It's summertime, and the zucchini is easy to come by. It's abundant in backyard gardens, and in the grocery store produce shelves, where you can buy a couple or three zucchini for around a dollar. And oh, what you can do with it!

We usually like it garlic sauteed with mozzarella drizzled over it. But we were having Cajun chicken and rice tonight, and I thought a side dish of zucchini prepared with its own Cajun kick might be a nice accompaniment.

It came out great, and I think I have a new favorite zucchini dish!

Step 1: Ingredients

You'll need:

Zucchini
Onion - 1/4 cup diced
Garlic - 1 clove minced
Cayenne Pepper 1/2 tspn
Black Pepper - 1 tspn
Italian Seasoning 1- tspn
Chili powder 1 tspn

You can go heavier on the cayenne if you like - I probably did a little more than 1/2 tspn, since I like the spice.

Step 2: Prepare Zucchini, Onions and Garlic

Wash your zucchini, cut off the stem end and slice it thinly lengthwise.

Dice about a 1/4 cup of onion, and one garlic glove.

Step 3: Saute Onion & Garlic

Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a medium hot pan, and lightly saute your onion and garlic.

Step 4: Add Zucchini & Spices

Add your zucchini when your onion and garlic are just going fragrant and tender. Sprinkle liberally with your Cajun seasoning and simmer over medium low heat.

Step 5: Saute 5 Minutes

Turn your zucchini once or twice, to combine thoroughly with onion, garlic and oil. Don't overcook (unless you like it mushy!). Remove from heat when zucchini is tender enough to cut easily with a plastic spatula and zucchini bends over your spatula.

Step 6: Plate and Serve!

This paired up really nicely with the Cajun chicken and rice dish, and had a nice, fresh, spicy kick to it. Each bite was a treat, with a slight hint of sweetness where the onions carmelized a bit, and that great bite of cayenne pepper and garlic.

Enjoy!