Fried Zucchini

Easy Fried Zucchini

This Fried Zucchini is absolutely delicious. I really can’t say enough about it because it’s so easy to make and the taste is amazing, with or without dipping sauce. I got the idea, to make it this way, several years ago. One of my favorite Italian chains serves an appetizer very similar to this one and I liked it so much I figured I’d put together my own recipe. So this is what I came up with.

My Fried Zucchini Secret

The trick, to this Fried Zucchini recipe, is to keep the breading on while you’re frying. So, be gentle flipping each peace over. You also need to be sure to cook the Zucchini slices all the way through so that they are tender on the inside yet crispy on the outside. This means you need to fry them at a medium low temperature but no lower than 325 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do this, you’re Fried Zucchini will turn out great!

FYI: You can use this exact same recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes! 😉

Fried Zucchini Ingredients:

1 Zucchini, sliced
2 eggs
1/2 cup Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Cut the Zucchini into 1/4 inch slices. Dip each slice into the salted flour, then the egg wash and then the seasoned bread crumbs. Fry with 1/8 inch of oil in the bottom of a pan, set on Medium Low, for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Dab on paper towels and serve the Fried Zucchini with Marinara and Ranch Dressing or dip.

Tomato and Cream Pink Sauce

What is Pink Sauce?

Pink Sauce is this incredible little secret that most Italians know about. It’s described in several different ways and has a few different versions of the recipe that can be found all over the web if you know what you’re looking for. It’s known as a Vodka Sauce, Tomato and Cream Sauce or simply a Pink Sauce. The first time I had it, though, I instantly fell in love with it, but it was called something entirely different, and unfortunately I don’t remember what the chef said when he recommend it to me. But, interestingly enough, it had seafood, bacon and peas in it and it was spicy. So Good!

This is just one of the ways I make it and it infuses the freshness of hand picked tomatoes with a few classic traditions and some not so classic. For example, I cook the pasta in the sauce instead of cooking it separately. The reason why I do this is for the sake of the sauce. I like to reduce it down so it gets thicker, but I also like the flavor of the Pink Sauce to be through in through my noodle. In this particular case, fully in beaded in the Rigatoni Pasta. Plus Rigatoni has those nice ridges around the outside, much like Penne Rigate, that helps to grip the sauce around the funnel noodle so you get a nice flavorful bite. Also, I use Red wine and Beef Broth, no vodka. I find that this works really well and you’re just going to have to trust me on this one because it’s really good.

Pink Sauce Ingredients:

1 lbs Rigatoni Pasta (Penne Rigate or Fettuccini is fine)

In a Blender combine the following
6 to 8 Roma Tomatoes (fill 3/4 of Blender)
1/2 Red Onion
5 fresh Basil Leaves
1 large Garlic Clove
2 cups Beef Broth
1 1/2 tbsp Italian Seasoning (Sage, Majoram, Basil, Rosemary, Thyme)
1 tbsp dried Oregano
2 tbsp Brown Sugar

Add Blender Ingredients to a hot Pan on the Stove

1 tbsp Sriracha (or Chile Flakes)
1 cup Whipping Creme
1/3 cup Red Wine
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste (usually not needed)

Bread Twists

What’s the Deal with Bread Twists?

Bread Twists for me, started when I was a young man. I would camp with some friends near a reservoir we would boat and fish on, and we would twist canned biscuit dough around our Hot dog and Marsh mellow skewers to make “Bread Twists”! Now I don’t now if this is something everyone else does elsewhere, but I’ve never seen anyone else do it since. However, there is a local Pizza Joint here, that shall remain nameless, that has branded their very existence around them. They are so good, I thought I’d share a real simple way to make these yourself at home.

Instead of going through a whole dough recipe and having to worry about the yeast and what not, do yourself a favor and pick up a frozen bag of dinner rolls. I used these Texas Rolls made by Rhodes because they are 50% larger than the average dinner roll, so it gave me more Twist to work with. The great thing about a pre-made dinner roll is that they’ve taken all the guess work out of making a fluffy light bread, which is the key to making perfect Bread Twists. It is critical, however, to follow the thawing instructions and let the dough rise properly. Once you’ve done that, roll them out with some flour into a long cylinder shape that you can then roll flat with a rolling pin. Then using a Shish Kabob Skewer, pierce the tip on one end of the dough, then slide the dough to the bottom of the skewer and twist the dough to the end of the skewer and stab the tip of the remaining twist. It’s important to let them rise back up again before baking so they remain fluffy when they cook. I use a cake pan when I lay the Bread Twists Side ways in order for the bread to swell and cook down as well as out in every direction. This also helps to brush the Garlic and herb seasoned butter over the top.

Bread Twists Ingredients:

12 thawed Dough Rolls and Skewers

4 tbsp melted Butter
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp dry Oregano

Parmesan (Don’t mix with the Butter)

Mix all the Butter Topping ingredients together and brush the twists on all sides before and after baking. The twists do tend to come unraveled during the handling, but they twist back just as easily. Shake Parmesan Over the top after they’ve been basted and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes or until Golden Brown. Because oven temperatures may vary, the time will too so watch them carefully because they cook faster when the dough has been rolled out and flattened for twists. Bread Twists are great with Italian Pasta, Pizza or just Dipping in Marinara, Alfredo or Garlic and Olive Oil.