, sliced thin
3 large, pureed tomatoes (about 3 cups)
6 cloves finely minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 fresh lemon, squeezed
1 tablespoon white vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Puree the tomato chunks by placing them into a blender or food processor and combining them until they are liquefied, but retain a slight texture.

Pour the pureed tomatoes into a large mixing bowl with the garlic, parsley, green onions, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, and spices. Ancho chili powder is super spicy, so adjust as desired. Stir everything together until thoroughly combined.

Place the zucchini slices into another large bowl and pour the mixture over them. Toss them around in the mixture until they are thoroughly coated. This shouldn’t take very long.

Arrange the mixture in a large baking pan. Be sure to smooth the contents so everything is distributed evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until the surface is slightly bubbly, but not burned. Remove your creation from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes.

Serve your yummy pureed mixture over quinoa or brown rice. The texture of quinoa is especially wonderful for this dish. It serves four people handily, and you most likely won’t have any left over. If you have fewer guests, just place the mixture into a covered container and store it in your refrigerator. It will keep for up to four days. You can also freeze it, of course, but we doubt if it’ll come to that.

Gluten-free beer or wine makes a perfect accompaniment to this dish, as does a nice garden salad. So easy to whip up, and so satisfying! Your guests will rave about this elegant little dish. Bon Appetit, and don’t forget to save some room for dessert!