Weekending

Like most of them around here, a busy weekend, but I did find time to do some food prep for the upcoming week.  I made a small batch of tomato sauce, baked some pumpkin spice muffins, made yogurt.

About 10 days or so ago, I decided to start this autoimmune-focus diet.  I'll just hit the highlights here and not delve too heavily into the details, but basically, it cuts out any grains (or starch-based foods like potatoes), any refined sugar, a lot of dairy products, and for me, based on what I already know my body isn't fond of, I am using really limited amounts of eggs.  If you've taken the time to ever read the ingredient list on the back of a bottle of salad dressing, you'll realize that there are basically no prepared foods available since almost everything contains either some form of sugar (like corn syrup) and/or some form of starch (as a thickener or non-caking agent).

I don't think not eating extra stuff is a bad thing at all, but it has changed how I think about grocery shopping and what I can prepare for dinner.  One of the things that winds up being a priority is vegetables on the plate.  So this weekend, I hauled out my family recipe book and re-visited an old friend from my childhood.  (I'm pretty sure this one is from my Grandma Jane's repetoire, but if nothing else, I know we ate this a lot in the summers as a kid at her farm.)

What you'll need (to serve about 2-3):
2 small or 1 large zucchini, sliced into 1/4" thick rounds.  (If the zucchini is large, it helps to cut the rounds in  half)
Half a sweet onion (like Vidalia or Walla Walla) sliced in 1/8" thick half-rounds.
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced.
Basil - either fresh or dried, but I like to use a lot.
Olive oil (2-3 Tb)
Salt and pepper to taste.

After heating the olive oil over medium heat to just shimmering, toss in the garlic, onions and zucchini. Stir to break up the onions and coat everything with a light coating of oil.  Cook until the zucchini and onions begin to soften, and then add basil, salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the zucchini begins to get a nice golden brown color, stirring frequently. (This entire process takes about 25-30 minutes.)

Super easy, and it goes nicely with all kinds of things, although I had it as a side to a grilled burger.  For a little extra zip, you can also add in some crumbled feta cheese, which makes a great sandwich filling with a little hummus in a pita pocket if you are looking for an all-veggie kind of lunch.