Michelle served the Chicken Tortilla Soup with a side of Baked Zucchini Sticks with Sweet Onion Dip.
This is a guilt-free way to enjoy the crunchy outside (and tender inside) of a restaurant-style zucchini stick.
Ingredients
Dip
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium sweet onion, about 1/2 pound, peeled and sliced
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
Zucchini Sticks
- 3 medium zucchini, unpeeled, cut into 3″ long stick
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 cup coarse, dry bread crumbs (e.g. Panko)
- scant 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon mixed Italian herbs (we used garlic powder and dried Thyme)
- 1/2 cup egg substitute or 2 large eggs; or 3 egg whites, lightly beaten
- Olive oil spray
Instructions
 To make the dip:
Melt the butter in a medium frying pan over moderate heat, and add the sliced onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, then caramelize. This should take between 10 to 15 minutes. The lower the heat, the longer it takes, but the less likely you are to burn the onions. Once the onions are a medium brown, remove from the heat and ad the vinegar. Place the onions and vinegar into a small food processor. Add the honey and mustard, and process or blend until smooth. |
 Add the mayonnaise and salt and pepper to taste, stirring to combine. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve. |
 To make the zucchini sticks:
Place the zucchini sticks in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with the tablespoon of salt. Let the zucchini drain for 1 hour or longer; rinse. Pat dry with kitchen towel. |
Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment, spray the parchment with olive oil. We just oil a baking sheet. Combine the Panko, Parmesan and seasoning in a bowl; set aside. Beat eggs in another bowl. Dredge sticks a few at a time in the egg, then roll in the crumb mixture.
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 Place the sticks on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the sticks for 12 minutes, turn over, and bake for an additional 8 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately, with sweet onion dip.
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