Summer in a sandwich
Sometimes you just need a good sandwich. And a vegetarian one at that.
I love this sandwich because one, it is filling, two, it is light (despite being fried! I added barely one teaspoon of oil to the zucchini) and three, it’s colorful! Food has to be colorful in the summer – I mean, the summertime is the time to make food colorful with all the rainbow herbs and produce 🙂
I recommend using Italian breadcrumbs rather than panko for the zucchini. I prefer Italian in this case since it adds a ton more flavor and spice to the super mild zucchini. If you want to go the extra mile, you can of course add herbs and spices (parsley, tarragon, oregano, cayenne pepper, and paprika) to panko breadcrumbs if you don’t have Italian breadcrumbs on hand.
And now time to talk the oregano sweet corn. Oregano could possibly be my favorite herb of all time (however, it will always be second to basil :)). And oregano paired with corn is a whole other ballgame. It is light, fresh, and super tasty…and very summery especially since local sweet corn is in season here in New England.
So have a great Tuesday, and I hope you like this sandwich perfect for a summer weekday lunch!
If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your creation with the hashtag #foodfinessa.
Oven-Fried Zucchini and Oregano Corn Sandwich
Oven-Fried Zucchini
- ½ medium zucchini, sliced ¼” thick lengthwise
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ¾ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp olive oil
Oregano Corn
- 1 corn cob, kernels removed
- ½ cup fresh oregano
Sandwich
- 1 ciabatta or French roll
- ½ avocado, mashed
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp dried tarragon
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ cucumber, julienned
- ½ carrot, julienned
- fresh basil ((optional))
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip each zucchini slice into beaten egg and then into Italian breadcrumbs. Place on baking sheet, and drizzle with 1 tsp of olive oil. Bake for 10-15 minuts, or until zucchini is crispy. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, sautée corn kernels with fresh oregano. Set aside once corn is slightly cooked but has a slight crunch. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, toss halved cherry tomatoes with ½ tbsp of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parsley, tarragon, and basil. Set aside.
- To assemble sandwich, spread mashed avocado on both side of ciabatta or French roll. Place oven-fried zucchini on roll, and top with oregano corn, marinated cherry tomatoes, julienned cucumbers and carrots, and fresh basil. Drizzle with ½ tbsp of olive oil. Close sandwich, and eat!
