Crispy baked zucchini sticks      

No deep fryer needed for this delicious vegetable treat!

Crispy zucchini sticks and dip are a big favourite in my house but I wanted to see if I could lighten up this pub-style treat. This fat-free, oven-baked version is full of flavour and amazingly easy to prepare. I am not even sure if my taste testers noticed that they weren’t deep fried! Serve with your favourite dipping sauce – I’ve included a recipe below, but commercially-prepared salad dressings like Ranch or Caesar are also pretty tasty with these zucchini sticks or, for a change of pace, you can offer up Sweet Chili Sauce too!

Ingredients

For the zucchini sticks:

• 1 cup (250 mL) Panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) each dried oregano and basil
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 mL) each salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 slender zucchini, quartered lengthwise
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten

For the dip:

• 1/4 cup (60 mL) sour cream
• 4 teaspoons (20 mL) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) finely chopped fresh dill or basil or 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) dried
• salt and pepper, to taste

Method

• Preheat oven to 425F. Drizzle 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of vegetable oil on a piece of paper towel and use it to wipe the surface of a wire cooling rack. Place the rack on a parchment-lined baking sheet and set aside.
• In a broad dish (a pie plate or round cake pan works well), combine Panko, Parmesan, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Set aside.
• In a second broad dish, beat the eggs with a fork until well blended.
• Put the zucchini sticks in a plastic bag and sprinkle flour over top. Twist the top of the bag shut and gently shake the bag to coat the zucchini sticks.
• Remove the zucchini sticks from the bag one a time. Tap one end against your work surface to remove excess flour then dip the stick in the eggs. Place the flour and egg-coated zucchini in the Panko mixture and press gently to coat, flipping the stick to coat all sides.
• Place zucchini onto prepared cooling rack; when all are coated, put the tray in the oven.

• While zucchini sticks cook, combine dip ingredients in a small bowl and stir to blend well.
• Bake for 18 – 22 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
• Serve immediately.

Makes 16 sticks, enough for 2 – 3 servings.

This original recipe (created by me) first appeared on ymc.ca.