Sweet and Sour Zucchini
As you simmer this almost-ratatouille– and I say "almost" because who ever heard of a ratatouille with sauerkraut and pineapple???!! – your kitchen will take on the aroma of an Italian eatery. Zucchini is the primary component of this dish, which is very versatile to serve on the side, or standing alone.
Upon my first tasting of this vegetarian stew-of-sorts, my meat-eater side envisioned adding pre-cooked sautéed chicken breasts cut into juicy wedges as a culinary complement. You could even spoon this over tilapia or sole that’s been poached in a light lemon-butter sauce. But if you are a veggie purist, do as Chef Jeff does, and savor this sweet and sour savory preparation alone, or served over pasta or rice. Any way you enjoy this you can’t go wrong. And as always with 'Emergency Eats', there’s something to be said for the recipe as a time saver. Not only can you assemble this dish in under an hour, but, you can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or immediately freeze the unused portions for future quick meals.
Get ready to try some zippy zucchini! Here we go!
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Ingredients - Feel free to use different brands of sauce, sauerkraut, and change up the color of the onion or pepper. - Photo Credit: Jeff Doucette
Very veggielicious. Depending on the size of your zucchini, you may need one or several.
Ingredients:
1 28oz. can of tomato sauce (or puree)
1 large red bell pepper (or you can use green or yellow, too)
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves (smashed well - take out your frustrations on them - go ahead! It's hammer-time! LOL - or just pound them with the side of your chef's knife)
1 cup of sauerkraut + the juice (approximately 8oz.)
1 20oz. can crushed pineapple (or cut into small pieces)
5 cups (approximately) thinly sliced zucchini (you may need 1 or more zucchini depending upon their size)
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp paprika
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil (for sauté)
salt & pepper to taste
Slice the pepper and onion thinly. It's ok to place them in the same prep bowl.
Instructions:
1. Slice the onion and pepper into thin strips.
Slice your zucchini thinly.
2. Slice the zucchini into thin rounds.
You can prep your veggies in separate bowls so they have perfect presentation, as Chef Jeff does. Or, do as TheLadyinRed and pile them in the same bowl, or pour from can to pot for less dishwashing. - Photo Credit: Jeff Doucette
3. Heat olive oil in a large pot. (TheLadyinRed used a stock pot for the sauté and total dish preparation to save on clean-up time.)
4. Sauté the peppers, onions, sauerkraut, and 2 crushed garlic cloves until the peppers are pliable and semi-translucent. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Sauté the peppers, onions, sauerkraut, and 2 crushed garlic cloves.
Add the crushed pineapple.
5. Add the zucchini, tomato sauce, dried oregano, and paprika.
Add the zucchini and tomato sauce.
6. Simmer for 45 minutes covered, stirring occasionally.
Sweet & Sour Zucchini
Special Notes:
Serves 5 - 6 easily! You will probably have leftovers.
You can refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days. You can freeze leftovers immediately after preparation, too, for an easy "Emergency Eats" thaw and heat meal.
Serve over pasta, rice, or alone. If you want to add a protein to this dish, you can add pre-cooked bites of sautéed chicken, or serve this over a sole or tilapia separately poached in a lemon-butter sauce.
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