Parmesan Zucchini Sticks

We have an abundance of zucchini from our garden again this year.  I'm always looking for new and tasty recipes to try.  I found this one in a cooking club magazine.  It is messy to make, but very delicious.

Parmesan Zucchini Sticks (4 servings)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
12 oz zucchini (1 medium-large or 2 medium-small), halved crosswise, each half cut into 1/2-inch sticks

• Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Spray large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.  Combine flour, 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder and black pepper in shallow dish.
• Place eggs in shallow bowl.  Combine panko, cheese, remaining 1/2 tsp salt and cayenne pepper in shallow dish.  Dip zucchini in flour mixture, shaking off excess.  Dip in egg, letting excess drip off.  Roll in panko mixture, turning to coat all sides.  Arrange in single layer on baking sheet, spray with olive oil cooking spray.
• Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and tender.  Serve immediately.

Rotini & Veggie Skillet

I got this recipe from a Barilla Pasta box.  Luckily, I had most of the veggies on hand.  I made some substitutions:  I skipped the onion and yellow squash and used diced tomatoes instead of the cherry tomatoes.  It was delicious!

Rotini and Veggie Skillet
Prep time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

1 box Rotini pasta
4 Tbsp Olive oil
1 small Onion, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 Bell pepper, chopped
1 medium Zucchini, diced
1 medium Yellow squash, diced
1 bunch Asparagus, sliced into bite-size pieces
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, halved
Salt and Pepper, to taste
4 leaves Basil, torn

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute onion for 3-4 minutes until translucent.

3. Add garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minute.

4. Add bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash and asparagus and saute for 5 minutes.

5. Add tomatoes; season with salt and pepper and saute for 2 more minutes. 

6. Drain pasta and toss with the sauce and basil.

Zucchini Casserole

This recipe for Mexican Zucchini Casserole comes from the Birds & Blooms Grow It Cook It magazine.  The original recipe yields 2 servings, so I doubled it for our family. 

Mexican Zucchini Casserole

2 eggs
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded zucchini
2 Tbsp chopped, seeded spicy pepper (I used a cowhorn pepper)*see note below
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
2/3 cup biscuit/baking mix
4 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In medium bowl, beat the egg, oil, salt and pepper.  Add the zucchini, spicy pepper and onion; stir to coat.  Stir in biscuit mix and cheese.

Pour into a baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

*Note: 
Don't make the same rookie mistake I did...be sure to wear gloves when cutting the spicy peppers.  I was told by my husband that the cowhorn pepper was milder than the chili pepper from our garden.  I took that to mean it wasn't hot, so I did not wear gloves when I prepared it.  Even though I had washed my hands several times, I still had a difficult time getting my contacts out of my eyes that night.  Lesson learned!

This turned out to be my favorite zucchini casserole recipe.