Zucchini Fries

"Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper."  
          -Adelle Davis

I really love this quote, and I try to live by it.  Basically, it means to eat a big breakfast, a decent-sized lunch, and a small dinner.  I highly encourage snacking in between, especially between lunch and dinner.  If you are anything like me or if you are some of the lucky people that I have lived, you know what it's like to have a fast metabolism.  Eat dinner at 6...come 11:00, you're starving.  Many of my friends have heard my rather angry rants at midnight when I am in desperate need of food.  

Now, you might think a bigger dinner would be the solution, but I disagree.  Eat a big breakfast.  It starts your day wonderfully and gives you a routine every morning.  Eat a decent sized lunch.  Most lunch menus in America are actually a wonderful size (but sometimes they're even too big).  And almost every dinner is too big.  And we, as Americans, do not have a "snack" - le gouter - time.  (What about elevenses?  Luncheon?  Afternoon Tea?  Dinner?  Supper?")  

When I was a kid, I would get home around 4 pm after a lunch at around 12.  My first question, without fail, would be, "what's for dinner?"  That was because, without fail, I was hungry.  But little did I know that a quick snack - a peach, a crepe, some pistachios, or my favorite, a can of black olives - would hold me over until a small dinner that starts around 8 and ends at 9.  That small dinner would then leave me hungry enough to eat a big breakfast in the morning.  Actually, my stomach is one of the best alarm clocks.  

One of my favorite childhood memories is waking up to the smell of my mom baking blueberry muffins.  I would run downstairs, grab my plate, get out the butter, and pig out.  You can still do this today, so long as you DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST.  I don't care if you also eat a huge lunch and dinner.  I don't care what time you eat.  Just, eat and enjoy your breakfast.  

Next semester, come to breakfast with me.  I have wonderful friends that I eat breakfast with every morning at school.  Sometimes we wouldn't even talk, but we were having a nice breakfast and enjoying the food.  It is one of my favorite things about my school.  It's one of the things I am going to miss the most this semester.  

I'm not a health guru and I don't like to force ideals on others.  But, seriously, how can you skip breakfast?  Food is too good to skip a meal.  

On another note...

Most people would consider what I had for dinner tonight as an appetizer.  Zucchini fries, as an entree?  Usually I use zucchini when I grill by slicing it lengthwise or I use it in cubes or circles when I make ratatouille.  Tonight, I felt like it was too late to to grill and I did not have all of the ingredients for ratatouille.  But I had four zucchinis that needed to be cooked before they went bad.  

So, I did my usual internet research.  Started with "zucchini recipes," saw a good recipe, searched "zucchini fries," then "zucchini fries with onion dip."  Then, I opened 4-5 recipes I really enjoyed, combined them, and tried it out!  

I got a new camera today, so these are all my photos!  Sadly, I won't be crediting the original recipes, because I have combined a few of them (and added some of my own ingredients) to make it personal.  

So here we go!

Zucchini Fries
Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium sweet onion
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• salt and pepper, to taste

Fries Ingredients:

• 4 medium zucchinis
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon salt, separated 

Instructions:

   1.  Wash the zucchini, cut off the tops and bottoms, then cut each in half.  Now cut the zucchini into spears.  Usually I did this by cutting the zucchini into thirds, then, depending on the size of the half, cut it the other way into thirds or in half.  Place the spears into a colander (in the sink, or with a bowl underneath) then sprinkle with salt.  Let sit for about an hour so the zucchini loses some of its liquid.

    2.  Next, heat a pan on medium-low with the butter.  Slice the onion and add it to the pan once the butter is hot an melted.  Cook until the onion carmelizes.  Stir frequently to avoid burning.  It takes around 25 minutes.  

   3.  While the onion is cooking, combine the vinegar, honey, and mustard, with a splash of olive oil in a food processor.  Prepare the bread topping by combining the bread crumbs, cheese, and salt on a plate.  Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl.  Preheat the oven to 425 F.  

   4.  When onion is done, put in food processor and blend.  Remove from the processor and stir in mayo.  Add salt and pepper as needed.  Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

   5. Place tin foil or parchment paper on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.  One-by-one, dip the zucchini in the egg, roll it in the bread topping, then place it on the baking sheet.  Once the sheet is full, bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes (until golden brown).  Serve and enjoy and keep reading!