Veggie Gal: PAN FRIED ZUCCHINI

Pictured atop pureed oven roasted tomatoes
and capellini

A classic dish that was inspired by a vegan pizza recipe I discovered a long long time ago, these pan fried zucchini make the perfect complement to any meal. Whether used as a side dish, in a pasta, or as snack, they very rarely disappoint. Plus, they are reasonably easy to make so long as you don't mess up the secret and most important ingredient of all... ¡NOW LETS GET COOKIN'!

¡INGREDIENTS!

2 med/large zucchini, sliced into 1/4" wide slices
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped*
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

*DON'T use a garlic press, I say chopped I mean chop it...if you mince it that will ruin the key ingredient!

¡DIRECTIONS!

Heat olive oil in a small pan over medium/low heat, then add finely chopped garlic
Saute garlic about a minute until golden brown
Immediately remove from heat and strain garlic out of oil placing garlic crisps on a paper towel to drain and reserving the garlic infused oil.
Next, heat half of the oil in the pan, heat over medium/low heat and add one sliced zucchini
Fry zucchini, 5-7 mins on each side, or until slightly browned and edges are crisp*
Drain on paper towels and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then repeat the process with the remaining olive oil and sliced zucchini.
When finished, serve as a side dish, over pasta**, or as a snack and be sure to garnish with the garlic crisps you reserved earlier while making the garlic infused olive oil...MMMmmmmMMM delicious!

*Try not to overcook these, they can go from zero to burnt pretty quickly if you don't pay attention AND make sure your heat is up high enough or else they will get soggy and take forever to cook...finding the right temperate and watching carefully is key!

**I like to combine this recipe with the roasted tomato (sauce) recipe and make some homemade bread and salad with some protein in it to accompany.

¡PICTURES!