Gluten Free Friday: Baked Eggplant Fries

One of my favorite sides is baked zucchini fries.  They’re light, crispy, and I can eat an entire plate for a meal and be quite happy.  I decided I wanted to give the same concept a try with eggplant.  I’ve done this once before and was wholly unimpressed with the result, but I hadn’t given up hope.  I learned that eggplants with a smaller “navel” on the non stem end have fewer seeds and are therefore less bitter.  I also thought to slice the eggplant fries MUCH thinner than I do the zucchini so that they truly wound up crispy.  I also was on a quest to find a suitable gluten free alternative to panko breadcrumbs.   On some board or blog or other, I saw someone suggest using crushed Rice Chex, so that was what I tried.  It worked BEAUTIFULLY.   We dipped the fries in marinara sauce.  I say this recipe is a keeper (though zucchini is still my preference).   I’d really like to try the same method to make a baked eggplant Parmesan.  This makes a TON.  Serves 4-6 as a side.

Ingredients:

• 1 eggplant cut into thin strips
• 2 egg whites
• crushed Rice Chex (just blitz them in you food processor)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Set up your breading station with 2 pie plates, putting the egg whites in one and some of the Chex in the other (don’t put it all in there at once as it’ll get a little moist as you keep breading and you’ll want to have more to dump in).
3. Set up your cookie sheets with bakers racks inside them (so that it elevates the eggplant and eliminates the need to flip).
4. Dip the eggplant in the egg white, then into the Chex, coating well.
5. Layer on the bakers racks.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Serve with Marinara.

Printable version.

This steel magnolia is the poster child for successfully Doing All the Things, smart phone in one hand, sword in the other. Author of action-packed PR/UF for adults and teens. You can catch up with her at Pots and Plots, her blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.