Bloomin' Onion Dip + Zucchini Fries

 I didn't plan to post this recipe but the second I tried it I had to grab my camera. This is another Pintrest recipe. You can probably tell by now that I'm somewhat obsessed with Pintrest recipes but they're all so good it's hard not to love them. I made this last night with some left-over Easter ham + swiss sliders.

Our maple dijon glazed ham

Our Easter dinner was delicious too by the way. I didn't post on it because frankly I was a zombie. Saturday night was my first night shift, 7pm to 7am, eeeeek!! And it was tough to say the least. I got home and Collin was still in bed so I washed my face and laid on the couch. I started falling asleep when Collin woke up and scooped me up and took me to bed. I slept until about 1:30 in the afternoon when I woke up to a loud cook in the kitchen. I stumbled out of our room and found him making a ham, his mom's amazing mac & cheese and a salad. It was perfect! I had no trouble falling asleep that night either.

Soooo, onto the dip and "fries."

This is a very easy recipe. It was great as a side to a sandwich but it would also be a great appetizer. Also a healthy alternative to real french fries which are one of my major weaknesses.

I made the dip in the late morning because I had the day off but it would be fine to make it the day before too. If you're going to make it all together, cut the zucchini into finger/french fry size pieces, place them in a colander, and sprinkle with a tablespoon of salt (this will get the excess liquid out of them). [You'll need about 3 medium zucchini or 5 small ones].

Bloomin' Onion Dip
     Ingredients:
          1 onion, sliced
          1 tbs butter or oil/spray for cooking
          2 tbs cider vinegar
          2 tbs honey (I LEFT THIS OUT, it would have been too sweet and definitely not tasted like a
                              bloomin' onion had I added it)
          1-2 tbs dijion mustard
          1 tbs catsup
          1 cup mayonnaise (or to taste) you could sub greek yogurt or light mayo to make it a little healthier

In a frying pan, melt butter/add oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until they start to brown and caramelize (about 20 mins). Turn down the heat about mid-way through cooking so that they don't burn. After they are a medium brown color, remove from heat. Add the vinegar, honey (if you're using), mustard, catsup, and cooked onion to a food processor or blender. Process until fairly smooth. Add mayo: start with a 1/2 cup, process, taste, and continue to add until it is a light yellowish brown color and tastes good!

Mine doesn't look that great but it's the crappy picture...it tastes amazing!

For the Zucchini Fries:
         Zucchini (3 med or 5 small)
         1 cup panko breadcrumbs (this is what makes them so crunchy and french fry-like)
         1/2 cup shredded asiago or parmesan cheese
         1 tbs italian or pizza seasoning
         1-2 eggs (I only needed 1)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line baking sheet with foil or parchment and spray with non-stick cooking spray (I ended up needing 2 baking sheets). Mix the panko breadcrumbs, cheese, and seasoning in medium mixing bowl. In a separate, smaller bowl beat the egg(s) with an added dash of water.
Rinse the salted zucchini sticks very well in the colander. Dump them onto a dish towel and pat dry.
Dip each stick in the egg and then roll in the crumbs. *I did it one at a time because the crumbs can get soaked with egg and turn into a solid mass.*
Place sticks on the baking sheet and bake the fries for 12 minutes, remove from the oven and flip, bake 12 more minutes or until they become golden and crisp. You may need more or less time.
 I didn't read the directions properly, as usual, and baked them for a little over 20 mins without flipping them and they were still fine, oops.

I served them with these sammies:

Hope you give it a try!

I'm back to the night life tomorrow night, :-/ ugh. Not looking forward to it but I'm crossing my fingers that three in a row will be better than just one, we'll see. I have a sweet sleeping mask ordered and on it's way so I can become a nocturnal creature.