February 13, 2009

Italian vegan grilled Grapefruit-Zucchini, Panko Mozzarella sticks

Grilled Grapefruit-Zucchini salad is my entry to "Fresh produce of the month", an event is started by Marta of "Italian in US" blog and Simona of "Briciole" is guest hosting this month with a theme of "Citrus fruits except Oranges and Lemons".

I am also sending this Italian Vegan grilled Zucchini salad to Vaishali of "Earth Vegan" blog who is hosting a event this month called "It's a Vegan World-Italian".

MBP event details are below, Trupti is guest hosting this month.

Thanks to all of you for hosting, hope you like my version of salad! :)

Grapefruit:
This recipe is adapted from this Italian Vegan site and instead of Lemon, I used Florida pink Grapefruit which I happen to have at home and added more zesty spices. Grapefruit juice made a wonderful citrusy dressing for this grilled Zucchini salad.
The grapefruit is a subtropical citrus tree grown for its bitter fruit which was originally named the "forbidden fruit" of Barbados! For more info about the goodness of Grapefruit, please click here. This Grapefruit photo you see below is from Wikipedia too. Enjoy! :)

Italian Vegan grilled Grapefruit-Zucchini salad with grapefruit-herb dressing:

Here is the simple recipe to make the salad:
Click on the collage to see larger pictures. I used these:
2 Zucchinis,
1 medium size pink Grapefruit,
enough and salt and pepper,
1 tsp mixed dry Italian herb seasoning (Basil, Oregano etc),
1 tsp dry spice mix like steak seasoning or chicken seasoning which has dried onion flakes, chili flakes etc. You can sprinkle any dry spices you like as well, 1/4 tsp dry Parsley or mint.
1-2 tsp Olive oil,
2 Garlic, minced to saute.
Marinate and grill these:
1. Wash, dry and cut the top and tail of Zucchinis. Slice Zucchinis lengthwise about 1/16" thick (not too thin or not too thick) with the skin on and arrange them on a plate. Squeeze all the juice from 1 Grapefruit on to the slices.
2. Now, sprinkle all the herbs, salt, pepper and spices on top.

Heat Olive oil, saute minced garlic and few chill flakes until soft and add to the top of the slices, mix gently.

3. I covered this and let it marinate for 1 or 2 hours. Marinate overnight if you have time!

4. Turn on the broiler or grill, grill the Zucchinis with the marinade for 2-4 mins, just until Zucchinis are a bit soft but not brown. Do not grill until spices get burnt!!
5. Take the plate out, pour off the juice into a serving dish, and arrange the slices on a plate to serve. Serve the dressing in a small individual bowls on the side to dip with few slices of Zucchinis in salad plates.

To eat this salad, cut a slice into half, roll the slice with a fork and pick up , dip in the dressing and eat. This is the most delicious salad I have eaten! Slightly bitter and tangy Grapefruit and soft pulpy Zucchini slices with herbs and spices taste fabulous together.
Thanks to the Vegan Italian site with this recipe and also these two wonderful events, I found a delicious salad recipe which is keeper for me.

Hope you try! :)

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MBP is an event in which we pick a dish from other bloggers to post is started by Coffee and this month, Trupti of "Recipe Center" is guest hosting the MBP event with a theme of "Kids food". My kids love Mozzarella sticks, specially my daughter who is a cheese monster, so I chose to make these from Priya of "easy and tasty recipes" blog. I made few changes which I have written below and here is the Priya's Mozzarella cheese sticks.
Thanks Priya, we loved them! :)


Panko coated Mozzarella sticks:

Panko is Japanese bread crumbs which is very crunchy, sticks to cheese or any snack easily and stays very crisp even when cooled after frying or baking or grilling.

Here is how I adapted Trupti's recipe with my slight twist! :)
1. I bought few Mozzarella string cheese you get it in the cheese section at the grocery store wrapped in individual packs. They are about 5" long, 1/2" thick and sticks are sturdier than the fresh Mozzarella like finger food. My kids eat them just out of the wrap when they come back from school.
2. I rolled them in 1 egg+1tsp milk+pinch of salt mixture and rolled in the seasoned Panko bread crumbs. Add salt and pepper or any dry spices you like to Panko, mix well.
3. I let the sticks rest in the fridge or freezer for 15-30 mins so they firm up, don't fall off and melt when fried.
4. Deep fry in hot oil (375F) quickly just until the outside is golden. Drain and serve with ketchup or any sauce you like.

One more look!
That's it for this week, have a great weekend! :)

55 comments:

Meeta K. Wolff said...

these look great Asha! love the twist!

Finla said...

What i would love to try is that moaarella sticks.
I don't get in normal shops the panko meal, have to wait till i go to a chinese store as i have seen it there.
Have a wonderfull weekend.
Shyama is back to school still she has a terrible cough, but you know how it is, if they miss few days they will have so much catching up to do.

Purnima said...

