So my friend Mary, the kale whisper, managed to procure about 5 pounds of eggplants for me, or, in other words, a crap ton of eggplants, from her neighbor’s garden. Because she’s just that awesome and cool. So I made and canned 5 pints of Eggplant Caponata and 6 quarts of a version of Ratatouille, but I still had some eggplant and zucchini left. So I decided to try this recipe from the Gourmande in the Kitchen, but make it dairy, egg, and almond free too, since I’m allergic to all those things, and use up the zucchini.
- 1 small eggplant about 7 inches long, sliced into pieces about 3 inches long and about 1/3 of an inch thick
- 1 small zucchini about 7 inches long, sliced into pieces about 3 inches long and about 1/3 of an inch thick
First dry dredge:
- 1/2 cup of arrowroot starch (you could also use tapioca or corn starch, but corn is out for me, since I’m allergic to it)
Second wet dredge:
- 2 Tablespoons of safe Adobo seasoning (If you don’t have Adobo seasoning, mix 1/8 cup of paprika, 1 1/2 Tablespoons of ground black pepper, 1 Tablespoon of onion powder, 1 Tablespoon of dried oregano, 1 Tablespoon of ground cumin, 1/2 Tablespoon of ground chipotle, and 1/2 Tablespoon of garlic powder, this makes half a cup of seasoning).
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 1/3 of a cup of arrowroot starch
- 1/3 of a cup of olive oil
- 2/3 of a cup of water
Third dry dredge:
- 2 cups of gluten free bread crumbs
Spicy Mayo Dipping Sauce:
- 1/2 cup of Earth Balance Mindful Mayo (or other mayo that’s safe for you)
- 1 Tablespoon of Sriracha, or your other favorite hot sauce
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and use an oil mister to spray the parchment paper. You can skip the parchment paper, and just spray oil on the baking sheet, but it will be easier to clean up.
Wash, trim and slice your zucchini and eggplant into pieces about 3 inches long and about a 1/3 of an inch thick.
Place the arrowroot starch for the first dry dredge in a flat bottomed container with enough room to move the pieces around to coat.
Place the ingredients for the second wet dredge in a shallow bottomed bowl and whisk them together. Make sure the bowl has enough room to move the pieces around to coat them.
Place the bread crumbs for the third dry dredge in a container with enough room to move the pieces around to coat.
Dip each piece of zucchini or eggplant in the first dry dredge (arrowroot starch), then in the second wet dredge (arrowroot, water, oil and spices mix), then in the third dry dredge (the bread crumbs) and place them on the baking sheet.
Once all the pieces are coated, place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until crispy.
While your fries are baking, mix Earth Balance Mindful Mayo and your favorite hot sauce in a dipping bowl.
Enjoy!