Quinoa Encrusted Zucchini Sticks – Crisp, tender zucchini sticks covered in quinoa flakes and oven-roasted to perfection. They make a healthy and nutritious side dish recipe for weekday dinners or weekend parties!
Whenever I am on vacation I let all eating rules go out the window. Not that I follow that many rules to begin with, but I generally eat healthy when I am home. That’s because I only keep healthy ingredients in my house and since I only eat out when I am either lazy or want to try a new restaurant, that means most of the time.
This past weekend I ate whatever I wanted and didn’t think twice. Ice cream, froyo, french fries and an unhealthy amount of vodka (there’s a reason there’s no other pictures from the boat) all made it’s way into my mouth. And I have zero regrets. There was a time when I would feel guilty for indulging but that feels like it was a lifetime ago. Old Davs would have said that “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”, but that’s because she had never tried Blueberry Salted Honey Custard. CRAZINESS.
But after four days of straight indulgence, it’s only natural you start to crave some veggies. I actually made these Quinoa Encrusted Zucchini Sticks for a dinner I hosted last week but zucchini’s were on sale (yay for zucchini season!) so they’re on the roster for tonight. I don’t believe in quick fixes when it comes to diets, but it’s only natural that sometimes we need a reset. For me that means going to the grocery store and shopping the outer aisles for fresh veggies and fruit and protein sources.
$112 dollars later and I’m ready for some healthy, nutrient-packed meals! Sure my grocery bill was slightly on the higher end, but it sure beats the price tag for a juice cleanse! I don’t want to hate on juice cleanses, because I too have done one (although I did turn into Cruella De Vil, hangry stylez) but they’re probably not going to be that magic weight-loss trick you always wanted. Say adios to your water weight for approximately 3 days and hello 3 days later! But then again if that’s what you need for your reset, more power to ya.
My reset involves zucchinis and quinoa and yogurt and mustard. Maybe unconventional to you, but it works for me!
PrintQuinoa Encrusted Zucchini Sticks with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
- Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
For the Zucchini Sticks:
- 2 large zucchinis (or 3 medium)
- 2/3 cup quinoa flakes*
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 large egg
For the Honey Mustard Sauce:
- 1/2 cup 0% fat greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tsp honey
- 1/2 garlic clove, minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Slice zucchinis into thirds and then slice thirds into sticks.
- in a large bowl combine quinoa flakes, garlic powder and sea salt.
- In a separate bowl whisk one egg.
- Using one hand, dip one zucchini stick into the egg and then using the other hand dip the stick into the quinoa flakes. Place on a baking sheet. Repeat until all zucchini sticks have been coated.
- Bake sticks for 30 mins.
- Meanwhile, combine all honey mustard dip ingredients.
- Remove sticks from oven and serve warm with honey mustard dipping sauce.
Notes
*Not regular quinoa. Look for quinoa flakes in health food stores or gluten-free aisles.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
Do you eat differently on vacation? Do you ever do a food reset?
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47 Comments
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June 29, 2014 at 1:53 pmUm so I never knew quinoa flakes existed until right now. I’ve made zucchini fritters, but never breaded sticks. What a genius idea, which I plan to follow except I’m sticking with good old fashioned panko only because I have a pantry full (hello Costco) and I’ve forbidden myself from buying new pantry items until I actually weed through the ones I’ve got.
Juices = yes. Juice cleanse (and only juice) = No.
Alex @ Kenzie Life
June 27, 2014 at 12:04 pmLove zucchini, love honey mustard = love this!
Consuelo - Honey & Figs
June 27, 2014 at 10:15 amYay, glad to know that you had such a fabulous journey full of ice-cream and vodka! Way to go!
But yeah you’re right, after that long time eating just crappy (but delicious!) food, some fresh veggies and protein are very much needed. This looks like a lovely and original idea! What a fun coating 🙂
Kim
June 26, 2014 at 9:56 pmYum – I think this would be perfect with some grilled chicken (or steak!!!) – maybe this weekend!!
Nicole @ Foodie Loves Fitness
June 26, 2014 at 12:15 amI LOVE zucchini sticks! Whenever I see zucchini fries on a menu I simply must get them.
And oh hell yea, whenever I eat whatever I want for a weekend or vacation, I actually feel excited to get back to eating nice and healthy — that means sans the boatloads of wine and bread. Ha!
GiGi Eats Celebrities
June 25, 2014 at 10:53 pmYour zucchini is crusty…..
Alisha @ Alisha's Appetite
June 25, 2014 at 10:07 pmI generally eat whatever I want on vaca- it’s vacation how could you not?! I’m excited for zucchini season here…1 more month and they will be in full force!
Mary Frances
June 25, 2014 at 9:37 pmSame here; while on vacay, it’s like, I’m on a break, splurge a little! And a little every day adds up 😉 However, it is really fun to try new foods and stuff, so its worth it. But there is nothing like coming home to your own kitchen and pantry! I would’ve NEVER guessed this was zucchini. The crispy coating and honey mustard totally fooled me! I <3 honey mustard so much 🙂
Chelsea @ Chelsea's Healthy Kitchen
June 25, 2014 at 6:14 pmI tend to eat less healthily on vacation too, especially when my mom, sister, and I used to do our foodie road trips! I figured I might never visit those cities again, so I had to enjoy their food offerings while I could. 😉 It always makes me appreciate healthy food so much more once I get home though, that’s for sure.
My mom made zucchini sticks a few months ago and I loved them. Great idea to make them with quinoa flakes!
Nikki @ The Road to Less Cake
June 25, 2014 at 5:04 pmMmm, these look fab.
I love your honesty, Davida. It is great to read that other HLBs out there do indulge. I often feel so guilty when I go out and enjoy myself and don’t eat 100% clean/healthy when I’m out with friends or my OH.
Kat
June 25, 2014 at 4:28 pmI am a huge sucker for zucchini sticks. I often make a batch and eat the entire thing by myself, but lets just ignore that fact for a second. Quinoa flakes? Sign. Me. Up. I freaking adore those things!! And that honey mustard? YES PLEASE!!
Jo @ Living Mint Green
June 25, 2014 at 3:53 pmI feel like I need a food reset every day after work. There’s SO MUCH delicious food around me all the time and it’s hard to say no! Yesterday I had carrot cake, wine and fried falafel before my workout. That didn’t feel so great swimming around in my stomach. 🙁