On the rice as a side dish, I like adding an egg (scrambles when you stir!), frozen peas (thawed), celery cut small and thin, and carrots cut small and thin. Sometimes I'll add a teriyaki sauce, or sometimes I'll just leave it as is and if anyone wants a "sauce", they can add as much or as little soy sauce as they want. Seems to work pretty well! And it's yummy!
Risotto is always really yummy--and there's lots of variations!
On the zucchini...
Breaded Zucchini
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1-3 fresh zucchini, no more than one day old
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2-3 tablespoons cold tap water
3-6 tablespoons finely sifted, all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese (pre-packaged can be used when fresh is not available although it alters the taste somewhat)
2-3 cups olive oil for frying (I usually use just plain old vegetable oil)
Thoroughly wash and rinse the zucchini, and pat dry with paper towels. Next, using a sharp knife, slice off about 1/4 inch of both ends to remove any woody taste. Then using a mandolin, gently slice the zucchini lengthwise, processing only one at a time to avoid discoloration.
Mix the egg with the tap water in a flat-bottomed dish. In a separate flat-bottomed dish, sift the flour and parmesan cheese together. Next, gently coat(you don't want a thick coating as it generally won't stay on!) each of the zucchini slices by dipping them in the egg mixture and then the flour mixture. Place them on a plate until all the strips from the first zucchini are ready. (Unless you have helpers in the kitchen or six hands, there is no other way. You have to do each one individually to keep them from discoloring and ruining the taste.)
Pour the oil into a large-bottomed, wok-type skillet, or into an actual wok for best frying results. When the first set of zucchini strips is ready, heat the olive oil to just below the smoking point. Carefully add the zucchini strips one at a time to the hot oil. Using tongs, gently turn to assure even browning on each side.They are done when the edges are slightly golden in color (usually about 1-2 minutes over a medium-high heat.) Remove from the oil and drain on folded paper towels. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 250-degree oven.