A holiday weekend is just days away (at least in the US), and I’m betting this kicks off grilling season for many of you– FINALLY, am I right? Comfort food, we will see you in the fall. It’s time for burgers, caprese salads, fresh fruit, and practicing the art of “how many foods can I fit on the grill at once.”
Let’s be honest. These zucchini fries are really just pieces of zucchini cut into the shape of fries, grilled, and eaten with a fancy dipping sauce. But sometimes we need creative ways to eat our vegetables, and if you want to convince your kids, partner, or yourself to eat more green things, just tag on a term like “fries” and you’re golden. These work well as an appetizer or party snack- grill them up, yell announce nicely to your family “zucchini fries are ready” and you might be surprised at who comes running.
GRILLED ZUCCHINI “FRIES” WITH SPICY HONEY MUSTARD
makes approximately 36 “fries”
ingredients:
3 medium zucchini
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Parmesan, for grating (optional)
*see note for further ideas
spicy honey mustard:
3 tablespoons (63g) honey
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1.5 tablespoons Worcestershire
1.5 teaspoons onion powder
1/4 heaping teaspoon cayenne, plus more to taste
salt and pepper, if needed, to taste
Wash and trim the ends off your zucchini. Cut each one in half lengthwise. Then cut each half into thirds, also lengthwise. At this point you should have 18 long skinny zucchini pieces. Cut each skinny piece in half widthwise, so the pieces are half the length. You should now have 36 pieces. In a medium bowl, gently toss the zucchini with a drizzle or two of olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, whisk all honey mustard ingredients together.
Heat your BBQ to 400-425 degrees F and grill zucchini for 3 minutes on each “fleshy” side (not the skin side). Serve immediately with the dipping sauce. Optional, generously grate parmesan cheese over the grilled zucchini while they are still warm.
* If you want to jazz these up, try dipping them in an egg wash and coating with a blend of salted bread crumbs before grilling.
Dahlia Kitchen 