Rita's Recipes are included each week in Ron Wilson's 'In the Garden' email newsletter.

Rita Heikenfeld, CCP:  Macy’s Regional Culinary Professional / Herbalist / Author / Local TV
and Radio Cooking Expert / Adjunct Professor U.C. Clermont College / Community Press Papers

YUMMY TOMATO ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE

(If I’m in a hurry, the whole thing goes in the oven with no added water, without pre-cooking
in the skillet. I add 20 or so minutes to the baking time, and wind up with more juice
than if I cooked it in the skillet ahead of time.)

A little more or less of any ingredient is OK. 
Cook until just crisp tender in 1/2 cup water: 
5 generous cups sliced zucchini,
1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste,
1 medium onion, chopped (about a half cup or more),
If you want, drain the mixture.
Add the following to the zucchini mixture and cook until thickened (about 20 minutes):
1 can, 14.5 oz,
diced tomatoes,
½  teaspoon oregano or more to taste (I add more, about a teaspoon),
1/2  to 1 teaspoon minced garlic, or more to taste  (I use a whole teaspoon) . 
Meanwhile, have ready: 
8 oz sour cream,
Bread crumbs,
2 cups or so Mozzarella or Pepper Jack cheese, shredded.  
Now spray a casserole and put half of the mixture in – dot with butter or margarine (optional)  and sprinkle with bread crumbs.  Then spread on 4 oz sour cream.  Repeat layers, ending with bread crumbs.  Last, sprinkle a generous amount of mozzarella (about 2 cups or so) on top. 
Bake uncovered, in 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes. 

Tips from Rita’s kitchen: Instead of canned,  use about 3-4 cups fresh chopped tomatoes.  Reduce the amount of time you cook in the skillet, because fresh tomatoes are less juicy than canned.  Freeze cherry tomatoes whole without blanching! They have a lower water content and higher sugar content than larger varieties. To thaw, place in colander, run under warm water. Peels can be easily removed then.

LOW FAT ZUCCHINI-TOMATO-ONION SIDE DISH - Adapted from Healthy Exchanges newsletter. I didn’t follow the recipe exactly.  I layered the veggies in a sprayed casserole, sprinkled some Italian seasoning between layers and topped it with drizzle of olive oil and real Parmesan. There were no leftovers! 

You'll need:
2 cups sliced zucchini,
1 cup thinly sliced tomatoes,
1 cup sliced onion,
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning,
¼ cup reduced fat or fat free Parmesan style grated topping. 
Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8x8 inch-baking dish.  Layer half of zucchini in bottom of dish.  Place half of tomato slices over zucchini and half of onion over tomatoes.  Sprinkle ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning and 2 tablespoons cheese over top.  Repeat layers and bake, uncovered, until tender, about 35-45 minutes. You may need to bake it a bit longer. Place on wire rack and let set for 5 minutes. 
Serves 4.  Each serving equals 53 calories, 1 g. fat, 2 g. Pr, 9g Ca, 87mg So, 54 mg Cl, 2g Fi. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 Ve

More recipes, etc. on Rita's web site: www.abouteating.com

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