Pepperini

Move over pepperoni. Although it’s fine to enjoy real pepperoni every now and then, we
really don’t need to be feeding our children (or ourselves!) such highly processed meats, so I prefer not to introduce it into the diet in the first place — hence the creation of ‘pepperini’. Made with thin ‘coins’ of deliciously spiced zucchini, pepperini is full of flavour, and a great substitute for pepperoni as a pizza topping. And there’s no warning from the Cancer Council attached.

Pepperini [Vegan]

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1–2 zucchini, thinly sliced

Preparation

1. Add the oil and spices to a cold, large frying pan and place over medium–low heat.
2. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Once the oil is hot, add the zucchini and cook for 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until just tender.
3. The pepperini is best used fresh but can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Gently reheat for serving.

Notes

Instead of zucchini, you can also make this dish using eggplant (aubergine). Just halve 1 small eggplant lengthways and thinly slice. Add an extra 1 tablespoon oil with the spices, salt and pepper. Cook the eggplant for 6–8 minutes, turning regularly, until tender; you may need to add 2 tablespoons water at a time to speed up the cooking process.

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/pepperini-vegan/