Looking for a Mexican side-dish that’s full of vegetables and great flavor?  Look no further than calabacitas, which traslates to “little squash.”   This dish goes together easily and showcases fresh summer flavors – zucchini, summer squash, corn and fresh oregano.   Throw in some onions, season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if you want the heat), sauté for a few minutes and you’re good to go!

Calabacitas

olive oil
1 small zucchini, sliced thin
1 small yellow squash, sliced thin
1 Roma tomato, diced (I omitted)
1 small red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. frozen or fresh corn
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
red pepper flakes, to taste
cumin, to taste (around 1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

1. Coat sauté pan with olive oil
2. Lightly coat a sauté pan with oil. On medium heat, cook onion, zucchini and squash until slightly softened – about 5-10 minutes.
3. When zucchini has almost reached desired consistency, add corn and heat through.
4. Season with oregano, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper before serving.

I spotted this recipe on the cooking blog A Year in the Kitchen. It looked like a fun, different way to serve zucchini. When I saw some nice-looking fresh zucchini at the store (not an easy feat in New England during the winter!), I knew I had to try the recipe.

I served the zucchini sticks with baked chicken parm and whole wheat pasta. They were a nice change from the salad that I usually serve with pasta dishes.

I followed the recipe exactly as written, and was very happy with the results. The breading turned out crispy and flavorful, while the zucchini was moist and tender.

Zucchini Sticks

2 egg whites, whipped to a foam
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 zucchini, chopped into 1/2 inch wide sticks

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Combine zucchini breading ingredients in a shallow dish.
3. Whip egg whites in a bowl until they foam.
4. Toss zucchini in the egg whites, then toss in the bread crumbs. 5. Transfer to a baking sheet.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes, until crispy and brown.