It’s that time of year again–zucchini season! If you’re overwhelmed, or if the zucchini fairy left some on your porch, here’s a recipe that will use up some of it for you.
Some time ago, I started the ketogenic diet, at my doctor’s suggestion. (This link is to a site that has some good information. I have no affiliation with them.) I’ve had some good success with it, too.
About three weeks ago, I had an event of some kind and went off the diet. Then with the family campout coming in just a week, I decided to wait until afterwards. So I ate like I used to. Crazy thing is, the food wasn’t as good as I remembered, and it made me feel foggy-headed and tired. I missed my diet! How often does that happen?
So this week I’m back on it.
I’ve been working a lot of overtime at the office this week, and today I came home just exhausted. It didn’t help that I’ve had an emotional week as well. None of the recipes I had on my list sounded good, and most of them took time to make. So Bruce and I thought for a while, and I remembered this zucchini dish I’d made up a few months ago. Since I have a counter-full of zucchini, and this dish is fast and easy, that’s what we had.
I call this a zucchini pizza saute. Bruce calls it skillet zucchini pizza. Either seems to describe it.
Basically, you chop zucchini in thick half-slices, cook it in spices and butter, add all the toppings you like on your regular pizza, and melt mozzarella cheese over the top of it. The recipe here is for one of our favorite pizzas.
We were generous with the butter on this dish because of the ketogenic diet. If you’d rather not use as much, it will work just as well.
Zucchini Pizza Saute
Wash zucchini and slice about 1/2″ thick, then cut slices in half.
3 Tbsp butter
2 cups sliced zucchini
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 15-oz can black olives, drained and slice in half
1/4 c pepperoni
1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder (or use a few cloves of garlic, minced)
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt
1 medium tomato, sliced
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Melt the butter on medium to medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Add zucchini and spices, and saute until the zucchini begins to soften. Add onion and bell pepper, and saute a few minutes more. Add black olives and pepperoni. Saute until vegetables are cooked. Spread half the cheese on top then arrange tomato slices. Spread the rest of the cheese over the tomatoes. It’s ready to serve when the cheese has melted. Serve with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.
Makes 4 servings. Nutritional information varies, depending on the “toppings” you choose.
I served this in the pan we cooked it in because it looked almost like a real pizza. And I’m basically lazy, too.
This would also be good with banana peppers, mushrooms, and any other things you normally put on a pizza. Fresh basil would be really good, too. But then, fresh basil is good on nearly everything.
Hope you like it!
