Egyptian Lemon Zucchini With Mint and Wilted Cherry Tomatoes

Do you love zucchini? This lemony zucchini with mint side dish is a unique family recipe which I consider company worthy. 

I know it sounds odd to use mint with zucchini, but together with the lemon, it creates a wonderful flavor. You'll have to trust me on this one.

 

 

Zucchini with mint is a specialty dish in Egypt called Kousa NaNa. My mother-in-law, from Cairo, Egypt, introduced me to this amazing dish when I first joined the family. 

I make it in a rimmed skillet with garlic, lemon juice, cherry tomatoes and fresh and dried mint. 

Sautéed onions are optional- I don't use them.

 I use green or yellow squash- whatever is available. 

It cooks quickly and tastes delicious. Zucchini is low in fat and calories but high in valuable nutrients. 

Everyone can enjoy this gluten-free, vegan, oil-free recipe.

Simple vegetable sides can be delicious, healthy and require minimal effort such as this zucchini dish! Make green or yellow squash or mix the squash together. 

Ingredients: 

3 medium green or yellow zucchini, washed and sliced

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

optional: 1 cup of sliced (in half moons) onions 

2 cups of cherry tomatoes of any color or shape

1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice 

Salt and cracked pepper 

1/2 cup of chopped fresh mint (of 2 tablespoons of dried mint) 

Directions: 

Use a large skillet with rim. Place skillet over medium heat and add garlic (and optional onions).  Stir for a few minutes to sauté in 1/4 cup of water. Add cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, and fresh mint. Add additional water by the 1/2 cup as needed to prevent burning. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on medium heat to allow zucchini to soften. When done, sprinkle with dried mint and serve. 

The other night, we had an arugula and tomato salad with a tad of gluten free noodles at a new local Italian restaurant from Naples. Delicious.. 

Egyptian Molokhia (molechaya) Soup

Yum! We love this soup! Molokhia is the Arabic word for a soup made from jute leaves which are a highly nutritious greens that are very popular in Middle Eastern countries. Once again, I am sharing one of my mother-in-laws authentic recipes.

Egyptian Dukkah - An Interesting Dip

If you love nuts, seeds, and Middle Eastern spices, Dukkah may well become one of your new favorite dips. Eaten with bread (gluten-free) and olive oil, dukkah is a popular Egyptian favorite. Dip you bread in olive oil and then dip it into the Dukkah! Yum!

You can also add dukkah to salads, sprinkle it on vegetables, add it to rice or quinoa dishes.