I have always been a "sauce dipper" whether it was bbq sauce, ranch for the carrots, a good old fashioned gravy sopping with a roll or biscuit, but my absolute favorite is ketchup! Lucky for me (or maybe him), Luke was raised a ketchup eater as well, so I fit into his family like... well, like french fries and ketchup! =)
A little bit of history for you: What's the difference between ketchup and catsup???
Well, it turns out.. nothing. In the 1800's, "ketchup" was the British spelling and "catsup" was more common in the U.S. The concept of the tangy, vinegar based sauce began in the seventeenth century when English sailors stumbled upon the Chinese pickled fish sauce known as ke-tsiap. It went through several stages of taste, texture, and consistency through the years, especially with the introduction of the tomato in the 1700's until the F. & J. Heinz Co. began selling our most loved version in 1876.
I avoid fried foods - meaning nothing is fried in my house since I am the one cooking - but just try to keep me from "oven frying" everything! Basically, anything that you can fry.. you can batter, dust, and BROIL. (I have never tried these new fry trends like fried snickers or fried twinkies. I'm sure Little Debbie is a nice kid, but she's no friend of mine)
zucchini fry rounds, french fry rounds, sweet potato rounds, and yellow squash rounds all start the same way with the same three ingredients. Grab a vegetable and get started today!
Basic Recipe serves 2:
(1) 2 small to medium or 1 large zucchini
or
2 small to medium sweet potatoes
or
3 average size squash
(2) 2 cups of cornmeal
(3) dash of seasoning, your choice. (I've done mesquite, salt/pepper, and cajun)
*(4) egg/milk batter
I do a dusting, but if you want more of a battered texture, whisk 2 eggs into a 1/2 cup of milk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place foil on a cookie sheet for easy clean up.
Slice vegetable into thin rounds and tumble into cornmeal (or dunk in egg mixture then cornmeal if you are battering). Lay rounds flat on cookie sheet and lightly spray with oil. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip the rounds and switch your oven from bake to high broil. Broil the rounds for 5 minutes or until they get nice and crispy, golden.
This sounds like a fun recipe for those picky eaters in your kitchen. You are still getting the "baked" health advantages and they get the familiar texture: Zucchini Fries by Ingredient Challenge Monday. You can use this recipe for the sweet potatoes, potatoes, or squash.
