Vegan Zucchini Bake: Easy, Gluten-Free Mini Bakes

Well, summer's heat has officially arrived.

I've traded my long runs along the waterfront in Tel Aviv (Israel's Mediterranean coastal city) for workouts at the air-conditioned gym. Except for one very long weekend run—that one stays, even in the heat. And I've swapped long, involved cooking projects for quick, easy meals.

Because who has the patience to stand around cooking in this weather?

So, in honor of summer and those sweaty sunrise runs along Tel Aviv's beautiful new waterfront promenade, I made this vegan zucchini bake. It took me 10 minutes to put together, plus another 40 minutes in the oven.

The ingredients are all supermarket staples, and anyone can pull this off. Grate, mix, and pop it in the oven. Yes, it really is that simple.

I baked mine in a muffin pan, but you can also use a loaf pan or another shallow baking pan.

The baking time will vary a little depending on the pan. Your best bet is to insert a knife into the center. If it comes out dry, your zucchini bake is ready.

I used dark green zucchini purely because it's prettier. That dark skin? Big fan. But the pale green summer squash common in Israel works, too.

Not a zucchini person? Replace it with 2 cups of cooked, grated cauliflower or cooked, grated broccoli.

I used gluten-free chickpea flour. You can substitute the same amount of teff flour, lentil flour, or another flour you like.

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How do I serve it?

Try 2 mini bakes, weighing 80 g (2.8 oz) each, with a big vegetable salad and a little—and I mean a little!—tahini straight from the jar. It's a great dinner or post-workout meal. The protein and fiber help keep you satisfied, which also makes this a useful option when you're working on getting leaner.

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Nutrition per 80 g (2.8 oz) serving:

125 calories

6 g carbohydrates

6 g protein

7 g fat (including 1 g saturated fat)

1.6 g fiber

2 mg iron

Nutrition analysis – Noam Bachar (an Israeli clinical dietitian and fitness trainer)

Looking for another lighter recipe? How about some super-easy vegan vegetable patties?

Vegan Zucchini Bake

An easy, gluten-free vegan zucchini bake with protein and iron from plant-based ingredients. Each serving has 125 calories, 7 g fat, 6 g carbohydrates, and 6 g protein. Just grate the zucchini, mix with tofu and chickpea flour, and bake.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Yield 12 mini bakes

Ingredients

• 4 zucchini
• 1 onion
• 1 package tofu 300 g (10.6 oz)
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons chickpea flour Teff flour, lentil flour, or another flour you like also works.
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes A little heat never hurt anybody.
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds Optional, but they add so much flavor.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Cut half of one zucchini into very thin slices and set them aside.
3. Grate the remaining zucchini, including the leftover half, using a box grater.
4. Grate the onion.
5. Use your hands to crumble the tofu into small pieces.
6. Add all the ingredients to a deep mixing bowl, keeping the zucchini slices aside for topping.
   
7. Mix well.
8. Lightly oil a muffin pan and dust it with a little flour.
9. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups, leaving a little room at the top.
10. Top each mini bake with a zucchini slice. Drizzle with just a little (!) olive oil, then sprinkle with a few red pepper flakes and coriander seeds. If there's a little mixture left in the bowl, you can spread it over the zucchini slices.
    
11. Bake for about 40 minutes.
12. Let the mini bakes cool to room temperature before removing them from the pan so they come out in one piece. They're very delicate and can fall apart easily. Loosen the edges first, then gently lift each one out with a spoon.
13.