White Zucchini Parmesan

This is a recipe I made for a group of people during a get together at the house; it's assembled from various odds and ends I had in the kitchen but came together amazingly well. The Torog cheese is a fresh farmers' cheese that can be found in most Russian markets; if you absolutely cannot find it, substitute regular farmer's cheese or ricotta.

Step 1: Parming the Zucchini

2 large zucchini, sliced fairly thin
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp whole milk
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
dash of salt
1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
olive oil for frying

Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and chili flakes. Put a skillet over medium heat. Dip the zucchini slices in the egg mixture and follow by tossing in bread crumbs, set aside. Once several of these are completed add about 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan and arrange the slices. Once they're browned on the bottom, flip them. Remove onto a paper towel or piece of parchment and repeat until you've used up all the zucchini. You may have leftover egg and bread crumbs; if you want, you can combine these and fry them to make hush puppies.

Step 2: Sauce and Assembly

1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 oz Torog cheese
4 oz Irish cheddar, chopped into cubes
2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
salt to taste
2 large cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 450. Heat the butter over medium-low until melted, quickly whisk in the flour. Add half a cup of milk and stir until uniform in texture, then turn the heat up to medium and add the rest of the milk. Once the mixture becomes hot add the Torog and cheddar, stirring until melted and incorporated. Add the salt and garlic and remove from the heat.

Put a few tablespoons of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish and arrange the zucchini slices in one layer over it. Top with half of the mozzarella, more sauce and continue to layer the zucchini. Finish with the rest of the mozzarella on top and bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 and serve.