My Heart Belongs to Zucchini

In the 1980s, zucchini was showing up in everything from casseroles to cakes. The dishes usually tasted pretty good, but eventually I just got burned out on zucchini.

Recently I tried a grilled zucchini sandwich in a neighborhood restaurant and fell in love all over again. Lightly grilling the zucchini made it shine.

This is my version of that sandwich, which is dressed with a simple basil mayonnaise and served on a good nutty bread. Once you taste it, you may become a zucchini lover again too.

Deane’s book “Low Fat Kitchen” includes more than 100 recipes created for this column. To order, call (800) 246-4042. The price is $20.45 including shipping and sales tax.

Vegetarian Zucchini Sandwich

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 15 minutes

I like to use Country Hearth wheat hazelnut bread

1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise

1 tablespoon minced basil

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Nonstick cooking spray

4 slices hazelnut-walnut bread

1 cup arugula

6 thin slices tomato

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

* Combine mayonnaise, basil and lemon zest. Set aside.

* Lightly spray zucchini with nonstick cooking spray. Grill zucchini, a portion at a time, on preheated grill pan over high heat until tender yet slightly crunchy, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes per side.

* To assemble sandwich, spread 1 tablespoon mayonnaise mixture on 2 slices bread. Top 1 slice bread with 1/2 cup arugula, 3 tomato slices and 1/4 cup red onion. Lightly season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with 3 slices zucchini. Top with second bread slice. Repeat for second sandwich. Cover remaining mayonnaise and refrigerate for another use.

2 sandwiches. Each sandwich with 1 tablespooon basil mayonnaise: 202 calories; 406 mg sodium; 10 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 3.90 grams fiber.

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Pistachio Vietri plate from Blanche & Co., Los Angeles.