Sort of Like Fried Zucchini

John and I both really like fried zucchini, but it is kind of a pain to make! Well, let's face it - fried anything is kind of a pain to make. I use panko mixed with a little bit of olive oil to top my augratin potatoes and it gets super crispy in the oven, so I had an idea. Why not just top my zucchini rounds with a little panko, bake them in the oven, and see what happens? Wouldn't you know, it actually worked out really well and was much simpler than egg wash, flour, egg wash, breadcrumbs, fry.

served with quinoa, grilled chicken, and spicy sausage

• 2 medium zucchini cut into rounds (about 1/3" thick)
• 1 cup panko
• 3 teaspoons olive oil (divided)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• salt and pepper to taste
• parmesan cheese for garnish

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In the meantime, toss your zucchini rounds in 1 teaspoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper (not too much salt since you will add some to the panko). Lay out flat on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Cook for 5 minutes. While that is cooking, mix your panko, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and garlic salt until the panko is nice and coated.

Remove the zucchini from the oven. Top with a generous spoonful of the panko. Return to the oven for 10 minutes. Top with a small amount of parmesan cheese and broil at 500 degrees for 1 to 2 minutes til everything is nice and golden brown.

Well, I think it was a little healthier and it did have a nice crunch. I'll be sticking to this recipe from now on.