Marinated Grilled Zucchini and Tomato Coconut Rice
Marinated Grilled Zucchini and Tomato Coconut Rice are 2 sensational sides! Pan grilled zucchini planks are marinated in a garlic and oregano flavored vinaigrette. Tomato Coconut Rice combines jasmine rice with coconut milk, sauteed peppers and onions, chopped fresh tomatoes and basil for a delicious baked side dish.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
Marinated Grilled Zucchini
- olive oil cooking spray
- 4 medium zucchini sliced into 1/4" thick planks
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 c. wine or cider vinegar I used white wine vinegar + a few tsp. balsamic to equal 1/2 c.
- 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
- fresh torn oregano or mint leaves
Tomato Coconut Rice
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil divided
- 1 red pepper chopped
- 1 c. long grain rice I used jasmine which worked very well
- 2 c. finely chopped plum tomatoes or well drained canned tomatoes
- 1 c. unsweetened coconut milk save the rest of the can in case a little additional moisture is needed
- 1 tsp. kosher salt it sounds like a lot, but it isn't
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce like Tabasco
Instructions
Marinated Grilled Zucchini
- Spray a grill pan with cooking spray and heat over medium high heat (you could also use a non stick pan or a grill.) Add zucchini to cover bottom of pan, but do not crowd pan. Sprinkle zucchini with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned. Carefully turn and brown on the other side, about 1-2 additional minutes. Immediately transfer to a serving platter. Repeat the process with remaining zucchini, respraying with cooking spray, as need.
- If using a grill pan, use another small saute or sauce pan for the next step. If using a non stick skillet for browning the zucchini, you can use the same pan. On medium low heat, add a few tsp. of olive oil. Saute garlic and crushed red pepper until garlic softens; don't let it color. Add the dried oregano and vinegar and 1 tbsp. of sugar. Boil down until reduced by half. Taste to check for sweet-tart balance. If it too acidic, boil down a little further and add a little more sugar. It it's too sweet, add a little more vinegar. Pour the hot dressing over the zucchini and let it stand at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours in advance (more marinade time will provide more flavor!) Scatter torn fresh mint or oregano leaves over zucchini just before serving.
Tomato Coconut Rice
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2 quart ovenproof baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Heat oil in a medium skillet. Stir in onions, basil and red pepper, sauteing for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring ocassionally, and then remove pan from heat.
- Spoon the rice mixture into the baking dish. Stir in the tomatoes, coconut milk, salt, pepper and hot sauce, mixing well. Cover baking dish tightly with lid or foil. Bake the dish on lower oven rack for about 40 minutes, or until rice is tender and all liquid is absorbed, stirring a couple of times. Note - I have made this dish twice. The first time, the liquid/rice balance was perfect. The second time, the rice seemed a little dry after baking for 25-30 minutes, so I stirred in a few more tablespoons of coconut milk. That did the trick! Sprinkle baked rice with remaining 1 tbsp. chopped basil just before serving.
Notes
Marinated Grilled Zucchini adapted from Grilled Zucchini Marinated with Mint and Chili from 2009 Minneapolis Star Tribune Taste section.
Tomato Coconut Rice adapted from Minneapolis Star Tribune Taste section, year unknown. It is a variation of a recipe featured in Joyce White's cookbook Soul Food.
Tomato Coconut Rice adapted from Minneapolis Star Tribune Taste section, year unknown. It is a variation of a recipe featured in Joyce White's cookbook Soul Food.