Here’s an interesting and healthy twist on French fries. It’s a delicious way for your family to get in more vegetables, and who knows the kids may surprise you too and love them! It calls for basic ingredients you probably already have in your cabinet and is very low maintenance.
Serves: 4, Hands-on time: 12 minutes, Total time: 27 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 egg whites
- 1/3 cup skim milk
- 2-1 oz slices reduced-calorie whole grain bread
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 2 medium yellow squash, cut in eighths lengthwise
- Olive oil cooking spray
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 lemon, quartered
Sauce:
- ½ cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tsp mild Louisiana hot sauce
Directions:
- 1. Preheat oven to 450ºF. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg whites and milk until well blended. Place bread in a blender or food processor and process into coarse bread crumbs. In a shallow pan (such as a pie pan), combine bread crumbs, paprika, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne.
- 2. Place zucchini and squash wedges in egg mixture. Toss gently, yet thoroughly, to coat well. Working with a few spears at a time, coat zucchini and squash with bread crumb mixture, pressing lightly with fingertips to allow breadcrumbs to adhere.
- 3. Coat a large nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray, arrange zucchini and squash in a single layer on sheet and bake for 12 minutes. Flip over and bake for 3 minutes more, until lightly golden and tender when pierced with a fork.
- 4. Meanwhile, prepare sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, garlic and hot sauce.
- 5. To serve, sprinkle squash evenly with salt and squeeze lemon over top. Serve immediately with sauce.
Nutrients per serving (6 spears and 2 tbsp sauce): 80 Calories, 3 g Fat, 3 g Saturated Fat, 18 g Carbs, 4 g Fiber, 7 g Sugar, 8 g Protein, 272 mg Sodium, 18 mg Cholesterol
Estelle L. Benoit, RD, LDN
Source: Cleaneating Magazine June 2011