Sesame Steamed Zucchini

Week 316. Spring 2022. I am 39 years old and standing in my kitchen — the Bench house kitchen, the one that held cancer and divorce and cinnamon rolls — and the stove is on and something is cooking and the house smells like fresh herbs and possibility and this is my life. This is the life I built.

The clinic was busy this week — spring puppies and summer emergencies and the constant, comforting cycle of animals who need care and humans who love them enough to bring them in.

Mason is 11 and reading everything he can find and examining the world under a microscope with the intensity of a tenured researcher.

Lily is 9 and riding horses with the fearlessness of someone who has never considered the possibility of falling.

I made asparagus soup this week. The food continues. The food always continues. It is the thread that connects every week to every other week, every year to every other year, every version of me to every other version — the woman on the kitchen floor, the woman at the chemo recliner, the woman at the grill, the woman at the outdoor table under the string lights. All of them, connected by the food they made with their hands. All of them, me.

The asparagus soup was already behind me by the time I thought to write any of this down — eaten quietly at the counter, the kids busy with their own worlds, the house settling into a Tuesday evening the way it does. That’s what spring cooking looks like for me now: unhurried, unshowy, just good things made with care. This sesame steamed zucchini has become a version of that same instinct — the kind of side dish that asks almost nothing of you and somehow gives everything back, all bright color and clean flavor and a kitchen that smells like something worth coming home to.

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch rounds or half-moons
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce (low-sodium preferred)
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated (or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional, for garnish)
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

Prep the zucchini. Wash and trim the zucchini, then slice into 1/4-inch rounds or half-moons for even cooking. Set aside.
Make the sesame sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, minced garlic, and ginger until combined. Set aside.
Steam the zucchini. Place a steamer basket in a pot with about 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then add the zucchini in a single layer (work in batches if needed). Cover and steam for 4—5 minutes, until just tender but still holding a little bite. Do not over-steam.
Toss and season. Transfer the steamed zucchini to a serving bowl. Drizzle the sesame sauce over the top and toss gently to coat.
Garnish and serve. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you like a little heat. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sesame Steamed Zucchini — The Simple Things That Hold a Life Together