Parmesan-Crusted Veggies & Sweet Onion Sauce

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baked parmesan veggies and sweet onion sauce

I didn’t originally intend to turn this into a blog post, but after posting this picture on Facebook and Instagram, and lots of friends liking it and asking for the recipe, I figured, hey, what the heck…Also, because this was an after-the-fact blog post, you’ll have to excuse the poor photo quality ;)

Ever run into a dinner rut in the middle of the week? That was me on Tuesday night. Baby Y was having a bad night (teething), and even though I started making dinner at 8pm, we didn’t officially eat until around 10:30 or 11:00 – oh, the madness!

baked parmesan veggies and sweet onion sauce

Ahh, but it was ok once we sat down and gobbled up these yummy parmesan-crusted asparagus spears and broccoli florets…oh, and the sauce! The sauce was just heavenly, just what we needed at the end of a long day.

baked parmesan veggies and sweet onion sauce

It’s amazing how well things turn out at the end of what seems like the most difficult day ever. In my frazzled and all-over-the-place state of mind, I looked in the fridge, pulled out whatever I could find and got to work. Veggies – check. Parmesan – check. Eggs – check. Add to that some bread crumbs and seasonings and voila – the makings of a tasty, wholesome, satisfying late-night “dinner.”

baked parmesan veggies and sweet onion sauce

If you’ve read at least one other recipe on here (one that I made up, at least), you’d know very quickly that I don’t measure anything – especially when I’m in end-of-the-night zombie mode ;) So,I’ll try my best to guess, but you’ll just have to forgive me and agree to experiment with this – really, it’s so easy, you barely even need a recipe. So just let this function as a guide of sorts.

baked parmesan veggies and sweet onion sauce

I cut the asparagus spears in half, and the broccoli into small florets. I then chopped up the remaining broccoli stalks into strips – make sure you peel away (with a small knife) the top layer of skin from the thick stalk at the bottom, since it’s very fibrous and almost impossible to chew.

Then, I made a simple egg wash and combined the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and breaded all the veggies. Don’t throw all the eggy veggie pieces into the bread crumb mix all together; you’ll just end up with a big sticky mess! Save yourself the headache, and take the time to do them one by one.

baked parmesan veggies and sweet onion sauce

I baked them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until they were golden, and while they were baking, I made the dipping sauce, which I found at this site, and made a few changes to. Basically, you’ll carmelize some sliced onions, throw them into a blender with some honey, apple cider vinegar, and spicy mustard. Then mix in some mayo and yogurt, and you’ve got the most wonderfully sweet and tangy dipping sauce ever :) It works great as a sandwich spread too!

baked parmesan veggies and sweet onion sauce

baked parmesan veggies and sweet onion sauce

And that’s the story of the amazing crispy veggie dinner :) Enjoy!

baked parmesan veggies and sweet onion sauce

Parmesan-Crusted Veggies & Sweet Onion Sauce
Author: Sarah @ Nature’s Nurture
Asparagus spears and broccoli florets are breaded in a bread crumb/parmesan mixture, baked until golden, and served with a tangy, sweet onion dipping sauce.
Ingredients
  • 10-15 asparagus spears, washed and ends snapped off
  • 2 small heads of broccoli, washed
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1-1 1/2 cups of seasoned bread crumbs (if using plain crumbs, just season with salt and pepper, and italian spices, ie: onion, garlic, parsley, basil, paprika, etc.)
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 small onion, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon oil or butter
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon spicy mustard
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Snap ends off of asparagus and cut spears in half.
  3. Remove skin from large broccoli stalk, and chop stalks into 2-inch sections.
  4. In separate bowls, place beaten eggs and bread crumb/parmesan cheese mixture.
  5. For each asparagus spear and the broccoli stalks, coat them in the egg wash, transfer to the bread crumb mix and coat, then place on prepared baking pan.
  6. For the broccoli florets, hold them by the stalk and dip the heads into the egg wash, then dip them into the bread crumb mix; transfer to prepared baking pan.
  7. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden and crispy.
  8. While veggies are baking, heat oil or butter in a pan on medium heat, add the onions, sugar, and salt & pepper, and cook the onions, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking and stirring until onions carmelize, about 15 minutes.
  9. Transfer onions to a blender or food processor, add the vinegar, honey, and mustard, and blend until almost smooth.
  10. Transfer to a bowl, and mix in the mayo and yogurt.

 

This recipe was shared here:

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Sarah UmmYousef

Sarah UmmYousef is a former school teacher turned stay-at-home wife and mama with a passion for all things simple, natural, and homemade. She loves the natural world, and believes the solutions to many of the world’s ailments lie in nature. Her blog, , began as a way to document her family’s journey to a greener home, but has since become a thriving community and resource for those wishing to take small steps towards a more eco-friendly, natural and sustainable lifestyle. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.

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