Countdown… we’ve reached the penultimate meeting with Light and Tasty before the summer break, and my proposal today is a lovely dish that tastes like summer: grilled marinated zucchini in oil and balsamic vinegar with a few drops of Calabrian hot oil which made them perfect. Yes, I really enjoyed eating today! 😃
It’s a super simple recipe, prepared in no time. The only caution you need to have is not to reach lunchtime without having decided what to cook… like I usually do!, but to think about it at least an hour earlier so the zucchini can rest and give the marinade time to do its job.
I must say that this time I organized myself perfectly, I almost surprised myself since lately I haven’t been very efficient with organizational skills. 😅 So I grilled the zucchini while preparing grandma’s lunch, so they could marinate properly during the hour and a half I usually spend feeding her, and by the time of our lunch, my fragrant grilled marinated zucchini were ready.
For this recipe, I absolutely have to thank my friend Lucia, who often inspires me. A few nights ago, I had such a feast of her delicious marinated zucchini that I couldn’t resist but steal the recipe from her, albeit with a couple of my little tweaks (like adding the spicy oil 😊).
Well, I’m ready to write the recipe!
But first, I’ll leave you with links to three recipes closely related to today’s one: first of all, the raw marinated mint zucchini, so you can compare them with today’s cooked marinated ones and tell me which one you prefer, and then a couple of recipes from my friend Lucia, which deserve a re-read today! 👇
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Grill
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- to taste chili pepper (or hot oil)
- to taste oregano
- to taste thyme
- 1 clove garlic (optional)
Tools
- Peeler
- Griddle
- Electric Grill
- Crepe Pan
- Bowl
Steps
Wash and trim the zucchini, then slice them thinly.
👉 I sliced them lengthwise using a peeler, but you can also slice them into rounds.
Cook the zucchini on a grill.
👉 I used a griddle, but a crepe pan or an electric grill works too (I have listed some examples in the tools section, so you can check them out and see what you prefer to use).
Since the zucchini are very thin, cooking is very quick, no more than a minute per side.
As they are ready, arrange the cooked zucchini in a shallow bowl, or a large plate.
Season them with oil, balsamic vinegar, a pinch of oregano, and a pinch of thyme.
Add chili pepper if you like; I added a few drops of hot oil here and there.
👉 To make the recipe as light as possible, I used only one tablespoon of oil. It works great for me, but if you prefer more, and your diet allows it, 😉 you’ll have a more abundant marinade sauce.
Mix the slices, cover with a lid, and let rest for at least an hour. If desired, in the fridge; I left them at room temperature.
They are excellent, I recommend them both as a little appetizer veggie and as a summer side dish.
☝ I also tried them as a filling for flatbread, and I mention it with the pointing index symbol because it deserves a mention, I enjoyed it so much (flatbread, grilled marinated zucchini, arugula, and stracchino cheese 😉😋). But no photos, I was too taken by the goodness of my lunch! 😃 But I’ll leave you the link (HERE) for the flatbread recipe so you can try it right away!
☝ As mentioned, I used a peeler because I wanted very thin slices, but slightly thicker slices can be made using a knife. In this case, the cooking of each slice will take a few more minutes.
👉 I indicated a clove of garlic in the ingredients, although I didn’t use it. They were excellent even without it, but a clove, perhaps just halved, during the marinating can add a nice touch.
Well, all that’s left is to say goodbye and see you at the next recipe. 😊
Before that, I’ll leave you in the company of other summer Light and Tasty recipes. After the green of my zucchini, who knows what other colors my colleagues used? Something tells me there’s definitely red! 😃
Here they are:
Carla: Mom’s Stuffed Peppers
Daniela: Zucchini, Eggplants, and Tomatoes with Feta and Pine Nuts
Elena: Raw Pasta
Franca: Tuna Tartare with Strawberries
Milena: Soft Cakes with Summer Fruits
Serena: Strawberry and Lemon Jam
Salt-Free Tips
Balsamic vinegar and hot oil, oregano, and thyme: nothing else is needed to flavor these marinated zucchini! 😉
If you’re interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
– Gradually reduce salt, your palate needs to get used to it slowly and shouldn’t notice the gradual reduction.
– Use spices. Chili pepper, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
– Use herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
– Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
– Use spicy vegetables or fruits. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
– Use my salt-free vegetable granules and gomasio.
– Prefer fresh foods.
– Avoid cooking in water, prefer cooking methods that don’t disperse flavors (grill, papillote, steam, microwave)
– Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
– Occasionally allow yourself a little indulgence. It’s good for your mood and helps you persevere.
If you don’t want, or can’t, give up salt:
You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
If you don’t want, or can’t, give up salt:
You can still try my recipes by salting according to your habits.
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