Easy Buttery Zucchini… Yeah, in just 5 minutes, you will be able to wash, cut, season and cook it to delicious, tender-crisp perfection!
Making a vegetable side doesn’t get much easier… or quicker… than that, now, does it?
Zucchini … shiny dark green, so fresh and inviting!
Zucchini… It feels so weird to think that when I first came to the US, I had absolutely no clue what this dark green, shiny and fresh looking vegetable was! I had never seen it in India… and had never even heard the name before!
Having arrived in the US just before the fall semester started, the grocery stores were filled with summer vegetables and fruits. Browsing the multitude of offerings in the grocery store was utterly fascinating! On one such trip to the store, I spotted this vegetable….. I guess I hadn’t really noticed it before…. I looked at the label, but that didn’t mean much!
How to pick the best Zucchini from the bin?
I saw a fellow shopper pick through the pile and bag several pieces, so I asked her what she did with them. She said she was going to cook some up as a quick vegetable side for dinner and make some sweet zucchini bread the next day. Interesting, I thought…. Reminded me of what I often did with pumpkin!
She told me to only get the ones that were small and skinny, not the ones that were big and fat… Why? The small ones were tender, she said, they would cook fast and taste the best. So, of course, I started going through the pile too… and had soon bagged a few small, skinny ones to take home.
What to do with Zucchini?
I was soon hooked on this “new” vegetable I had found…. I have thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with the mild-flavored zucchini, perhaps because it seems to pair so well with lots of things.
I’ve put it in pasta, rice, soups, dips, fillings for enchiladas, patties/Kababs, cheesy open-faced sandwiches…. I’ve made batter-dipped fritters and yogurt based Raita…. Ohh, I could just go on and on!
Just as often, though, I’ve enjoyed having tender zucchini just by itself… simple and buttery… I can’t seem to gobble it up fast enough!
Zucchini – low in fat and carbs, high in lots of micronutrients
Zucchini is very good source of several micro-nutrients… A cup of zucchini provides 10-15% of the daily requirement for a host of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. The quick-cooking method I’ve described here is not just Yum… It also minimizes the loss of several of these nutrients, especially Vitamin C, which is extremely sensitive to heat.
Zucchini is also a very low carbohydrate, low-fat food, with a low glycemic index, which makes it especially suitable for those who need to monitor their blood sugar. You can also use zucchini to balance out a meal that might have some fat-rich and carb-rich menu items.
In addition, zucchini is also classified as a low FODMAP food. This means that folks who might suffer from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) should be able to consume it without difficulty, provided they keep their portion size less than 65 g. One serving of this dish (75 g raw zucchini) is only slightly more, and should be OK on a low FODMAP diet.
How to make this easy buttery zucchini?
So… How to make this easy and tasty buttery zucchini? Super simple, actually! Wash, slice and dice, then sprinkle some red chilli powder (cayenne) if you want it spicy… otherwise use the very mild paprika. Dot with butter and microwave on Hi for about one minute. Yes…… Just ONE minute! You want the zucchini to remain tender crisp, not watery and soggy!
What if you’re making for more than 3-4 people, though? Then I recommend that you cook it in small batches…. Cook each batch for just one minute and repeat till you’ve finished cooking all the zucchini….. that way, even the larger quantity you need to make will be perfectly cooked!
Remove from the microwave, stir in some salt and freshly squeezed lime/lemon juice and garnish with something green…. cilantro, parsley, basil….. your call! Feel free to a little bit of any other seasoning that also seems appropriate, based on the type of cuisine you’re paining it with. Then, serve it right away!
Steaming hot, buttery and tender-crisp zucchini…. simply Yum!
More Zucchini Recipes to try…
If you’d like to try some other delicious zucchini containing recipes, here are a few you might enjoy….
- Zucchini Melt on Sourdough – open-faced crusty sandwich with pan-fried zucchini
- AirFryer Lentil Kababs – the zucchini helps keep these vegetarian Kababs moist
- Roasted Tomatillo Salsa – replace onions with zucchini if you prefer to avoid onions in Salsa Verde
- Colorful Pasta with Spinach and Edamame – & cottage cheese, zucchini and red bell pepper too
- and more recipes are coming soon!
A request… If you make any of these, please do leave a review and star rating… I’d love to get your feedback. Thanks!
Special Diets
This easy and quick-fix buttery zucchini dish is vegetarian, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free. To make it vegan, use your preferred vegan butter instead of the dairy butter described in the recipe.
Also, in case you prefer to avoid onion/garlic…. this recipe will work for you! I did actually try making it with onion and garlic…. and although I love both onions and garlic, I find that they tend to overpower the delicate flavor of the tender zucchini. So now, I just let the butter work its “magic” on the zucchini!
So… The next time you find some tender, skinny zucchini, scoop them up! Just before you’re ready to serve your meal, pull these beauties out of the bag…. Wash, slice and dice… a quick zap in the microwave… and… All done!
Time to dig in…. and gobble up the zucchini pieces, all smothered in delectable buttery goodness! Yummy!
