Parmesan Baked Zucchini

It's August here in the lower mainland, which means lots of gardens and farms out there are overflowing with zucchini! I love it though, and so keep buying them. That said, I realized that we are getting a bit tired of the same old BBQ grilled zucchini, and so I decided to try something different this time. A couple weeks back I discovered these delicious looking Baked Zucchini Sticks at For the Love of Cooking, and what I loved about them was not only that they were baked not fried, but also that they looked super easy to make!! Let me tell you, they were fantastic! Not too cheesy, but had enough to make it a little bit crunchy; and the zucchini itself was perfectly cooked... nice and firm! Mmmm... delish.

I served these as a vegetable side dish, but it could easily serve as a mid-afternoon snack or appetizer.

Parmesan Baked Zucchini

Source: Adapted slightly from For the Love of Cooking

Makes 2 servings

1 small zucchini (Our zucchini was massive, so it ended up being 1/3 of a large one!)

1 egg

1/4 cup regular bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Dash or 2 of garlic powder

Dash or 2 of dried basil

Salt & pepper to taste

Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil, and spray with cooking spray.

2. Beat the egg, and season with salt & pepper.

3. Combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, dried basil, salt and pepper.

4. Cut the zucchini into thick spears. Dip into the egg mixture, and then into the parmesan cheese mixture, coating the zucchini.

5. Place coated zucchini onto a baking sheet; spray the tops with the cooking spray. Cook for approximately 10-12 minutes, flipping them over after about 8 or 9 minutes. Serve.