Insulated Jar & Sides #43

Zucchini Italiano (recipe below); an improvisational main dish based on a box of quinoa mix, sauteed bell pepper and onions, and Morningstar Farms chick'n strips; and sauteed grape tomatoes.

This was the first time I've tried the Morningstar Farms chick'n strips, though they've been in my freezer for a while. The Long Island Vegan was eating them in chick'n Caesar salads a lot and seemed to really like them, but I'd never had them because I don't think of Morningstar Farms as a vegan brand (so many eggs where they need not be...sigh). But the chick'n strips are vegan and also considerably less expensive than my go-to chicken substitute, Beyond Chicken. I thought the Morningstar Farms version was like chicken in a different way than Beyond Chicken--it's almost as if Morningstar Farms is the white meat version and Beyond Chicken is the dark meat version. It gave me lots of ideas.

But here we are with Zucchini Italiano, which is veganized from Cookery for 1 or 2. I think this cookbook was published first in 1978, but I'm not absolutely sure.

Zucchini Italiano
Serves: 2

1 medium zucchini (about 1/3 pound)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small garlic glove, minced
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Cut the zucchini into 1/8 inch-thick slices and discard the ends.

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, then add zucchini, salt, and Italian seasoning. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the zucchini is tender and becomes a bit translucent. If you are pressed for time, you can add 1 tablespoon of water to the pan, cover, and steam a bit to cook faster.