Open Faced Zucchini Melts

I was watching Down Home with the Neelys: A cooking show on Food Network. So they made these Fried Zucchini on their show today with some Spicy Dip. There lied my food inspiration for the day!!  I had to use my zucchini and I had to make lunch for the hubby. He has been banned from eating the same Spicy Bean Burgers that he has been having for a straight year now and it was turkey sandwiches for like 5 years before that.

When we were newly married, I started making something new and different for his lunches everyday and pretty soon it was getting out of hand!! The hubby was complaining that he felt like he was going on a picnic and not to work. It was a process just to have lunch, according to him - First the wraps, then then fillings, then the dressings, and then the garnishes! Add some fruit, bars, egg n cheese sandwiches for breakfast, yogurt, drinks, and then a 3 course meal that awaited him at home. So he stopped all the chaos by taking turkey sandwiches for 5 years and now bean burgers for 1 year. Somehow I convinced him to restart the "Spread" Lunches and he agreed :) Let me get in a few fun ideas before he starts complaining again!!


Ingredients:

1 medium length zucchini, peeled and cut lengthwise
Mixture of flour and semolina for coating
1 egg, beaten
1 cup of breadcrumbs
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of cajun powder (optional)
1 cup onions, sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used Mexican four cheese blend)

Peel the zucchini, cut it into half and then cut lengthwise to get thin slices.  Add the garlic powder and cajun powder to the in the flour mixture.  Dab the zucchini into the flour mixture, then into the beaten egg, and next into the breadcrumbs.  Prepare all zucchini slices this way before shallow frying them.  Heat oil in a flat pan and shallow fry them on low flame turning them over once.  To make them crisp, leave the zucchini on sim for 5 to 8 minutes.  Set aside.

Sautee the onions on the same pan. Set aside.

Lightly toast the bread with or without some butter (your choice) turning over once.  Turn the flame on low and line the zucchini slices on the bread.  Add the cheese and the sauteed onions.  Put a lid on the open faced sandwich so that the heat melts the cheese. Serve with the dipping sauce (Recipe follows).

Dipping Sauce:
3 tablespoons Faje yogurt
Dash of garlic powder
1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Hint of Dijon Mustard
Hint of hot sauce
Salt/Pepper to taste

Beat the yogurt with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients to make the sauce.