Zucchini and Cabbage in Fresh Tomato and Mint Sauce

Working with fresh, seasonal products

I like using seasonal products and vegetables. I order an organic delivery once a week and they send every week different vegetables. So, it’s always a colorful surprise and a challenge to my creativity. This week I received a respectable pack of mint leaves, and as much as I love mint in my tea, this is way too much mint for just tea so I decided to make fresh tomato and mint sauce.

I really try to make sure that I eat at least one meal a day which is rich with a variety of vegetables. Ideally, I try to have vegetables with every meal I eat. No matter what diet you are on, all disciplines and researches show the same thing – Vegetables are crucial for our health and our wellbeing. They impact our mood, our gut, our memory, our energy level. One really interesting book that I have been reading lately by Max Lugavere called Genius Foods, has really inspired me. The book is full of evidence from the latest research and definitely worth a reading if you are interested in the connection between the foods we eat and our mind’s health .

Making homemade, fresh tomato and mint sauce

So, back to our recipe. Much of today’s recipes use canned tomatoes or tomato sauce. These are packed with sugar, in the good case, and full of preservatives in the worse. That is why I prefer to make my own homemade sauce. It is so easy, and taste much better in my opinion.

The secret is all about the tomatoes. The best sauce is made with ripe tomatoes. Added with fresh garlic, onion and other additions such as fresh basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme or mint, you will get the most wonderful flavors, and will never go back to buy tomato sauce.

Zucchini, cabbage and tomato Sauce – Step by Step

As we all know, some combinations in life are a perfect match. This is definitely the case with cooked zucchini and cabbage, that sit in fresh tomato sauce.

I start by cutting the onion to thin rings and the tomatoes to cubes. Then I put them in a hot cooking pot. The most important thing to notice is that you also put the tomato juice (that might come out while cutting the tomatoes).

I don’t cook with oil (although optional), I steam. How? I add about 1-2 centimeter of hot water (probably about 1/3-1/2 cup of water) to the pot and close the lid. I cook it on low heat. I do not open it for about 5 minutes and let the vegetables cook from the steam. After about five minutes I give it a check and a stir. Usually the vegetables need a few more minutes steaming.

When the onions get a transparent color and the tomatoes start to shrink and form the sauce, I add the rest of the ingredients: The mint, basil, garlic zucchinis and cabbage. I add a little bit more water if needed and let is steam for about 5-7 more minutes with the lid closed, again on low heat, and then give it another check and add the salt.

I like the vegetables el dente, which means not completely cooked. I don’t like to overcook the cabbage and zucchini because of two reasons – first, it is healthier and preserve their nutritional benefits, second – I think it tastes better when has a bit of crunchiness and not completely soft.

Additions to the dish

This dish could use as base and several ingredients can be added. If you would like a more fulfilling dish, packed with protein – chickpeas will blend great in this dish. If you feel like having pasta and being original – this could use as a wonderful pasta sauce. I use red lentil pasta – so it is gluten free and has a lot of protein.

In any case, this is a great side dish that compliments many types of foods and can be served with fish, rice, bread or just as is.

This dish is:

• Healthy
• Full of vitamins
• Low carb
• Fat free
• Oil free
• Dairy free
• Vegan
• Easy to make