Zucchini "Spaghetti"

Zucchini sure are prolific, aren't they? I love the small zucchini sliced into round and used on salad, and it's great in ratatouille, but after a while (zucchini sure are prolific) you might want to try something a little bit different.

By slicing the zucchini lengthwise on a mandoline using the small julienne blade, you can get long thin, noodle-like strands of zucchini for use in salads and for a quick stir-fry like this one.

If you don't have a mandoline, you can use a julienne peeler. Or, if you want to practice your knife skills, you can slice the zucchini by hand.

The trick here is to cook everything quickly.

This makes an interesting side dish on its own, or you could stir it into pasta or serve over rice for something just a little more substantial. A shower of grated cheese on top would be welcome, as well. Or, for a different twist, a bit of soy sauce would work.

Zucchini "Spaghetti"

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 green onions, sliced into rounds
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
Pinch of salt
Several grinds black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 medium zucchini or 2 small zucchini, julienned lengthwise
1 small tomato, diced
Splash of lemon juice

Heat the olive oil in a medium pan on medium heat. Add the green onions the pan, along with the mushrooms, salt, pepper, and thyme.

Cook, stirring as needed until the mushrooms lose their liquid and it evaporates again and the mushrooms begin to brown a little bit.

Add the zucchini and tomato, stir, and cook just until the zucchini softens a little bit. Add the lemon juice, toss, and serve.

Garnish with a few more grinds of black pepper or some shredded cheese, if desired.

For a slightly more substantial dish, serve over pasta or rice.

Yum