This all started with having a craving. I wanted something fried, crunchy, and dippable in ketchup. French fries are high in starch which my body likes to gain weight just looking at. I rarely eat potatoes. I used to miss them like crazy but now I'm all, "Meh" about them so it's not so bad. I love oven-fried zucchini but I didn't want ranch, I wanted ketchup, and while 4ft has no problem dipping everything under the sun in ketchup, I can't. I had half an onion sitting all alone in the fridge looking for love in all the wrong places (that vanilla yogurt isn't interested, leave it alone for goodness sake).
Normally, I'd do onion rings because they'd be prettier and anyone who knows me, knows that food doesn't only have to taste good, it has to look good too. Say it with me, "We eat with our eyes before we ever eat with our mouths." I know some of you are rolling your eyes at me (my best friend hears this a lot when she's trying to tell me how crazy I am -- so I know her eyes are) but it doesn't make it any less true. However, I couldn't do rings because I had half an onion cut the opposite way so I did what I had to do and made peels instead.
It actually worked out better that way because I made slider burgers to go with them (OMG best slider burgers ever -- recipe is coming) and the peels held more real estate on the burger so I got some onion-y goodness in every bite. They made better scoops for dip (which is totally my thing. I love dipping things) and they were easier to keep the breading on when making them.
4ft ate a couple, but the rest of the family are firm onion haters unless they're cooked in something and can't be seen (as they are with most things delicious), and they were missing out because these onion peels were delicious and tasted like regular onion rings without all the grease. Definitely worth the effort to make them!
I live near Stockton, and every year they have an asparagus festival (it's a big deal 'round these parts) and every year I go just for their deep-fried asparagus. If you've never had it, you're really missing out. It's seriously nom-a-licious
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Sorry, I was having a moment. Where was I? Oh yeah, asparagus.
Since my surgery, I struggle sometimes with things that are heavy in oil or have too much breading (which is a good thing I guess -- helps me behave) so I thought why not try something along the lines of the zucchini fries since they were such a big hit, but with asparagus instead (as I was feeling nostalgic for deep-fried asparagus).
Asparagus is another veggie that 4ft swears he hates and refuses to eat. I've recently come to the conclusion that if I bread it, call it "fries", and give him ketchup for dipping, he'll eat ANYTHING! He inhaled these, doing a little butt shake (not making this up), and making happy noises. He happily had seconds. It was amazing. And while they're not deep fried asparagus (because, really, what is?), they are really delicious and a lot better for you too.
This is the greatest baked potato EVER! The best part about doing baked potatoes this way is that all the flavor isn't just on the skin -- it's on the inside too. We normally load up a baked potato with butter and sour cream at the very least (sometimes we get fancy and do cheese, bacon, and chives), but these we ate straight from the oven without any additions. They were that good. 4ft especially loved that he could pull them apart and eat them with his fingers (I did too, I love playing with my food and any excuse to do so is awesome).
I don't eat a lot of potatoes because hello starch and carbs and not a lot of protein but if I'm going to eat one, it's this way. Its a definite healthier alternative than loading a baked potato with all the fixings.
4ft hates zucchini (what's wrong with that kid, I mean really? zucchini is delicious) and he refuses to eat it because, "It's the grossest stuff on earth, Mom." Sometimes I wonder how that kid came out of me. Anyways...
Every once in awhile I like to screw with my kid (because I'm an awesome mom) and take something he swears he hates and disguise it. Then I masterfully trick him to eat it. Me: Try this. Him: Okay. Me: Well? Him: It's delicious. See how masterfully done that was?
So, I did that with zucchini. I cut them the size of McDonalds-sized fries (because is there really a more perfect french fry anywhere?) and baked them up til they were golden brown. The kid loves ketchup, so I gave him ketchup for dipping (ranch is also seriously nom-a-licious to dip in as well) and gave him a stack of "fries". He ate one, made yummy face -- shocked big eyes and big smile (why he always does the surprise face, I don't know. I rarely ever feed him something he doesn't like) and then with piggy snorts inhaled the rest of his, Grumpers' (who couldn't be tricked -- the only fries to eat are McDonalds and how dare I suggest otherwise), and Bear's because she couldn't be bothered to come to the table. Then he tried to steal MINE!
I cackled evilly and told him he just horked down zucchini. Again with the surprised look and then he asked me if I was magic because only someone with powerful magic could make zucchini taste good. I told him I was and he better watch out. "For what? You going to turn me into delicious food?" I don't know where he got his smart mouth *cough*his dad*cough* (and for those of you who immediately thought me, watch out! I've got powerful magic!)