Make it, share with friends and family….. Please leave a review and star rating too… many thanks!
Enjoy!
Easy Buttery Zucchini – Make It In Just 5 min
Equipment
- Microwave preferred If not available, see Recipe Notes for alternate cooking directions using a steamer pan.
- Microwave safe glass/ceramic bowl I do not recommend using a plastic bowl for cooking the zucchini.
Ingredients
- 150 g Zucchini – about 1 cup – heaped 1 small-medium zucchini – preferably thin, skinny – these are more tender and tasty
- 1/8 tsp Red Chilli powder (cayenne) If you prefer it to be super-mild, use paprika instead, or perhaps a medium-spicy pepper such as ground New Mexico, Guajillo, Pasilla, etc.
- 1 tsp Butter For vegan dish – use your preferred vegan butter
- 1/8 tsp Salt adjust later as desired – add upt ot 1/16 tsp more , if you like
Optional Seasonings
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper – freshly crushed
- 1/4 tsp Cumin powder if pairing with Indian / Mexican meal
- 1/2 tsp Dried Basil if pairing with Italian meal
- 1/2 tsp Zaatar seasoning if pairing with middle-Eastern meal
Garnish
- 1/8 tsp Paprika (optional) for final sprinkle, just before serving
- 2 tbsp Cilantro – rinsed , chopped fresh coriander leaves; if not available, use another herb you like – adjust quantities based on how strong the herb is – start with 2-3 tsp fresh herbs (basil, parsley, etc.) – taste-test, then add more if you like
- 1 whole Lime/lemon – cut into wedges if not available, it's OK to use bottled lemon juice; if you like, 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar is OK too
Instructions
- Wash and trim the two ends of the zucchiniSlice lengthwise, then cut each half into quarters, lengthwise. Dice each quarter into 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick slices.
- 1 medium cut-up zucchini yields about 1 heaped cupful.
- Sprinkle with red chilli powder (cayenne) (or a milder pepper, if you like).Dot with butter. Set aside until almost ready to serve.
- About 5 min before it's time to serve, microwave on Hi for ONE minute. (For alternate cooking directions without a microwave, please see Recipe Notes.)The butter will be completely melted an the zucchini will look barely cooked – the flesh will still look firm, white and opaque. You do NOT want it to look translucent and mushy for this dish.Add the salt and other optional seasonings you want to add. Stir gently to mix, allowing the melted butter and seasonings to coat the zucchini pieces evenly. It will immediately start to look a bit watery as the salt draws out some moisture from the zucchini. This 'sweating' also softens the zucchini a little bit.
- Serve immediately… Warm zucchini, smothered in butter and simple seasonings – with tortillas or other flatbread, rice, pasta, bread, etc.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Microwave not available?
No worries, you can use use a steamer pan instead to cook the zucchini. Note: It will take just a bit longer to cook the zucchini “just right” with a steamer pan (compared to a microwave), with a slightly different texture as well. If you don’t have a steamer pan, it is very easy to create it with common kitchenware, as described below:- Place a trivet/small cooling rack inside a large pot with a well-fitting lid.
- Find a small bowl that is large enough to hold the zucchini, but small enough to be placed on the trivet/cooling rack inside the large pot
- Add about 1 1/2 cups of water, cover with the lid and start heating to bring the water to a boil.
- This is your make-shift steamer pan!
- You should be able to see the steam coming out steadily from the pan before placing the bowl of zucchini in the steamer
- Meanwhile, place the diced zucchini in the small bowl and add red chilli powder and butter as described in the main recipe directions.
- Place the bowl with the zucchini in the steamer and immediately replace the cover.
- Continue to heat the pot on high for 2 min.
- Remove cover carefully.
- Caution: Don’t let the steam come directly toward you – it can cause severe burns if you’re too close to the escaping steam.
- Do NOT overcook: you don’t want the zucchini to turn mushy!
- The zucchini should still look firm and “white”, not translucent.
- Turn the heat off, wait for the steam to dissipate a bit (10-15 seconds) and immediately remove the bowl from the steamer:
- Caution: The steam vapors can cause severe burns: wait a few seconds after removing the cover, and use sturdy tongs to remove the hot bowl.
- Remove cover carefully.
- Continue as per main recipe directions.
Storing Lefovers:
Store leftovers in a glass/ceramic container with a well-fitting lid. In Refrigerator:- Consume within 2 days
- Reheat before serving, using one of these two methods:
- Microwave on Hi for 30-40 seconds until heated through – do not overcook!
- Heat in a skillet on the stove-top for 30-40 seconds until heated through – do not overcook!
- add the pieces to soups/curries, etc.
- minestrone
- tortilla soup
- chunky vegetable soup
- Thai curry
- Indian curry
- etc.
- puree it and add the puree to soups/curries, etc., to thicken the soup/curry, and extend its volume
- tomato soup
- creamy broccoli soup
- creamy mushroom soup
- creamy asparagus soup
- etc.
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