Parmesan Zucchini Sticks with Smoky Roasted Romesco Sauce

Crunchy breaded zucchini spears are delicious dipped in a summery sauce of roasted red peppers. The sauce is a zesty embellishment for grilled meats, too.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 6 zucchini sticks and 1/4 cup sauce)

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 3  medium red bell peppers
• 2  plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1/2  cup  (1/2-inch) cubed French bread baguette, crusts removed
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  smoked almonds
• 1  tablespoon  extravirgin olive oil
• 1  tablespoon  sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1/4  teaspoon  Spanish smoked paprika
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1  large garlic clove
• 
  Zucchini:
• 3  large zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1  cup  dry breadcrumbs
• 1/2  cup  panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2  cup  egg substitute
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.

2. To prepare sauce, cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place bell pepper halves and tomatoes, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten bell peppers with hand. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and coarsely chop, reserving any liquid.

3. Combine bell peppers, reserved liquid, tomatoes, and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.

4. Preheat oven to 400°.

5. To prepare zucchini, cut 1 zucchini in half crosswise; cut each half lengthwise into 8 wedges. Repeat procedure with remaining zucchini. Combine breadcrumbs, panko, cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a shallow dish. Dip zucchini in egg substitute; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place zucchini on a wire rack coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat zucchini with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately with sauce.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

170 (30% from fat)

Fat:

5.6g (sat 1.3g,mono 2.5g,poly 1.3g)

Protein:

8.4g

Carbohydrate:

23.4g

Fiber:

3.9g

Cholesterol:

3mg

Iron:

1.9mg

Sodium:

434mg

Calcium:

107mg