Saturday, May 4, 2013

Zucchini so good your kids will eat it

I live in an awesome neighborhood. It is the kind of neighborhood that belongs in the past. You know, the kind with 4th of July block parties where the street is blocked off, and the kids are tossing eggs and playing on the slip and slide. The kind where jars of homemade salsa, jam, and spice rubs are given out as Christmas gifts. The kind where someone has a key to your house so if you need your passport sent to your employer and you are on your way to Massachusetts, it'll get Fed-Exed within the hour even if you're not positive where it is in the house. (True story.) The kind where the day you bring your baby home from the hospital there is a sweet onesie on the doorstep. Tied to a bottle of wine. (And the wine doesn't get stolen...)

It is also the kind of neighborhood where my neighbor Ayme often sends her husband over with a plate of whatever deliciousness they had for dinner. Seriously. That happens. Often. #nevermovingever

Tonight's treat was so good I had to share it with the entire world. (Because I have that many readers, obvs.)


Ayme made what she has dubbed "Zucchini Pizza." And yes, they are as good as they look. Better, in fact. Her two oldest boys can be picky eaters and she has made it her mission to "sneak" veggies in to their diets as often as possible. Sometimes her sneakiness involves veggies and legumes in cookies (tastes better than it sounds) or veggie laced breading on corn dogs. Other times (like tonight) she makes the veggies so compelling on their own that even a two-year-old can't say no. (Hello, who can say no to pizza?)


I begged her to let me share her concoction.

OK, really I just sent her a text telling her they were amazing and I wanted to tell the world. Can't say no to that. I didn't get any specific measurements, but that's not much different that most of the other recipes I share with you...

Ayme's Addictive I-Hope-She-Makes-Them-Again Zucchini Pizzas

List of ingredients:
Zucchini, sliced
Grape Tomatoes, sliced
Fat-Free Feta Crumbles, um crumbled
Olive Oil
Gourmet Garden Italian Herbs Paste (or chop basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary)
Gourmet Garden Garlic Paste (or finely chop garlic)


Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix olive oil, garlic and herbs together to a pesto-like consistency. (Ratios are to taste.) Lay slices of zucchini on a baking pan. Spread the zucchini slices with the olive oil, garlic, herb spread. Top with tomato slices. Finish with feta crumbles. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes, then broil until the feta gets browned. Make a plate for your neighbor. Enjoy.

Variations:
Ayme's husband was feeling spicy, so she added chili peppers to his. He said they were "bangin'". If you don't have feta at home, I'm guessing that goat cheese would also make a delicious bite. (I'm always partial to goat cheese.) In a pinch, pesto would probably be almost as effective as the garlic, herb, oil mix. Almost.

I'm not yet at the picky eater stage, but I imagine I'll have to resort to some sneakiness eventually. This recipe? I kind of hope Little Man doesn't like it...

Anyone else have sneaky/fun ways to give the veggies some love?


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