By Early March. Cody is on day four hundred and twenty-four of his sentence. The Tulsa Library teen writing program application went in the mail Tuesday March sixth, ten days early. The packet had my writing sample (the canning entry from March 2017 plus the new essay The Kitchen Is the Room That Runs the Household), the application form, and two recommendations from Mr. Briggs and Mrs. Rivera.
Mr. Briggs let me read his recommendation Friday at his desk during sixth period. He used the word extraordinary in the third sentence. I almost cried in his classroom and did not. The recommendation said, in plain English, that I was the kind of student who reminds him every twenty years why he became a teacher. The recommendation is going to live in my head whether the program accepts me or not.
And the recipe Saturday was quick and easy parmesan zucchini rounds. Aldi had zucchini on early-spring sale at $0.79 each, the cheapest I had seen it since last summer’s glut. I bought three. The recipe is the kind of fifteen-minute side that turns up everybody’s opinion of zucchini.
The math: three zucchini $2.37, an egg $0.08, a half cup of breadcrumbs $0.30, a quarter cup of grated parmesan $0.50, salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano, olive oil for frying. Total: about $3.40 for a sheet-pan side that fed Mama and me with leftovers for Sonic-shift lunch.
The technique is the breading and pan-fry. Slice the zucchini into half-inch coins. Set up a two-step breading station: beaten egg in one shallow bowl, breadcrumbs mixed with parmesan and seasonings in another. Dip each coin in egg, then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Pan-fry in hot olive oil for two minutes per side until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels.
The coins come out crisp on the outside, tender on the inside. The parmesan and breadcrumbs make the kind of crust that turns zucchini from a sad watery side into something people fight over. Mama said, eating, baby, this is the kind of side dish my mama would have called fancy. Three weeks until the program decision arrives by mail.
The recipe is below. The trick is the breading station and the hot oil — do not crowd the pan, fry in batches. The crust crisps if the oil is hot enough; the coins stay tender on the inside.
Quick and Easy Parmesan Zucchini Rounds
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the zucchini. Slice the zucchini into even 1/4-inch rounds and spread them in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss gently to coat.
- Season the rounds. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, oregano, and thyme. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over each zucchini round. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake until golden. Place in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the zucchini is tender and the Parmesan is melted and golden brown at the edges.
- Garnish and serve. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh parsley, and serve immediately while the edges are still crispy.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 90 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 4g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 180mg