Get ready to turn plain old zucchini into something fabulous! Even my picky 4-year-old, who has never voluntarily eaten zucchini in her life, couldn’t get enough of these “chips” tonight. I was across the table trying to hold in my excitement (and shock) as she was busy chowing down. This might just be the perfect way to introduce zucchini to a child
that’s never had it before, and it could even work on those picky husbands too! After your child gets a good “first impression” of this veggie he/she might be willing to try it other ways as well. And don’t feel like you need to go “light” on the olive oil when you are making this recipe. Some unrefined natural fats can be a good addition to your diet. For more info on oils check out our post entitled “Mini-Pledge Week 10: No Refined Oils.
- 2 medium sized zucchinis
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ cups whole-wheat breadcrumbs (I found 100% whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs with a short list of ingredients at Earth Fare or you could make them yourself)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Thinly slice zucchini into ⅛” round pieces.
- Beat eggs in a shallow bowl.
- Using a small food processor (or a mortar and pestle) process the breadcrumbs, grated cheese, and a couple dashes of salt & pepper together until fine. Put the breadcrumb mixture in a shallow bowl.
- Pour a thin layer of olive oil in the bottom of a medium to large sauté pan and turn the heat to medium. Let it heat up while you start preparing the zucchini.
- Make an assembly line in the following order: raw zucchini slices, beaten egg, breadcrumb mixture, and empty plate.
- With one hand (which will be your “wet” hand) coat a few of the zucchini slices with the egg and shake off the excess. Drop those pieces on top of the breadcrumb mixture and using your other “dry” hand coat them with breadcrumbs. Shake off the excess breadcrumbs and transfer the coated zucchini slices to the clean plate.
- As soon as you have enough zucchini slices breaded to make a single layer across the bottom of the pan, slide them in the oil to start cooking.
- Meanwhile, start coating the next batch of zucchini, but check the stove after 2 or 3 minutes to see if the bottom of the zucchini is turning golden brown. Once they are brown flip them over and add more olive oil if necessary to keep the bottom of the breaded zucchini “wet.” Once both sides are golden brown transfer them to a paper towel lined plate and keep warm.
- Repeat process until all the zucchini are cooked. Arrange them on a serving platter, garnish with Parmesan cheese, and enjoy!
Nicole |
These are very good. I substituted soy milk for eggs for you son who has an egg allergy and they were still delicious!
Amanda |
Fabulous!! The whole family loved them! One question- my homemade bread crumbs start to burn a little in the pan, which makes them blacken and not look as pretty.. Any tips on how to prevent this? Do I need to turn down the heat?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) |
Hi. You could turn the heat down a bit or reduce cook time.
Shay |
What type/ company olive oil do you use for frying
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) |
Hi there. This might help you in the choosing: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02970/Olive-Oil.html. I also really like avocado oil for this recipe.