Baked Zucchini Fries

Zucchini is one of those vegetables I buy to throw on the grill with olive oil, salt and pepper but no one really loves it. When I saw this recipe I couldn't wait to try a new way to enjoy zucchini because honestly, who doesn't love fries? These were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and tasted so delicious we could eat an entire zucchini per person! They were so good I made them twice in one week and I am not normally a zucchini lover. It's also a great way to get little kids to eat some vegetables.

Baked Zucchini Fries
Source: Skinnytaste
Serves 4

Ingredients:
cooking spray
2 medium zucchinis, ends trimmed
2 large egg whites, beaten
3/4 tsp kosher salt
fresh black pepper, to taste
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 1/2 Tbsp all purpose flour
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together Italian seasoning, flour and salt. Place bread crumbs in another small bowl.

Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise and then each half into 2 pieces widthwise. Next slice each zucchini chunk into 4 fries. Dredge a zucchini fry in flour mixture and then dip into egg whites; dredge in bread crumbs. Place coated zucchini on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining ingredients; liberally coat with cooking spray. 

Roast, turning once, until desired crispness, about 12 minutes. Yields about 8 fries per serving.

Turkey burgers and Steak fries

While September is lurking, it is still summer and hot out which means it is still grilling season! I have a feeling that it is always grilling season here in Florida. We use ground turkey  for most recipes as a healthier alternative to ground beef. Normally, we just season with pepper and throw the burgers on the grill. This was a nice change with a lot of fresh flavors.  A common problem with turkey burgers is that they get dried out, by adding the olive oil it really helped keep the burgers moist. And you can't have a burger without fries! I had a potato left in the fridge that we cut up and seasoned. Be sure to start the fries first since they take longer to cook than the burgers.

Turkey Burgers

Yield: 4 burgers

Ingredients:

1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

1/2 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary

1/2 Tbsp. minced fresh sage

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

Directions:

Add the ground turkey, salt, pepper and herbs to the bowl.  Mix well so everything is evenly blended.  Mix in the remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil.  Form the mixture into 8 equal sized patties.  

When you are ready to grill, oil the grates of the grill with additional olive oil or vegetable oil. Cook until evenly browned and cooked through, about 4-6 minutes per side.  Serve with toasted buns, lettuce, and condiments as desired.

Adapted from: Annie's Eats

Oven Steak Fries

Ingredients:
5 russet potatoes, cut into thin wedges
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme, eyeball it
1 teaspoon dried oregano, eyeball it
1 Tablespoon steak seasoning blend, or, salt and pepper

Directions:Preheat oven to high. Cut potatoes and spread out on a cookie sheet. Coat potatoes with extra-virgin olive oil, dried herbs and steak seasoning or, salt and pepper. Spread potatoes to the corners of the cookie sheet. Cook potatoes in very hot oven 25 minutes. Turn potatoes once, half way in the cooking process to avoid burning. Serve fries hot from the oven.

Source: Rachel Ray - 30 Minute Meals