Shelly's Recipe

ZUCCHINI STICKS WITH SPICY PEPPER SAUCE

Category: Squash

4 medium zucchini
1 1/2 cups homemade bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Olive oil spray

Spicy Pepper Sauce:
1 red and 1 orange sweet pepper
1/2 hot red pepper, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil (plus additional if needed)
3 plum tomatoes
salt & pepper
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

To make the sauce, first core the peppers, remove seeds and dice.

In a heavy frying pan, heat the oil and add the peppers and onions. Cook until the vegetables are very soft and are taking on a nice light brown color. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute. Core the tomatoes, cut in half and gently squeeze to remove most of the seeds. Coarsely chop, then add to the pepper mixture. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and are breaking down, about 5 minutes. Place the vegetables in a food processor, and pulse until well blended. Season with salt and pepper, and continue to blend until you have a smooth sauce, adding a little addition olive oil if needed. Add the parsley and pulse until it is finely chopped into the sauce. Set aside until you are ready to use.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the ends off of the zucchini, then cut in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 6 to 8 sticks. Mix together the bread crumbs, cheese, oregano, salt and pepper. Dip the zucchini sticks first into the beaten eggs, then into the bread crumbs. Spray a baking sheet with the olive oil spray and place the breaded zucchini sticks on the sheet. When all of the zucchini are breaded, spray the top with more of the olive oil spray. Bake the zucchini until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve the zucchini hot on a platter with a small bowl of the pepper sauce next to them for dipping. Serves 4