Meow!

One of my favorite restaurants in New York is The Red Cat. It opened while I was living in Chelsea and it became THE go-to neighborhood restaurant for me and my roommate at the time, Julie. On many a Friday night you could find us sitting at the bar having a glass (or two...) of wine, sharing a few of our favorite appetizers. I still love to go there. The food is fabulous, the people who work there are fantastic, and the room is comfortable and cozy. AND now I am the proud owner of The Red Cat Cookbook (by Jimmy Bradley and Andrew Friedman). Which means...I can make many of my favorite dishes in my very own home. And I did. This weekend. When I was in that carb coma. (Don't worry Red Cat peeps. I can't make them as well as you so you'll still see me for a properly made dinner.)



One of my favorite appetizers also happens to be about the easiest recipe you could ever make. Quick Sauté of Zucchini is a light, tasty plate of goodness. With the summer coming, you know that some neighbor is going to hand you about 6 more zucchini than you know what to do with (or maybe that's just my suburban memory playing tricks on me), and when it's 90 degrees, turning on the oven to make another zucchini bread is about the last thing you'll want to do. Enter this fabulous recipe that takes about 3 minutes to make. (Well, that all depends on how good you are with your chef's knife...Don't make fun of my matchsticks! You've never seen my lack of counter space!)



Here is my adaptation of The Red Cat's Quick Sauté of Zucchini:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices, then crosswise into matchsticks
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces Pecorino Romano (I used Parmesan because it's what I had), shaved into shards with a vegetable peeler

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. When hot, but not smoking, add the almonds and cook, stirring until the almonds are golden brown, about 30 seconds. Add the zucchini and stir to coat with the oil, just a few seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 30 seconds more.

2. Plate the zucchini and almonds. Top with cheese as desired. Serves two as an appetizer or one as a very light meal.

Thanks, Red Cat! (But I'll see you soon for Tempura of Green Beans!)