– Hey guys, and welcome back We're in the middle of zucchini season, which for me, as a gluten-free eater, is one of my favorite seasons because I love zucchini noodles
I have several zucchini noodle recipes over on my website and I have a zucchini noodle tutorial here on this channel So, if you're looking for a little zucchini inspiration, make sure to check that out But today, I've got a new zucchini recipe and it really couldn't be any easier It's baked zucchini fries and it's just three ingredients, plus some spices Zucchini fries are a great snack and this version is gluten-free, low-carb, and keto-friendly, because instead of using breadcrumbs, we are using fresh Parmesan cheese and you are gonna love the crispy, cheesy outside
So, let me show you how to make 'em To get started, you'll preheat your oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit and get your ingredients out, which includes two zucchini, fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and an egg Crack the egg into a small bowl or container and use a fork or small whisk to stir it up Next, finely grate about a cup of fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Fresh cheese has so much more flavor than pre-grated cheese and doesn't include fillers such as cellulose, which is an anti-caking agent made from wood pulp
There was actually a lot of controversy around pre-grated Parmesan cheese a few years ago because folks learned that not only did packaged cheese include this additive from wood pulp, but many times, it was also cut with cheaper cheese that wasn't Parmesan So needless to say, you can avoid all of that by simply grating fresh Parmesan yourself And since I know I'll get asked this question, I'm storing the cheese in my Stasher bag, which you can learn more about on my Meal Prep Containers video Add the grated cheese to another small bowl or container, and then add some spices to it I'm adding a teaspoon of garlic powder and a teaspoon of Italian Seasoning
if you don't have Italian Seasoning, you could use a blend of oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary, and sage And if you're not concerned about low-carb for this recipe, you could opt for a half a cup of almond flour and a half a cup of Parmesan Almond flour will give you a crunchier outside but I prefer the cheesier flavor It's just personal preference and you can experiment to see which you like better Once you've added your spices, use your fingers to make sure everything is well-mixed and stirred together
To slice the zucchini into small, wedge-shaped fries, just cut the zucchini in half, then slice each half in half, then into quarters, so you'll end up with 16 fries per zucchini Of course, if you have larger or smaller zucchini than what I have, just adjust the number of slices (refreshing music) Now, my zucchini came straight out of the fridge and they've started to condensate a little, so I'll just blot them with a paper towel You don't want any excess moisture on the zucchini as it will make it harder for the egg wash to stick All right, now we've got our assembly line ready
Have your slices of zucchini on one end, then the egg wash, Parmesan cheese, and a parchment-lined baking tray Use one hand to coat the zucchini in egg and let any excess drip off Then transfer that to the cheese, and use your other hand to coat the zucchini in the cheese and spice blend You really wanna keep your hands separate with only one touching the egg and one touching the cheese Otherwise, you'll end up with a big mess of wet cheese and clumpy zucchini fries, and that's the number one problem people have when making these at home, so that's my number one tip
After the zucchini is coated in cheese, gently shake off any excess and place the zucchini on the baking tray Repeat this process until all of your zucchini are coated and ready to be baked (refreshing music) Place the trays of zucchini into the oven and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, flipping halfway through on the cut side Now, because I used fresh cheese and not cheese with an anti-caking additive, you'll notice that this cheese melts more than it would with store-bought, pre-grated Parmesan, and that's 100% okay with me (refreshing music) While the zucchini fries are baking, I'm gonna whip up a quick lemon-parsley aioli for your dipping sauce
So I'll add a half a cup of mayonnaise, one minced garlic clove, the juice from one lemon, and salt and pepper to a bowl Then I'm gonna go out on my patio and grab a few leaves of fresh parsley for about a tablespoon's worth of finely chopped parsley I'll stir all of that together and then set that aside for serving When your zucchini fries are done, remove them from the oven and use tongs to transfer them to a plate And it's best to eat the zucchini fries immediately when they're warm and crispy right out of the oven
Zucchini is 95% water, so these fries will definitely become soft as they cool and sit out But if you serve them up right away, I guarantee that they'll disappear in less than five minutes and you won't even have to worry about that I hope you guys enjoyed this video and if you did, make sure to give it a thumbs up as it helps to support my channel And make sure to hit that Subscribe button below, so you don't miss next week's video (refreshing music)
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