Baked Hasselback Zucchini was my tweak this Memorial Day weekend on the traditional Swedish hasselback potatoes. The food photos spread out over the internet for the weekend were mostly of barbecues, salads and potatoes. Not being a great fan of mashed potatoes, I decided to feed my desire for potatoes and fancy food with baked hasselback zucchini. The garlic topping with the fresh herbs…. Ooo La la!
Confession time again! While this foodilicious picture and description of my inspiration for the weekend makes it look like I had a super-productive weekend, it was quite the opposite. Not that I am claiming any weekend to be any different for that matter but some of them (40%?? No? ok 30% ? Alright 15% of my weekends are productive!). They say laughter is contagious, I say laziness is! I see my husband fast asleep at noon, I go right back to bed! I see him watch a movie and relax, I settle down right next to him. So, apart from looking at pictures and making these amazing baked hasselback zucchini, the rest of the weekend was take-out food, leftovers, some meagerly cooking, going to the movies and loads of staycationing! For those of you who were never introduced to this term before, Urban dictionary defines it as “A vacation that is spent at one’s home enjoying all that home and one’s home environs have to offer.” A cool way to describe days when you were too lazy to move your ass off the couch and eyes off Netflix! 😛
How cool was your weekend? Let me know with your comments 
Back to the recipe, it is a very simple recipe with many options for customizing it. Just cut up the zucchini (vs the traditional starchy potato) like shown in the picture and the rest is a breeze. If you end up breaking the zucchini (like I did and put those in the background :P), don’t let that stop you. Just serve them up as “bite-sized baked hasselback zucchini”!
Back to the recipe, it is a very simple recipe with many options for customizing it. Just cut up the zucchini (vs the traditional starchy potato) like shown in the picture and the rest is a breeze. If you end up breaking the zucchini (like I did and put those in the background :P), don’t let that stop you. Just serve them up as “bite-sized baked hasselback zucchini”!
PS: You could also try throwing them on the grill (gently though). I have baked them. Please drop a comment if you do grill them. Would love to know how they turned out.
Here’s the recipe for
Baked Hasselback Zucchini
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchinis
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp fresh/dried thyme
- 1 tbsp crushed red peppers (chili flakes)
- 1/4 cup parmesan shreds
- Salt to taste
Directions
- Cut up the zucchini into slices but not all the way through. Place two chopsticks n either side of the zucchini to guide you through.
- Chop the garlic. Place the garlic, salt, and crushed peppers in a mortar and pestle.
- Crush the garlic and blend them all into a thick paste.
- Mix it with creamy, softened butter & olive oil mixture. Add the fresh/dried thryme and mix well.
- Brush the seasoned butter all over the zucchini. Try to dab some gently in between the slices as well. Use half & save the reserves.
- Bake the hasselback zucchinis in a preheated oven at 425°F (220°C) for 45 to 60 minutes or until the outside is nice and crispy and the inside is tender.
- Halfway through the 60 min, brush with the remaining seasoned butter and continue baking.
- When the baking process is almost complete, sprinkle the zucchinis liberally with Parmesan shreds and finish baking.
My Take:
You can substitute the thyme with rosemary or a mixture of Herbs too.
If you are not a crushed red pepper fan, use black pepper.
Yummily Yours'
Prash
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