Zucchini, Olive, Millet and Tomato Casserole

It's officially Vegan MoFo! That's the Vegan Month of Food to you, bub. I'll be posting as close to every day as I can this month to celebrate. Oh yeah. It's about to get real up in here.

There are going to be lots and lots and lots of posts for Vegan MoFo and one thing I've had lots and lots and lots of lately is zucchini. We only planted one zucchini plant but it's been producing like crazy. We had so many at one point that I made pickles from 5 of them. More on those later this month. It's a good problem to have, having too much of something from your own garden. We cooked them all different ways, but one of my favorites is this Zucchini, Olive, Millet and Tomato casserole.

This is one of my favorite recipes, anyway. I tend to make it quite often. You might be wondering why this sounds vaguely familiar. Well, this pretty much the zucchini boats from Vegan with a Vengeance turned into a casserole. Don't get me wrong, I like the zucchini boats. They're so cute and look super impressive if you're having people over. Sometimes I just don't feel like going through the extra steps, though so I'll just throw it all together.

I love the tangy flavor that the kalamata olives and capers add to the tomatoes in this dish. The millet is a nice touch, and makes this a bit different. I like to try and eat a variety of grains anyway. This recipe was actually my first foray into the world of millet. It's pretty awesome and takes on the flavors of everything else while giving you bit of fiber and bulk, too. The millet ends up soaking up quite a bit of the tomato juice when it's all said and done.

My mouth is watering just thinking about this. If you haven't tried it, you definitely should. It might become one of your favorites, too.

Here's my version of the recipe. It's pretty much the same as the one in Vegan with a Vengeance, but with a few minor changes to make it a casserole.


Zucchini, Olive, Millet and Tomato Casserole (adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance)

1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced (or if you're like me, use 4 cloves)
1/2 cup millet, rinsed
a few dashes of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 22 oz can of whole tomatoes (you can also use a can of diced tomatoes if you want)
2 cups vegetable broth
4 medium sized zucchini, ends trimmed
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup capers

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Saute the onions in the olive oil over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.

Add the millet, herbs, spices, and salt; saute for about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you add them. Add the remaining tomato juice from the can and  the vegetable broth. Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the zucchini. Slice them in half lengthwise and then chop each half into little discs. Once the tomato mixture is done simmering, add the zucchini, olives and capers. Simmer for about 5 more minutes, until the millet is tender.

Pour the whole thing into a baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.