The short stories for Valentine’s Day were a bust, my apologies! I was exhausted and sore on Thursday, so I stayed in and skipped my workout and watched bad television with my BFF.
Today I’ve decided to post a recipe, in honor of the Appetite tour coming soon in March. This is a bit of a warm-up, you see.
Part of my regimen of working out and getting healthy, and losing weight in a controlled, healthy manner, has been sneaking in extra servings of vegetables, and substituting high-calorie or high-fat options for something lower and more reasonable but also tasty. Along those lines, I bring you:
Oven-Baked Zucchini Fries
What you’ll need:
Three to four firm, bright green-skinned zucchini
1/4 to 1/2 c egg wash
1 c panko crumb or bread crumbs
Italian seasoning
salt
pepper
Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. After washing, lop the ends off your zucchini, cut them in half, and quarter the halves.
We’ll be breading the zucchini, lightly, so you’ll need to have a few things set up. Put down a couple of plates and portion out about half of your egg wash. I use an egg substitute for the consistency.
Portion out about half of your panko crumbs or more.
Now, to add flavor!
I like to add Italian seasoning, but it’s really up to individual taste.
Don’t forget to add the salt!
And of course, several shakes of pepper.
You can do all this in a bowl first if you like – make sure to give it all a good stir to mix your seasoning in with the panko.
Don’t forget to spray your aluminum-lined pan with non-stick spray.
Time to coat the zucchini. Dip in the egg wash first. Roll it to ensure all sides are covered.
Working quickly, transfer the zucchini to the panko crumb plate, triangle side down, pressing it firmly into the crumb. Cover it with crumb on top and pat that crumb gently.
Take the zucchini by the ends and free it from the crumb. Don’t shake it, just transfer it to the pan.
Work quickly, and repeat until all your zucchini wedges are laid out and ready to go!
Bake in the oven for ten minutes, check to see how they’re doing, and optionally flip them at the halfway point. Bake the zucchini for another ten minutes until they’re looking golden brown.
Remove the tray from the oven, serve, and enjoy! You can eat them plain, with ketchup, or as my BFF chose, with a side of ranch. (Light ranch?)
The zucchini fries are tasty, filling, and come with less guilt than making oven fries – though I do have a good, light recipe for those too. I also use a whole-grain sandwich thin for my hamburger, instead of a full bun.
Hope you enjoyed my foodie entry, because there’s more to come as we ramp up toward Appetite’s release.
Today I’m watching cooking shows as I edit the third volume in preparation to send it back to the editor. I’m also planning another giveaway, so keep your eye on this space.
Talya Andor 
I’ve been interested in making something like these for a while but wasn’t sure how they would turn out. They look super tasty here though.
If it’s any indicator, and I think it’s a good one, my very choosy girlfriend has asked me to make these, of her own accord! The seasoning is key, and you can add some more after it’s come out of the oven.
Thanks!
Mmmm… *tempted to try these* What does the actual vegatable taste like?
Have you never had zucchini? It’s a very, very mild squash, and full of water (which makes it rather filling), so it’s a bit bland unless it’s well-seasoned. If you know what squash tastes like, it’s in that family but on the mildest end of the spectrum.