Starters and Sides Made Easy: Parmesan Sticks with Creamy Marinara Sauce
Recipe Excerpt from Starters & Sides Made Easy
Who doesn’t love a good main course? But why should main courses get all the attention? For any meal to truly shine with creativity, elegance, or just plain fun, it needs a good opening act and side kick. This fall a new cookbook delivers 60 easy-to-make kosher recipes that focuses the spotlight on meal co-stars. Starters & Sides Made Easy by Leah Schapira and Victoria Dwek puts the “wow” into side dishes and appetizers.
Parmesan Sticks
2 eggs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup panko crumbs
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried oregano
1 lb asparagus, tops, bottoms, and leaves trimmed
OR 3 ripe but firm avocados, sliced into strips
OR ½ eggplant, cut into sticks
OR a combination
Creamy Marinara Dipping Sauce
¼ cup marinara sauce
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, crushed
¹/8 tsp chili powder
1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Lightly beat eggs in a wide shallow bowl. Combine Parmesan cheese, panko crumbs, basil, and oregano into a second shallow bowl.
3. Dredge vegetable sticks, a few at a time, in egg. Let the excess egg drip off and place the vegetable sticks onto the Parmesan/panko mixture. Using a spoon, spoon some of the Parmesan/panko mixture over the vegetable sticks to cover the top and sides. (Do not place eggy fingers into the Parmesan/panko crumb mixture when coating the sticks or the egg will cause it to clump).
4. Place sticks on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden.
5. Prepare dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together marinara sauce, mayonnaise, garlic, and chili powder. Serve with Parmesan Sticks.