Wow..looks so yummy! I loved all the recipes..but loved ur moz sticks...yum..will Feta melt off in heat? I hv no clue..else can try this wt feta..guess what I saw the sticks as well along wt 3 cheese..didnt know then what might b the use of it! hee...but didnt hv to wait long to know! I learn..don't I ..when i visit here!

Pavani said...

Mozzarella sticks look lovely. Putting them in the freezr is a neat idea. I don't like grapefruit 'cos of the bitterness. Should probably try it again, may be this time I'll like it.
Wish you a very Happy Valentine's Day Asha. have fun.. enjoy..

Laavanya said...

Oh that salad sounds too good... and pretty unique too. Mozzarella sticks are always a favorite :) I want to try baking them.

ranji said...

Delicious asha...i love zucchini especially when its grilled...i use it to make grilled veg sandwiches..yummy....mozarella sticks is something i have been wanting to make for a long time...hoping to make it soon...:)
Happy valentines day Asha..have a romantic weekend :)

FH said...

Grape fruit made a great citrusy dressing Meeta, loved it! :))

F, Tushar is down with sore throat now but weekend is almost here, he can rest. You can use regular bread crumbs as well, works well too. Enjoy your weekend. Hugs! :)
Hugs to S, too. I know! Hard to miss too many days of school. Here, they make you go on sat or in Summer holidays if you miss too many days!

FH said...

Feta cheese doesn't work. Purni. Must be hard cheese like Mozzarella or Cheddar. We get string cheese here for kids snack, I use those, they are sturdy, withstand the high heat.Frying cheese is a bit tricky. If you get Mozzarella or Cheddar, try cutting to big chunks and freeze for a while, works well! :)

Pavani, Arvind likes those Grapefruits, always have some at home. I am not that into eating those either. Some juice is okay,but they are a bit bitter.
You can use Orange or Lemon juice in this salad, any citrus will do!

You too enjoy the V day, have fun! :))

FH said...

Laavany, Vegan dishes are hard for me, got to think too much! So this salad was great.
Don't know about baking the M sticks, might work if the heat is very high and quick baking to avoid melting off the cheese. try it with few! :)

Thanks Ranji. Romantic or not, there will be a weekend! Hahaha!!
Can cut Mozzarella into heart shape and make it for V day, great idea, eh? Enjoy.
Yeah, I love Zucchini too, so pulpy, made Laavanya's chutney with it. Slurp!

See you next week! :)

Pavithra Kodical said...

Ohh..These mozarrella sticks are killing me..I love to have one:)
And addition of all spices and herbs would surely make the salad yummy..

ranji said...

good answer :D!! enjoy ur weekend..

Simona Carini said...

What a great idea to use grapefruit in the dressing for zucchini! I love grilled zucchini. I can understand your kids loving mozzarella sticks. Thanks for participating.

Meera said...

Yummo!!! Loved both the dishes, as always.

Cham said...

I use the grapefruit dressing for my fresh lettuce salad and cucumber. I personnaly love the slight bitter taste :) The zucchini and dressing sound super cool for me! Oh man the cheese , I am cheese monster too but I control a lot! Slurp! Happy Valentines Day to you and ur family!

FH said...

Pavithra, without some zing in dishes, nothing tastes good for us! :D

You too, Ranji. Just had lunch and sat down to check here, been working since morning for RCI H! :)

Thank you Simona, glad you liked it. Love the Grapefruit addition too, slightly bitter and tangy taste makes a great dressing! :)

FH said...

Thanks Meera, Zucchini salad really surprised me with it's taste, wonderful for lunch! :)

Haha! Cham, you and Trisha can get together and keep munching on cheese. I try and not to make too many cheese dishes in a week for her as well, she doesn't need extra calories. Once in a while it's okay to indulge a bit.

You too have great V day tomorrow! :)

KonkaniBlogger said...

Ok, got an error. Both dishes looking good Asha, but especially the salad, I always buy grapefruit but never end up eating it, so this seems to be a good recipe to try. Moreover, I liek the way U have used Zucchini in it too.

Cham said...

Thank you so much about the event. You are such a sweet heart :)

Ashwini said...

OMG..lovely salad with citrus dressing..will try this in weekend..can't wait..Mozz sticks looks very tempting and delish..I am sure my daughter will love them..
Have a Happy Valentine weekend Asha..

Priya Suresh said...

WOw am honoured and happy to see that u tried out mozzarella sticks Asha, grilled grapefruit n zucchini looks great...

Anonymous said...

woww..they look so yummy! my hubby loves veggies..i am making that salad soon..it's so easy! :)

FH said...

Maya, Arvind likes Grapefruit in the morning, so I always have a few. I eat it only if it's less bitter! :)

Haha! I am an encyclopedia of events, Cham! ;D

Thanks A. Oh yes! Kids love these sticks, hand held snack and cheesey too, what's not to like? :D

Priya, the second I saw your Mozzarella sticks, that was the one I wanted to make for MBP, didn't have to search in any other blogs! HeHe! Thanks girl!:)

All of you have a wonderful V day!:))

FH said...

