We’re in love with this easy zucchini pasta recipe. There’s fresh zucchini, tomatoes, basil, parmesan, and lots of garlic. Plus, it only takes 20 minutes to make. Make this with 100% zucchini noodles or swap half of the zucchini with regular (pre-cooked) spaghetti for a heartier meal.  This recipes uses OLIVE OIL.

PREP 8mins       COOK 12mins        TOTAL 20mins         Makes 4 Servings

YOU WILL NEED
​4 medium zucchini (about 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 to 4 cloves)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you like the pasta
2 medium tomatoes, chopped, see note (about 12 ounces)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1 cup basil leaves, torn into pieces
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons cold water
Salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Trim and spiralize the zucchini (see notes below for how to do this without a spiralizer). Cut extra long noodles so that they are about the length of spaghetti.

Add olive oil, garlic, and the red pepper flakes to a large, deep skillet. Turn to medium heat. When the oil begins to bubble around the garlic, add the zucchini noodles.

Toss the noodles with pasta tongs and cook until al dente — they should be wilted, but still have a crunch; 5 to 7 minutes. Do not let the noodles cook any longer or else they will become mushy. As they cook, keep tossing so that all the zucchini noodles have a chance to hit the bottom of the skillet.

Stir in the tomatoes, basil, and parmesan cheese. Cook for one minute.

Use pasta tongs to transfer the noodles, tomatoes, and basil to a serving dish. Leave the liquid in the skillet.

Bring the liquid to a simmer. Combine cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl then whisk into the simmering liquid. Cook, while whisking, until the liquid thickens to a sauce; about 1 minute. Taste the sauce and season with salt.

Pour the sauce over the zucchini, tomatoes, and basil. Finish with more parmesan cheese on top and serve immediately.

How to make Zucchini Noodles without a Spiralizer: The spiralizer is not the only way to make noodles. You can use a julienne vegetable peeler or a mandoline. You can also use a standard vegetable peeler to make wide noodles or ribbons.

Thanks to Inspired Taste for this delicious recipe!

Gazpacho is basically a liquid salad. It takes only minutes to prepare, but the soup needs to be chilled for several hours or overnight, so plan ahead. You can adapt the texture from chunky to smooth to suit your personal preference. Any variety of tomato or a combination works well.  This is a great soup for summer fasting on 'oil' days.
​
2 pounds tomatoes, about 8 medium, cored and quartered
1 medium cucumber, ends removed, cut into large chunks* 
1 red or green bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
1 small red or yellow onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1 clove garlic, peeled
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt or to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
croutons and fresh basil for garnishing

Combine all ingredients except the croutons and basil in a blender or food processor and process to desired consistency. Chill several hours or overnight. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve in chilled bowls garnished with croutons and fresh basil ribbons.
*If the cucumber is organic, I don't bother to peel it.

Basil Ribbons
To create basil ribbons (to “chiffonade” the basil) for garnishing the gazpacho or bruschetta, rinse fresh basil leaves and gently pat dry. Stack the leaves on top of each other on a cutting board. Beginning at one of the pointy ends, roll the stack into a tight cylinder. With a sharp knife, carefully cut the roll into thin slices.

Homemade Croutons
Don't let those heels no one likes go to waste. Turn them into crunchy croutons for garnishing soups, salads and casseroles.

Cut bread into 3/4-inch cubes. Place in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with fine sea salt to taste and toss very well. (You can also add a fresh-pressed clove of garlic, but it really smells up the house when the croutons are toasting.) Could also use seasoning salt, onion powder, etc. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until crisp and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Use immediately or let cool and then store in an airtight container.  

Note: If I were doing a very small amount, I would just sauté the bread cubes in a little olive oil in a pan on the stove.

~ Recipe courtesy of  "Flavors of the Umpqua"

Grill 2 medium eggplants over high flame (or under broiler) – poke holes in them first! Turn eggplants until all sides of skin are blackened and eggplant juices begin to seep out. Use 2 smaller eggplants instead of 1 large – it will char faster!

Wrap 3 large cloves of garlic in foil and add to grill until they are roasted and soft.  Mash with back of fork to get a paste, add 1/2 tsp salt/pepper and set aside.
Gently peel skins off eggplants – they’ll come right off, chop up meat into small pieces and mash with a wooden spoon or dinner fork until eggplant is as chunky or as smooth as you like.

Add seasoned mashed garlic paste, 1/3 cup good quality olive oil (or substitute a Fast-Friendly oil) and 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice. Mix very well until completely combined. That’s it!
Serve over grilled bread or with homemade pita chips, all on its own or as a side dish to just about anything! This recipe should give you a little over 2 cups of melitzanosalata.

​Source:  The Greek Vegan