ZUCCHINI AND TOMATO GRATIN

 

I don’t know exactly what the deal is, but I’ve been having a difficult time getting Billy to eat his veggies.  Until now he’s always liked vegetables, and even has been known to order a salad for his meal, without any prompting from the peanut gallery.   But lately, if I made him nothing but a twenty-four ounce steak for dinner, he would be perfectly content.  

This Zucchini & Tomato Gratin was really born out of laziness.  When I want to get maximum flavor, with minimal effort I turn to roasting.  Zucchini & Tomato Gratin is so simple to make, but roasting makes the flavors, rich and complex.

Just lay the zucchinis and tomatoes in a baking dish.  Season the vegetables with fresh rosemary or thyme, salt & pepper and a drizzle of good olive oil.

I like to use a stronger flavored cheese like feta, because I can use less of it, which means it less of it goes to my waist line! 

Seasoned panko bread crumbs bring everything together, and give the dish a little texture.

This is so yummy, that I could have eaten this whole dish by my lonesome, and Billy was pretty dang excited over it too.  He remarked that if vegetables always tasted this good, that I would have no problem getting him to eat his veggies!

If you have a vegephobe in your family, try Zucchini & Tomato Gratin on them, it just might be the cure!

 




ZUCCHINI AND TOMATO GRATIN

Serves 2 as a side dish

¼             cup         Panko bread crumbs

1  Tbsp. + 1 tsp.         Extra virgin olive oil, divided use

1 ¼           tsp.         Fresh rosemary or thyme, finely chopped, divided use

       Salt & pepper to taste

2                            Small zucchinis cut into rounds, about 1/8 inch thick

1                            Medium sized ripe tomato, sliced                       

¼             cup         Feta cheese, crumbles

1.  Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  In a small bowl combine the panko bread crumbs with 1 tsp. of olive oil, ¼ tsp. of rosemary (or thyme), and a pinch of salt & pepper.  Set to the side.

3.  Use a small baking dish (mine measures 8 x 5 inches) or a glass pie plate.  In a single layer, lay the zucchini and tomatoes over lapping, in a tile pattern in the bottom of the dish.  Drizzle the remaining 1 Tbsp. of the olive over the veggies, also sprinkle the remaining 1 tsp. of the fresh rosemary (or thyme) and salt & pepper, crumble the feta cheese evenly over that.  Finally sprinkle the seasoned bread crumbs evenly over the top.

4.  Bake until the zucchini is tender, about 30 minutes.

This recipe is easily increased, but the cooking time may need to be increased to 35 or 40 minutes, depending upon the amount of veggies to be cooked.


You may also like:

Miso Glazed Eggplant and Kale

Roasted Broccoli & Tomato Pasta

Herb Roasted Chicken

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Walnuts