Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries

So if my dear mother were still alive and you told her that *I* was giving out a recipe for zucchini she would tell you to go wash your mouth out with soap for fibbin.  Her darling daughter would never EVER cook with zucchini let alone eat it.  Growing up I was the world’s most pickiest eater ever.  I mean seriously… if you gave me pasta sauce and it had one onion in it my nose would be so far up in the air with my head turned to the side and arms crossed.  Yes, I was that kid!

However I grew up and *almost* out of that picky-ness.  I say almost as I still make that 7-year-girl-squinched-up-face when something “icky” it put in front of me.  The difference with that is I’ll at least try it.. once.  You will never, EVER find a chunk of tomatoes in anything I make.  If I’m forced to eat a visible piece of onion then it has to be cooked and very soft.  I love the flavor of them but it’s a texture thing for me. As a kid I think the only veggies I ate were potatoes, corn and canned (never fresh or frozen) peas.

Times have changed.  I eat almost all veggies and not so much beef.  I tend not to eat fried foods and eat a wide variety of foods.  Which is a good thing considering I want to open a bistro.  I mean, who would patronize a business that only served Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches on white bread, milk, french fries, potato chips, mashed potatoes and ice cream?  LOL

Sunday I decided to make a “real” meal since it was our first weekend home from vacation.  Vacations are awesome but honestly I really, REALLY missed my kitchen and cooking/baking.  Anyway, I picked up some Rock Cornish Hens, potatoes and zucchini.  I opted to go for Zucchini fries as one of the TKW Facebook Family members was having issues with their zucchini chips.  They were getting soggy while baking.  I explained how they should be cut thin, baked on a rack — just found out that did the trick for her.  They weren’t soggy but were super crispy!  Yeah!

With zucchini, squash and the like being in season right now and at it’s peak of freshness, go out and pick some up and make these.  They are SUPER crispy, SUPER yummy AND.. they are a bajillion times healthier than the fried ones.  So you get that crunch factor without all of the guilt!  And yes… you can do this with yellow squash as well.

Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries

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5 from 3 reviews

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• Author: The Kitchen Whisperer

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoon water
• 2 cups Panko or Gluten Free Panko
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup cornstarch *see note
• 1 lb zucchini, cut into 4–5″ sticks 1/4” thick
• Parmesan cheese for garnish
• Marinara sauce
• Ranch

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Put a baking rack on top of a baking sheet.
3. Spray the rack with non-stick spray.
4. Place cornstarch in a large sealable bag.
5. Whisk eggs with 2 Tbsp water and place in a shallow dish.
6. Place Panko, salt, pepper, garlic powder in a shallow dish and mix to combine.
7. Place zucchini in the bag with the cornstarch and shake until well coated.
8. Dip the zucchini into the egg, removing it and allowing the excess to drip off.
9. Place the zucchini into the panko, turning to coat well.
10. Place breaded zucchini on the sprayed rack
11. Spray the zucchini with the non-stick spray.
12. Bake for 10 minutes and using tongs, flip the zucchini.
13. Spray again and bake for 10 minutes.
14. If you want it to be super, super crispy broil for 1-2 minutes.
15. Garnish with Parmesan Cheese.
16. Serve with Marinara Sauce or Ranch.

Notes

To ensure Gluten-Free Cornstarch, read the label to make sure it’s not made in a shared facility with wheat products

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