It’s no secret that I really like Pinterest. Anyone that follows me knows that there are only a few things I’m ever really interested in: food, clothes, and workouts. I suppose you could say my boards are a pretty good reflection of my personal interests. Hmm, I see some type of interesting psychological study here… But I’ll leave that to the professionals.

There are always recipes for ‘healthified’ versions of things that most of us love, but refuse to indulge in. I kept seeing recipes for baked avocado fries, baked eggplant fries, and baked zucchini fries, and eventually decided to try some myself. Last Friday’s fresh box came with two very large zucchinis, so I decided to try them first in my quest for baked-not-fried-sticks-of-deliciousness.

Plain and simple, I don’t know why I waited so long to try this. It wasn’t because there is required effort (because there really isn’t), or because I was afraid I wouldn’t like it (I knew I would), I really have no explanation as to why I neglected said sticks of deliciousness for so long. But, now that I’ve gotten my feet wet with the zucchini, you better believe I’m making the eggplant and avocado versions in the very near future.

So don’t wait as long as I did, and go make these – I promise you won’t regret it.

Spicy Baked Zucchini Sticks
– serves 2 for an appetizer –

Ingredients:
1 large zucchini
1 egg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes (these are SPICY, so adjust accordingly!)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut the zucchini in half, and then slice it into about 1-2 inch thick strips. Be sure to leave the skin on for a little crunch.
3. In a shallow bowl whisk the egg, set aside.
4. In a second shallow bowl combine the panko and spices.
5. Dip the zucchini first in the egg, followed by the panko mixture, and lay it on a greased baking sheet. Repeat for all of the zucchini sticks.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Serve with marinara or your favorite dipping sauce (or eat them as is!)