I love eggplant but I understand that some people may be on the fence about it. There is the potential slime factor and sometimes it has the tendency to get a little chewy and bitter but not if you make it like this. This is my favorite way to eat eggplant. Crispy on the outside, tender in the middle and seasoned just right. I could eat them right out of the oven like this and together with the garlic and basil dip it’s amazingly good. Put the whole thing between two slices of bread and you’ve got one helluva sandwich. Oh yes and these ‘fries’ are my new favorite way to eat zucchini. Totally crispy – flavorful and fun to eat.
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Step 1
Cut zucchini into thin strips using a vegetable peeler, julienne peeler or veggie noodle maker. Coat them with egg and then toss them in bread crumb mixture.
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Step 2
Bake the zucchini fries on 400 F near middle rack for 20 minutes until brown and crispy.
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Step 3
Salt eggplant slices and let drain. Dry well. Coat in egg then coat in bread crumb mixture. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 400 F between middle and bottom rack.
Ingredients for the Eggplant & Fries
1 eggplant
1 zucchini
3 eggs
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon curry or all natural taco seasoning
salt and pepper
Ingredients for the Aioli
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (optional)
3 garlic cloves, pressed
3 handful basil
fresh ground pepper
Ingredients for Sandwich Assembly
tomato
bread of your choice
mozzarella
basil leaves and/or other greens of your choice
Directions
Start by slicing and salting eggplant. Let drain for 15 minutes while you work on the next steps. Slice zucchini with your favorite veggie peeler. Coat in egg and then coat with dry flour / spice mixture. Spread veggie noodles out on parchment papered baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until crispy on 400 F. Coat the eggplant the same way you coated the veggie noodles and bake. While the vegetables are baking make the yogurt spread. Combine all the ingredients in food processor or finely chop basil and press garlic and mix together. Assemble sandwich and enjoy.
Photography by Paige Alisa