Eat Your Vegetables: Zucchini

I once had a heated debate with an old workout buddy about zucchini. Our point/counterpoint, quibbling, and bickering lasted the entire hour-long workout. He said that zucchini has no taste and was, therefore, lame. I said that zucchini is delicious on its own and has the added benefit of welcoming with open arms whatever flavors with which you choose to surround it.

He thinks he won the argument, but I know I did... because this weekend, I made this:

Zucchini with Cumin Almonds
2 oz. blanched, slivered almonds
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
pinch of salt
juice of a lemon
1 lb. zucchini
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoonslemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
1 packed cup of mixed whole herbs (I used chives, mint, and thyme. The chives tasted the best. Next time, i think I'll use parsley and chives only.)

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Mix first 6 ingredients. Spread on baking sheet; roast for 8 minutes until light brown. Set aside to cool.

2. Slice zucchini into 1/4-inch semicircles and saute 'til tender. Remove to a bowl and let cool a little.

3. Add almonds, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic; mix well. Season with salt & pepper, then toss with fresh herbs.

The original recipe said that this serves six... wrong! (It also included croutons, so... yeah.) Anyway, Dave and I split the pile of zucchini, and it was just the right amount for each of us... with grilled chicken sausage and half a cucumber alongside. Also, you can monkey around with the amounts of oil and almonds, if you need less/more healthy fats. Y'all know I'm a stickler for measuring, so I did my awesome nutrition math to get to the quantities above, but if you're an eyeballer, go for it!

Helpful tip from me to you... for FREE! Roast extra almonds with cumin and lemon juice. They're delicious, and a nice change from plain ol' almonds.