Let’s cut to the chase. We all love French fries. Truthfully, if you deep fried cardboard it would be delicious, right? But equally true is the fact that any vegetable freshly roasted out of the oven, and topped with a little salt or other seasoning is just as delicious. Because it isn’t the potato or other vegetable that makes it great, nor is it the deep frying…it’s the fact that it’s fresh from the fryer or the oven.
So why aren’t we using that knowledge more often in our own kitchens? Slice up or prepare the vegetable of your choice, toss it with the bare minimum of oil (or don’t!) and roast on a baking sheet in the oven. Season with salt, pepper, or other herbs and spices and serve immediately. Crucial part of the recipe? SERVE IMMEDIATELY.
Last night I made sticks of zucchini and fennel in this manner and they were fantastic.
I took two zucchini, one fennel bulb, olive oil, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and had a delicious pile of veggie “fries” 30 minutes later.
Cut the veggies into similar sized sticks. I tossed my two zucchini and one fennel bulb sticks with a tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with the seasonings of your choice – I used freshly ground pepper, smoked paprika and just a touch of salt. After tossing them well I poured them out on a parchment lined baking sheet so that they were in a single layer. Bake at 375 for about 25 to 35 minutes.
The roasting brings out the sugars in the veggies. Eat them hot out of the oven and you’ll see that these are as good as any deep-fried potatoes. No ketchup needed!
