“The first zucchini I ever saw I killed it with a hoe.” – John Gould
Every time I see or think about this recipe I recall the grocery store scene on Grumpy Old Men and Burgess Meredith's lines about ZUCCHINI SQUASH! I know, I have a warped sense of humor!
Zucchini deserves accolades for more than just its low-carb status. Like most vegetables, it's a nutrient powerhouse. Among other things, a cup of zucchini will also fulfill 26% of your daily vitamin C needs, 10% of your daily potassium needs, 8% of your daily magnesium needs and 13% of your daily folate needs, per the FDA. Zucchini contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds. Cooked zucchini is particularly high in vitamin A, though raw zucchini contains slightly less.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large (13 x 18) baking pan with non-stick aluminum foil or non-stick precut brown baking parchment paper and set aside. After lightly spraying them with cooking spray, place one or, if necessary, two roasting racks inside the pan. It's okay if the racks overlap each other and/or the sides of the pan.
Arrange zucchini rounds on the cooking rack, with little to no space between them. Use a small spoon to spread a thin layer of Parmesan cheese on each slice of zucchini. If desired, lightly sprinkle zucchini with garlic powder.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until Parmesan turns a light golden brown. Serve immediately.
Serving Size 10 rounds
Servings 4
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Choice of Cheese - Grana Padano became my choice of Italian grated cheese recently and that's why I used it. Fresh grated Parmesan (i.e. Parmigiano Reggiano) or Asiago are more commonly available and either would be fine in this recipe. Just be sure to try and use fresh grated and avoid packaged, processed cheese if at all possible. Read my blog entry Cheese ... good substitutes for Parmesan and you'll learn more.