IBS-Friendly Sandy Zucchini

Summer is my favorite time of the year, especially because of the variety of veggies and fruits that Mother Nature gives us. Unfortunately, being in the Netherlands, I can't have access to my family's fresh produce in Italy, but I will soon be there to enjoy every bit of it!

Healthy seasonal vegetables

It is important to eat seasonal fruits and veggies. First, it helps reduce our impact on the planet, so it's environmentally friendly and sustainable. Secondly, nature is wise, and adds the nutrients that your body needs in that specific time of the year. Unfortunately, nowadays, with mass production and pollution, the quality is not the same as decades ago, but it's still a good habit to maintain.

Last week, I bought a few zucchini, a favorite low-FODMAP vegetable, and it came to my mind my father-in-law's recipe: "zucchine sabbiose," literally "sandy zucchini" because they are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

It's an easy recipe that only needs few ingredients, and it's baked, therefore a lot lighter than the deep-fried version. Even with an air-frier, will give you the same result of the oven.

Using the recipe with other vegetables

The cool part of this recipe is that it is easy adaptable to different ingredients. My in-laws' use the same procedure for IBS-friendly portions of potatoes, carrots, parsnips. There might be a slight variation in time as the zucchini cook quite fast. In case of potatoes, for example, I usually slightly cook them in boiling water for few minutes. After that, I add the rest of the ingredients and cook them in the oven.

To obtain a crunchy texture, I just used some corn flour, along with some Parmigiano cheese. They taste delicious and have no gluten. Herbs are good ingredients to personalize your recipes in a healthy way. In this case I had only fresh rosemary available, but parsley would have worked wonderfully too!

It can be used as an appetizer or a side to accompany fish or meat.
Buon appetito!

Makes: 2 servings
Serving size: half a portion each
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients for sandy zucchini:

• 7 oz of zucchini
• 2 tablespoons of corn flour
• 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• A pinch of salt
• A sprig of rosemary

Directions for sandy zucchini:

1. Pre-heat the oven at 400*
2. Wash the zucchini and cut them into sticks, and wash the rosemary sprig
3. Add the zucchini sticks in a bowl with the extra virgin olive oil and the salt
4. Cut thinly the leaves of the rosemary
5. Add the parmesan cheese, the corn flour and the rosemary to the mixture
6. Put the mixture on an oven tray and put it in the oven for 20 minutes. You can do few minutes on grill mode if you prefer them more crunchy.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 183
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15.8g 20%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 4mg 1%
Sodium 95mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 9.1g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1.6g 6%
Total Sugars 1.8g
Protein 3.6g
Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
Calcium 78mg 6%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 288mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.