Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Zesty Parmesan Fried Zuchini


Zesty Zuchini
When my friend offered me a zucchini from the garden, I enthusiastically said YES!!  Zucchini ranks up there as a veggie favorite of mine so I was eager to have some. I didn't realize it at the time, but this offering was for zucchini-zilla, a giant of a squash and enough to feed a large family and have leftovers.
Check out the size of this bad boy!!
You can only steam and grill zucchini so much... it was time to try out something new, unique and mouth-watering. I love fried zucchini from various restaurants but find some to be so heavily breaded and salted that it's an insult to the squash. After scouring the Internet for zucchini recipes that are light and flavorful with out too much salt, I found one that would work for me...... after I made some adjustments to suit my taste. After all, recipes to me are just a template to work with. My husband calls it "Lorifying"  or the "Lorification of a Recipe" but I must put my own spin on it.


Zesty Fried Zucchini 
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
ground black pepper to taste
3 zucchinis, sliced
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil for frying
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
salt to taste

For nutrition information, click the magic button
Mix bread crumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, parsley, red pepper and black pepper in a bowl. Dip zucchini slices into eggs, then press into bread crumb mixture, shaking off excess. Place the breaded zucchini onto a plate in one layer. Do not stack them since you want to keep each piece breaded evenly.

I bought this cool item from Pampered Chef that is specifically designed for the "dip and bread" process. They're called the Coating Trays and they connect together so they stay together. This is awesome and it simplified the process for me as well as kept all the "parts" in their places. 
Heat vegetable oil in a large and deep skillet over medium heat. Fry breaded zucchini in hot oil in batches until golden brown, about 3 minutes (or longer if you cut them thick); transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or cooling rack. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and salt.
These were wonderful! The Parmesan cheese gave it a salty flavor without being overpowering. The crushed red pepper made the sticks say "hello" in my mouth. Gave it just the zest it needed. Best part is the recipe does not weigh down the squash with all that batter you sometimes get when ordering out. It was quite light and the flavor of the squash was the star of the show.  I made a dipping sauce from mayonnaise, spicy ranch dressing, garlic powder and parsley that just complimented the sticks. 
The cool thing is you can substitute fat free Parmesan and use egg beaters for the egg portion. Cuts calories, sodium and fat from the recipe.

This recipe was featured March 29, 2013 at Home Cooking Memories
Weekend Kitchen Link Party
 
Featured on The Lovebugs Blog Sidedish Round-up: Zucchini April 25, 2013

17 comments:

  1. Oh My, that is the largest Zucchini I have ever seen!
    This looks like a really nice recipe.
    Years ago I worked at a restaurant and they had Zucchini Chips that were cut rigid just like thick potato chips and they were so good!
    It's been a long and I forgot that I even liked them!
    Thanks for reminding me, will have to try this sometime! : )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ...and I love that dish, what a great idea!

      Delete
    2. It was very tasty. I've always been a big fried zucchini fan and loved making my own this time. Have a great weekend!

      Delete
  2. We only have Baby Marrows in South-Africa, therefore this Zuchini is really HUGE to me! Love your recipe, and I am sure it will work with our smaller version :-) Thank you for sharing at the ALL MY BLOGGY FRIENDS party!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are so welcome. Zuchini is a favorite for me. I can't get enough of it

      Delete
  3. Thank you! I'm your newest follower :-). Have a great day

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Lori! Thank you for sharing your zucchini in the Weekend Kitchen Link Party http://homecookingmemories.com -- I'm happy to share that it's been featured! I look forward to seeing what you link up this weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. YIPPEE!!! So excited to be featured. Thanks!!!

      Delete
  5. These look so good - parmesan and zucchini are just made for each other aren't they?

    Would love for you to link up at Empty Your Archive. We have a special focus this week on fabulous veg recipes, Alice @ Mums Make Lists x

    ReplyDelete
  6. Zucchini is my favorite veggie - and that one was HUGE! :)

    Thanks for linking this up to Super Sunday at Who Needs a Cape! Can't wait to see what you bring us next:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. This looks wonderful! I hope you will come share at this week's From the Farm Blog Hop hosted by 6 great blogs! http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2013/06/from-farm-blog-hop-39.html

    Lisa
    Fresh Eggs Daily

    ReplyDelete
  8. Now this looks like something I'd love to try!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hahaha at the size of that zucchini! Jeez! I love zucchini fries, not thought about using fat free parm, though! Great idea for keeping them healthy! :) Thank you so much for linking up with me this week at Tasty Tuesdays! I’ve pinned this & shared it with my followers! Please be sure to stop back by the party and check out some of the other links!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yum! I just happen to have some zucchini waiting for me in the fridge. :)
    Thanks!
    Kelly

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi this looks so good and I would love to try this recipe. I saw it on create & inspire.
    Julie from julieslifestyle.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Pampered Chef has such awesome stuff. Your zucchini looks amazing, pinning.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Total Pageviews