Tasty Tuesday

It's 'Tasty Tuesday' and Thanksgiving in two days? Good times all around! Last week I had a little extra time on my hands so decided to spend some time in the kitchen! I made an awesome vermicelli recipe that I hadn't made in such a long time (it's not very weight friendly!) and created a delicious, easy appetizer, Parmesan Zucchini Crisps, for any future parties. Both were delish AND easy. How can you go wrong? We all want to make easy, low maintenance meals but if they're delicious, even better, right? The vermicelli is a great recipe if you have a group of 5-6 people over, but don't make it if you're watching your waistline! The Parmesan Zucchini Crisps are great to make as an appetizer or a vegetable side dish to a chicken or a fish.

Parmesan Zucchini Crisps

2 medium zucchini
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 400°. Place foil on a baking sheet. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray. Slice zucchini into pieces 1/4 thickness. Place the zucchini rounds on the foil (they should be in one layer). Once the rounds are on the foil, rub each one with olive oil. Mix the parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl or plate. Dip each zucchini round into the cheese mixture. If it doesn't stick, place some of the mixture on the rounds. Sprinkle any extra mixture over the zucchini. Bake at 400° for 22-26 minutes. If you want them crispy (that's when they are the best!), leave them in for 26 minutes and if need be, turn the oven off and leave them in for a few minutes longer (just make sure they don't burn!). If you like them on the softer side, cook them for 22 minutes. The thinner they're sliced, the crispier they will be.

Serves: About 40 pieces

Vermicelli

1 box vermicelli pasta
4 tbsp. butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 packages mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup peas

Boil water for pasta and cook vermicelli according to the directions on the box. Rinse, pat dry, and slice fresh mushrooms. Set aside. In a large skillet melt butter. Add onion and garlic, sauté for 4 minutes on low heat. Add reserved mushrooms. Sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in peas, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer on low for 5 minutes. Once the vermicelli is done and drained, place it in a serving dish. Add 1 tbsp of butter to saucepan. Stir in mushroom mixture. Serve immediately.

                                                                                    Serves: 4-6

Don't forget to let me know if you make any of these & how they come out! Tweet pictures :)

Enjoy! Happy cooking!