Man made.

Below is the recipe for an incredibly delicious, simple sandwich created by my husband, Mat.  Far greater than the sum of its parts, the Zucchini Grilled Cheese is served at our house on a regular basis, usually for breakfast, especially in summer, when everyone is up to their ears in sweet, fresh zucchini.  It doesn't seem like anything particularly special, but there's something about the delicate flavor of the zucchini, the slight tang of the cheese and the nuttiness of the bread that makes for a surprisingly satisfying combo. My favorite part about it? It's one of a handful of dishes Mat makes for me!


Mat's Zucchini Grilled Cheese

• 4 slices whole wheat sandwich bread (I prefer regular wheat over honey wheat so the sweetness of the bread doesn't overpower the flavor of the zucchini.)
• 1 medium or large zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 4 oz. cheddar cheese,* thinly sliced (Munster, american, provalone, or Monterey Jack will do)
• Butter
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Few pinches of salt and few turns of the pepper mill

Optional: Texas Pete or another straight-forward hot sauce.

*I know it's kind of sacrilegious to eat low-fat cheese but Cabot's 50% fat cheddar works just fine in this sandwich and I have used it on many occasions.


Preheat cast iron skillet on medium.  You can use a well-seasoned traditional or enamel skillet.  Any pan will do, but the way cast iron holds heat creates a nice, crisp crust.

Put the sliced zucchini on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, season liberally with salt and pepper and then use your fingers to rub the oil and seasonings into the zucchini, coating every surface.

Fill the hot pan with zucchini slices, laying them flat, without crowding or overlapping.  Cook till browned on one side, 3-4 minutes.  Flip the slices, then brown the other side, 2-3 minutes.  These times are a guide.  Keep an eye on them and use your judgement.  In our house, we like them really browned, with some charred bits, but I expect most people prefer a more delicate, golden brown as shown in the photo.

Once the slices are done on both sides, move them to the prep plate and add the next batch of zucchini.  Depending on the size of the zucchini and your pan, it will take 2-3 batches.

While the zucchini is cooking, thinly slice cheese using a knife or the slicing side of a box grater.  Butter one side of each piece of bread.  Once the pan is free of zucchini, place one or two pieces of bread in the pan (depending on your pan size), buttered side down.  Carefully place the cheese slices on the bread, covering the entire surface, then top with another slice of bread, buttered side up.  Cook on medium-low until brown, 2-3 minutes on 1st side, slightly less on the second side.  Again, watch carefully and adjust time accordingly.

After removing the sandwich from the pan, let sit for a minute, then carefully, using your fingers, pry apart the two pieces of bread, without breaking them, layer half the zucchini in the middle, dot with Texas Pete or your favorite hot sauce, close it back up and if necessary continue with the second sandwich.  Delicious warm or room temperature.

Vegan option:  Prepare zucchini as directed, toast the bread, spread Earth Balance on toast, then layer with zucchini and hot sauce. I like to eat the vegan version open face. 

Shake it, baby.

I broke my toe on Saturday night.  Not while dancing at a party or playing soccer with my nephews on my sister's lawn.  I smacked it on my stair stepper which had been sitting in the walkway for over a week, annoying the heck out of my husband Mat. "Why don't you move this thing?" he asked me the night before.  At which point I shot him a dirty look that said, "Why don't you?" Ok, so I had it coming.

Our house is perpetually cluttered these days. I've been stay-at-home-moming it for 5+ years now and it's starting to take it's toll on my housekeeping sensibilities.  We moved into a small, finished part of our largely unfinished house a year and a half ago and we still have boxes in a couple of corners.  My husband is starting a business and I'm usually running around after our toddler, Zoe or trying to explain the nature of the Universe to my very inquisitive 5-year-old, Savana.  But now, with the broken toe, there is an especially large pile of laundry on the sofa, dishes in the sink, and a locked front door so they can't run away.  If they got out, I don't think I'd be able to catch them!

Most people who come to our house can tell you that the better part of my day is spent in the kitchen.  We are an abnormally hungry family, who all turn into gremlins if we don't eat every couple of hours.  So for the sanity of our life, I make a lot of food...all day long.  We each have different nutritional needs and preferences so it's not uncommon for me to make 8 different things in one day.  All of which usually involve standing around the kitchen.

Now, did I mention that I can't really walk?  Who knew the pinky toe played such an important role in mobility? It's been a rude awakening.  One that can only be battled with humor.  Particulary since broken toe or no, life goes on.  The girls keep moving, Mat makes the money, and I cook...or not. These days I get out the blender.

There's a lot of talk these days about whole foods and upping our fruit and veggie intake. But I think a lot of Americans have a hard time eating that much. I know, I know. What? Americans love to eat! Yes, Americans love to eat high calorie foods, and we're really good at it.  But if you're eating lower calorie, bulkier foods then eating can be a lot of work.  Both my husband and daughter will not eat certain greens (kale, for instance) just because they take too long to chew!  There's also a impression that whole foods (usually unpackaged, unprocessed foods) can often take longer to prepare.  Which is true if you get fancy. But if you start out simply, with a blender, you can very easily up your intake of fruits, veggies and easily digestible protein without much effort.  

I've recently been using Garden of Life Raw Protein (www.gardenoflife.com) which is a plant based, raw protein powder with probiotics (for digestive tract health) and no preservatives or added sugars.  I've  tried many protein powders over the years and this digests easily and has a very natural, neutral taste.  No chalky, cloying vanilla or chocolate flavoring here.  

It has 18 grams of protein per serving (one scoop), which is equivalent to the protein content in a regular hamburger, 3 large hard boiled eggs, 1 cup cooked lentils, or 3 oz. of tuna.  So if you fill the blender with fresh or frozen fruits or veggies, nut milks or juices and this powder, you can usually increase your servings of fruits and veggies by 3 or 4.  And give yourself a fabulous, digestible, absorbable protein boost that's good for the planet.  

I've listed below a couple of the shakes I've been drinking this week.  Just some ideas to get you going. These are a great way to start the day, finish a workout or as a bedtime snack for those who have to go to bed with something in their belly...like me!

Shake Idea No. 1

Add ingredients sequentially to ensure even mixing:

1 ripe banana

1 ripe, peeled mango (a vegetable peeler works well)

1 large handful of fresh baby spinach (go for organic greens if you can)

Juice of 1/4 lime, squeezed directly into blender jar

1/4 cup water (or 1/2 cup coconut milk or coconut water)

4 ice cubes

Blend until smooth (about 20 seconds).

This is a good base if you like to keep things simple or if you are just beginning to explore fruit and veg shakes.  To make it a little more special add:

2 or 3 sprigs of fresh basil

1 heaping tablespoon of ground flax seeds

And, if you like, add a scoop of Garden of Life Raw Protein or protein powder of your choice.

Shake Idea No. 2

My toddler loved this shake.

Add ingredients sequentially to ensure even mixing:

1/2 cup non-fat yogurt (organic if possible)

1/2 cup orange juice

1 banana

1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen, organic if possible)

1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen, organic if possible)

2 large leaves of red chard without tough center rib (or handful of     baby spinach, both organic if possible)

If you use fresh berries add 4 ice cubes then blend until smooth (about 20 seconds).

For more nutritional goodness add:

1 T flax seed  OR

1 scoop Garden of Life Raw Protein or protein powder of your choice.