Step Up Your French Fries Game With Zucchini And Lemon Mayo
Put a healthy spin on fries with this yogi-approved recipe. (Photo: Cynthia Groseclose)
Yoga star Kathryn Budig is known for her ability to make yoga accessible and playful through her teaching and writings, but her skills extend beyond the yoga mat — all the way to the kitchen. Below, she shares her recipe for zucchini fries.
I certainly can’t imagine a world without my beloved french fries. They’re possibly the most perfect little pieces of food ever created. Like any regular child, I grew up adoring their golden, salty crispiness. As an adult, it’s the safe comfort food that I know I can order at any hotel around the world and not be disappointed. Obviously, the health benefits are pretty much nonexistent. I guess you could say it’s a vegetable and you’re dunking it into another vegetable (or, rather, sugared-up tomatoes). But hey, I’m not here to knock the french fry. I’m just here to give it a healthier makeover.
Lemon mayo takes these baked fries up a notch! (Photo: Cyntha Groseclose)
My first non-potato french fry experience was in Atlanta, where I ordered eggplant fries. They were crispy, spicy, salty, and overall awesome. That experience has lingered in my mind, and I finally played around with this concept in my kitchen. I used eggplant and zucchini as my test dummies. The result: Zucchini reigned king! Then, I tried dunking them in the classic ketchup (I even made my own), but it just wasn’t special enough.
Cue lemon mayo to the rescue!
I grew up with a major dislike for mayonnaise (the fact that we had Miracle Whip probably didn’t help), and it wasn’t until a British girlfriend instructed me to dunk a fry in mayo that I saw the light. I reluctantly followed her advice, followed by a full-on belly flop into the bowl. Fries and mayo are meant to be together. Zucchini fries and lemon Vegenaise — a match made in heaven. Basically, whatever you do — make this sauce! No ketchup allowed here. Trust me and devour every last bite!
Baked Zucchini Fries with Lemon Mayo
Zucchini Fries:
2 zucchinis, skin left on
1 cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch cayenne
1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
2 eggs
1 tablespoon plain yogurt (coconut or dairy)
1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt
Cooking spray (I use coconut oil)
Lemon Mayo:
1 cup Vegenaise (I use the soy-free version)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 teaspoons Maldon sea salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a cooking sheet with parchment paper and spray with coconut oil.
Slice zucchinis in half the long way. Cut these two pieces in half. Slice each quarter into fries — roughly 3 even slices.
Grab 3 medium-sized prep bowls. Fill one with gluten-free flour, the next with breadcrumbs, cumin, seasoned salt, garlic, and cayenne, and the final bowl with whisked eggs and yogurt. Lightly coat a handful of zucchini strips in flour, followed by a quick bath in egg mixture. Dredge your fries in the breadcrumb mixture until evenly coated. Line your cooking sheet with your full set of fries (these guys can bake close together, no biggie) and give them a final mist of coconut oil spray and a dusting of Maldon sea salt. Bake for roughly 10-15 minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
Whisk Vegenaise (or mayo), lemon juice, lemon zest, and sea salt together in a dipping bowl. Dunk away!
Kathryn Budig is a yoga teacher, author, and the founder of AIM TRUE. Find more healthy recipes on her blog.