Kalpana, hope you looked at my last post with Veggie Gratin. If you love veggies, that is the dish for you. Enjoy and happy V day! :))

Unknown said...

Simply gorgeous, Asha. Thanks for sending in the lovely salad to It's A Vegan World: Italian. I love all those brilliant flavors in there.

FH said...

You are welcome Vaishali, glad I found one beautiful salad for you.We enjoyed it very much. Have a wonderful Valentine's day and enjoy! :))

Mahimaa's kitchen said...

woww... those mozeralla sticks look terrific and i just wish i had them now.

Vibaas said...

they both look very delicious Asha. I have never tried grapefruit as many of my friends said it doesn't taste good. I guess i can try it this way :)

My sons would love your mozzarella sticks (me too :))

Unknown said...

Thats a great way to snack on veggies, and it is a quick snack too. Grapefruit is something I havent tried , we have just started buying Cantaloupe . The herb dressing looks tempting. Mozzarella sticks are my favorite too, I wish I were slim and trim :(

Raaga said...

both these look great and they're perfect finger food. I love them.

Happy Valentine's day.

sra said...

*SSSSSSLUUUUUUUUUrrrrrrrrrPPPPPPPP* @ both, esp the cheese sticks. What are you doing over the weekend? Have fun!

PG said...

what a wonderful idea with the grapefruit dressing! I like this salad! I have tried zucchini with lemon juice, but this one sounds very interesing!
the mozarella sticks are a good idea to make a uick fix snack at home, never thought about it. yummy!

Trupti said...

all dishes looks very delicious & easy to make Asha. Thanks for sending this recipes for the event.


Happy Valentine's Day !!

FH said...

Get some string cheese, Mahimaa, can make it in a jiffy! :)

Grapefruit is a acquired taste, slightly bitter. It's like eating Methi seeds in Indian dishes! Try once, in dressing with other spices, it's really good! :)

Roopa, you can indulge sometimes, don't have to think about calories all the time. Like today for V day, you can have a few Mozzarella sticks! :)

FH said...

They are great, Raaga. Happy V day to you too, enjoy! :))

sra, I got chocolate!! ;D
And we will go somewhere to have lunch. Arvind is on call but will be back around lunch time! :))

Thanks PG. We can use any citrus juice for this salad, taste equally great, marination is imp. Have a great V day! :))

Lisa Johnson said...

Oh my. Those mozzarella sticks look so good! I do love cheese. And speaking of love... Happy Valentine's Day Asha to you and your family! : )

FH said...

You are welcome T, glad I got you one for your event! :)

Anali, thanks. Happy V day to you too, I am sure you have got something nice planned today! Enjoy! :))

Raks said...

Mozzarella stics sounds really great,sure my kid will love!

FH said...

Do try and make some Raks, great snack! :)

Uj said...

Looks delicious.. Loved the twist in your recipe.. Hope you had a great valentines day.. :D

Divya Kudua said...

Hmm..everything looks wonderful..I esp like the moz sticks..have seen so many moz stick recipes in different blogs and been wantng to try those out..lovely!!

Daily Meals said...

Lovely salad...mozorella sticks look yummy and crispy...

FH said...

Yeah Uj, got few chocolates which I don't like!! Hahaha!!

Haven't tried M sticks yet, hope you do D, they are yum! :)

Thanks Vijaya! Have a great Sunday! :))

Suganya said...

Grilled zucchini is my fav. Looks so good. Mozzarella sticks have turned out perfect for u. Sounds so good. Have bookmarked it...YUM!

Andhra Flavors said...

looks delicious and love the twist.

suvi said...

The mozzarella sticks look great. And loved the grilled zucchini, I am going to make this the next time we do a bbq - ever so often, I am at a loss as to what to make for the vegetarians at a bbq, the zucchini sounds just perfect!

Anonymous said...

Zucchini salad looks delicious Asha, and I love the grapefruit photo -- *that* is a keeper! :) Panko is so tasty I can't buy it or I'd be deep-frying everything! m loves those mozz sticks, too. Have a great Monday! :)

FH said...

Grilled Zucchini is always yummy, enjoy Sukanya! :)

Thanks AF! Thare is always some kind of twist in my recipes it seems! :D

A, slice the Zucchinis thicker to put on BBQ, will be yum! :)

FH said...

Hi Linda, we love M sticks too.
Panko; you can coat cutlets/patties and bake them too. I have baked before with Panko, turns out very crispy as well! Enjoy the week! :)

Priya said...

Grilled Zucchini and Mozzarella sticks are mouthwatering.

FH said...

Thanks Priya! :)

AnuSriram said...

Mozzarella sticks looks so crispy and delicious! Zucchini and grapefruit looks like a lovely combo.. have to try that soon..

Namratha said...

I like Panko too, its far better than regular breadcrumbs! Looks yummmyyy! :)

FH said...

Enjoy both Anu, we sure did! :)

Yes, they are Nams, love to coat cutlets too! :))

Rajee said...

So great and delicious with twist!

FH said...

Thanks Rajee, great to make this for lunch in Summer and serve chilled too! :)