Panko Crusted Zucchini Sticks and Sweet Onion Dip

This is another recipe that would be great to serve at your Superbowl party! I made this for a football party at a friends house a couple of weeks ago and everyone really liked it. The zucchini sticks are baked, not fried. The sweet onion dip is loaded with flavor. I found this recipe from http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/. I didn't change anything in the dip. I thought it was great just how it was! However, after it was all gone I was thinking that next time I make it I might add a little bit of chipotle powder or ground cayenne to get that spicy/sweet flavor, just for something different. I did change a couple of things with the zucchini prep, so this is my version of the recipe. Enjoy!

For Zucchini-

-3-4 medium sized zucchini- cut each zucchini into 9 sticks. You can achieve this by standing zucchini on end and with a sharp knife cut zucchini in thirds horizontally, then in thirds vertically. Then cut your long sticks in half. Place in a colander in sink.

-1 Tablespoon salt- sprinkle salt over zucchini sticks and toss to coat. Allow zucchini to sit in the salt for about an hour. This will help the zucchini shed excess liquid. You can rinse salt off after it's done soaking (I didn't rinse them and the zucchini didn't taste too salty at all). Pat dry with a towel. Spray a large baking sheet liberally with cooking spray and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425.

In a bowl combine-

-1 cup Panko bread crumbs
-1/2 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese (I used shredded)
-1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

In a separate bowl, beat together-
-3 eggs

Toss a handful of the zucchini sticks into the egg. Now, the coating technique that I followed from the original recipe, I had a few problems with... it said to take the zucchini one at a time from the egg wash and dunk in panko mixture. I do agree with coating one at a time, but I found after I coated several (worked great at first), the panko mixture got damp and started clumping and therefore quit sticking to the zucchini. I would recommend picking up the zucchini from the egg wash with one hand and holding over a plate or large bowl and using your dry hand, grab pinches of the panko mixture and sprinkle it on one side and then flip zucchini over and sprinkle other side. Is it a little bit time consuming? Yes. It will be worth it I promise! Make sure all of your zucchini is coated in the egg wash prior to coating with the panko mixture. Set coated zucchini on your baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes. Flip them over and bake for another 12-15 minutes. (Although, I never flipped mine and just cooked them straight through for about 20-25 minutes. Both sides browned fine and didn't stick). Use the convection setting on your oven if you have it!

Sweet Onion Dip (I worked on this while my zucchini were sitting in the salt).-

-1 Medium sized sweet onion
-1 Tablespoon butter
-2 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar
-2 Tablespoons Honey
-1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
-1 Cup Mayonnaise

Slice onion and add to pan with butter. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion softens and then caramelizes. This will take 20-25 mins on low-medium heat. When onions are done, place them in food processor along with cider vinegar, honey and mustard. Process until fairly smooth. Remove from processor and stir in the mayo. Refrigerate until ready to serve with your zucchini sticks. This dip is also recommended for use as a sandwich condiment! Enjoy!

-Nicole