One of my besties is a vegetarian, and I always felt bad when we went to dinner parties that the only thing she could eat at the buffet was a iceberg lettuce salad.

So I got in the habit of learning how to make hearty vegetarian dishes for potlucks. I mean, it’s not like we carnivores can’t partake in veggies, too. But at least my girlfriend — and other vegetarians — would have something more substantial to eat than baby carrots.

This was one of my go-to recipes, a quick and simple Mexican side dish with corn, tomatoes and zucchini.

And yes, it calls for bacon — not vegetarian! — but I’d always put that on the side.

Here’s the recipe:

Starts with bacon

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Fry bacon in a skillet and set aside. This is going to be the garnish on the dish. To make it vegetarian, fry this separately. But if not, keep the bacon fat; you'll cook the rest of the dish in it.

Elote y Calabacitas (Corn and Zucchini)
From “Mexican Cooking Made Easy” by Diane Soliz-Martese

Ingredients:

2 strips of bacon (or more, if you want)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 cups zucchini, cut to 1/4-inch slices
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cumin
Ground pepper
2 c. canned whole kernel corn, drained

Directions:

Fry bacon in a skillet, then remove and crumble for later. Add onions to skillet and saute over medium heat until soft. Add tomatoes, zucchini, salt, sugar, cumin and pepper and cook until vegetables are tender. Add corn. Mix and cook until hot. Place in serving dish, sprinkle on crumbled bacon.