Zucchini Fries

Last night, we tried this terrific recipe from Weightwatchers.com. We have an abundance of Zucchini from our garden so we will definitely make these again. They were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. We even tried dipping them into Trader Joe's Low Fat Marinara. I was in heaven and don't think I will ever crave a fried Mozzarella stick again, after eating these.

I tried to provide you with a link to the Weight Watchers Website so you could see the picture of the dish but now I can't find it on the site. I did email it to myself so I can forward it to you, if you send me a note.


Ingredients
4 sprays olive oil cooking spray
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp table salt
3/4 cup dried bread crumbs, panko-variety suggested
2 medium zucchini, about 7-inches each, cut into 4 chunks, then each chunk halved
2 large egg white(s), whipped until frothy (almost soft peaks)


Instructions
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together Italian seasoning, flour and salt. Place bread crumbs in another small bowl.
Dredge a zucchini fry in flour mixture and then dip into egg whites; dredge in bread crumbs. Place coated zucchini on prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining ingredients; liberally coat with cooking spray.
Roast, turning once, until desired crispness, about 12 minutes. Yields about 8 fries per serving.


Notes
Use this technique with any summer squash or eggplant. It also works great with thick-cut onion rings or even green tomatoes.For extra crispy fries, increase the oven temperature to 500ºF and knock 2 minutes off the cooking time.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Dip

One of my favorite discoveries at Trader Joe's is Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. Since I haven't been able get to Columbus recently, I had to try to make my own. Mike and I collaborated on this version and it's full of flavor and low in fat.

We started out discussing the mechanics of how this was going to happen since our food processor, a hand me down from my mom, had recently gone to kitchen gadget heaven. Mike informed me that many of the great chefs of the world could make hummus long before the invention of the food processor. I think this was just Mike furthering his own agenda. (that the only thing a good cook needs is a sharp knife) I whip out this old food mill that once belonged to my grandma and decide that it might be useful for processing the chickpeas. It worked great but proved to be useless with the roasted peppers. Mike whipped out his trusty chef's knife and chopped them to a fine, paste-like texture. I grabbed the camera and proceeded to take pictures while trying to stay out of the way of a genius at work.

This has got to be one of the easiest and most delicious concoctions we have ever made, so here it is.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Dip

1 can of garbanzo bean/chickpeas

1/2 small jar of roasted red peppers (about 1 1/2 whole peppers)

1 t. crushed garlic

1 T. low fat sour cream

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Place the beans in a food processor and pulse until paste-like. Add the roasted red peppers and remaining ingredients and pulse until blended. If the mixture is still too dry, add a tad more olive oil but go easy on the sour cream or it will be too light. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes: We really like garlic so we added a little more. You could also use a kosher salt to perk up the flavor. The taste was much better today so I think I'll make it a day ahead if I'm going to take it to a party. The flavors really melded overnight in the fridge.

JoAnne's Beef Dip

My friend and co-worker, JoAnne, is retiring today. Although I'm happy for her and wish her all the best, I will miss her. Jo is one of those people who is good at everything. She can craft, sew, cook, garden. Last year, she took a class on making stained glass. Her first pieces were beautiful! They looked like she had been doing it for years. When I complimented her on them, she replied with a modest, "thanks". Sometimes, I don't think she realizes how very special she is. It's been a long time since I've met someone who is truly kind and who restores your faith in people. So for that, I thank her.

We always like to talk about food and recipes at work. We especially love any excuse to bring food to work. Jo brought this dip to our first potluck and the bowl was scraped clean. We have asked her to bring it each time we have food at work. When my husband's family came last month, Jo gave me this dip to serve them and they absolutely loved it. I shudder to think how much electricity was used because the refrigerator door kept getting opened and closed because someone was getting the dip back out.

Jo's Beef Dip

1/3 cup sour cream
1 small jar or pkg dried beef
1 1/2 tablespoon horseradish
1 pkg cream cheese

Wash and dry the beef to remove the saltiness. Cut up or shred. Mix all ingredients. Chill. Serve with crackers. (We liked it on bread or toast.)

Grandma Wappner's Cheese Spread

I’m taking the day off from writing to go see the Sex and the City movie but wanted to, at least, give you a recipe. My mom says there is no cheese spread as good as this one that Grandma Wappner used to make. I hope you enjoy it.


Grandma Wappner’s Cheese Spread
1 lb Cheddar Cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 T. butter
1 can chopped pimento
½ C. Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise
Melt butter over water in a double boiler. Add cheese until melted. Stir in beaten eggs, pimento including the juice. Remove from heat and add mayonnaise. Use on crackers or sandwiches.