By Kathryn Reed

After being out of town for a week last month, I was craving vegetables. I don’t always get enough veggies when I eat out – all depends on the restaurant.

The combo of tomato, mozzarella and basil is one of my favorites – usually in summer when tomatoes are fresh. This recipe used canned tomatoes; which offer plenty of flavor – especially if they are fire roasted, but they don’t have to be.

There is the potential for a lot of versatility with this dish by using different vegetables. The next time I make this I might add a can of garbanzo beans. This would add a different texture as well as some protein.

This could be an entrée or side.

Veggie Caprese Bowl

1 medium zucchini

¾ tsp kosher salt, divided

2 T olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic gloves, chopped

16 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 T tomato paste

28 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained

1 tsp ground pepper

5 ounces spinach

4 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese

3 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

¼ C loosely packed fresh basil

Use a vegetable peeler to create strips of zucchini. Toss those with one-quarter teaspoon salt in a colander. Let stand.

Over medium-high heat, cook onion and garlic in oil. Stir until tender. Add mushrooms; cook until browned. Add tomato paste; cook about a minute. Stir in tomatoes, pepper, and remaining salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer about 8 minutes. Stir in spinach; cover until it wilts. Remove from heat. Stir in zucchini strips.

Blend ricotta and mozzarella, then microwave for 30 seconds.

Spoon vegetable mixture into individual bowls, dot with cheese mixture, then sprinkle with basil.