Baked 'Parm' Zucchini Nuggets

I have been in a food funk the past two weeks. I'm bored with everything I see, and forcing myself to use up the food I have in the house first is not always fun. It's kind of like looking in your closet, completely full of clothes, and finding absolutely nothing to wear!

I had some zucchini that I needed to use up, and wasn't in the mood for zucchini noodles, cooked in pasta, roasted or steamed. I needed something different.

Why not bake them?

I remember loving fried mozzarella sticks when I was little, and I wanted to recreate something similar, but using the zucchini, and adding more nutrition.

What transpired was absolutely delicious and better yet, it was completely healthy! The zucchini was moist and tender, while the outer layer was crunchy and crispy. This makes a great snack, appetizer, or side dish, and pairs perfectly with marinara dipping sauce. (My 18 month old has become fascinated with dipping her food - I try to give her those options often! - it's great practice for those fine motor skills!)

What you need:

*2 Medium Zucchini, washed and sliced (Keep in mind that over 25,000 acres of summer squash is grown from genetically modified seeds in the United States, and many pesticides and chemicals are used to combat pests, so this may be one veggie you want to find local and organic!)

1/2 cup Warm Water mixed with 2.5 Tbsp Ground Flax

1 cup Uncooked Chickpeas, Ground to Flour (Or buy Chickpea/Garbonzo/Besan/Gram Flour)

**1/2 cup Raw Almonds + 2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast, Blended to Gritty Flour

*You can slice the zucchini however you prefer - Create sticks or rounds. And choose your desired thickness, just make sure they're even - the thicker will need more baking time!

**If you are used to eating salt, add a pinch of sea salt to the almonds and nutritional yeast when blending, otherwise, these will be very bland!

What you do:

1. After making flax "eggs" and grinding your other mixtures, arrange your working station.

2. Dip all sides of the zucchini in flax egg, then chickpea flour, then the almond grit. Sit on silicon baking mat.

3. Continue until all of your zucchini has passed through the assembly line.

4. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes, flipping half way.

5. Bake at 400 for 5 minutes until golden and crispy.

6. Serve with your choice of dipping sauce.

Enjoy!

If you have extra, or want to make extra to use at a later time, these store well in the freezer. Make sure to completely bake and cook first before storing. When ready to eat, take out of freezer and bake at 400 for about 10 minutes, or until crispy.

Why These Ingredients?

Almonds and Nutritional Yeast: Blended together, this provides the 'Parmesan' flavor in a healthy kind of way! Almonds are high in Biotin, Vitamin E, Manganese, Copper, B2, Potassium (promotes a healthy and responsive nervous system), Magnesium, and healthy fats. Almonds are known to lower cholesterol, reduce heart disease risk, and improve the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients throughout the body. Nutritional Yeast provides a lot of Protein, Fiber, Magnesium, Selenium, Zinc, and it is extremely high in the B Vitamins, especially B12 (which tends to lack in a plant based diet).

Chickpea Flour: Adding this first before the 'Parm' Mixture provides the crispy texture. Chickpeas are high in Fiber (Prevents digestive disorders and alleviates constipation), Iron, Manganese (Energy production and antioxidant defenses), and Protein. Chickpeas are known to stabilize blood sugar levels, as well as lower bad and total cholesterol.

Ground Flax: High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Fiber. Also known to improve blood sugar, lower cholesterol, and protect against cancer and radiation.

To connect with others in this crazy journey of life, discover new parenting ideas & fun DIY projects, learn about holistic remedies, & find whole food plant based recipes, please visit our Facebook page Loving Green at Loving Green FB.