My Eggplant Fries Obsession! #ouritaliantable #basuperfoodies

I know it has been a few weeks since my last post but I have a good excuse – really. I started a new job (LOVING IT!!!) and it has been heads down for a few weeks. But now things are starting to get to steady state and I can get back to what I love most – cooking!  But first, I have a confession (ok, maybe a few …) I have been making (and eating) entire pans of eggplant fries over the past few weeks. These darn things are addictive!! I was roasting some eggplant for a recipe a few weeks back while on my new year health kick which I have (successfully) completed. (Ok, that is a complete lie – I *almost* successfully completed. I cheated a few times with a glass of vino but I did eliminate grains, dairy and caffeine completely so that still counts, right?! I did have a seductive twinkle in my eye while I was sipping that vino – a girl needs a vice, no?!)

So back to my eggplant story. I had an extra eggplant and a hell of a craving for french fries – so I wondered what would happen if I just sliced up my little eggplant into ‘fry’ slices, drizzle with a bit of olive oil goodness, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and bake at a high temperature? OMG!!! I love these things – almost all the yummy goodness and crunch without the guilt (except when you eat the entire pan). Since then, I have tried tweaking things a bit – changed the temperature (400 degrees Fahrenheit appears to work best); made them a bit fatter (nope, need them skinnier to be crispy); put them on parchment paper for easier cleanup (nope, they were a tad soggy with the paper underneath).Someone just had to eat all those experiments.

These are super easy to make and so tasty – sprinkle with some nice coarse sea salt when they are fresh out of the oven or maybe some grated parmigiano and hot pepper.  YUMMY!  So give these a go for a simple healthy side.  Great alongside a juicy steak or a plate of steamed mussels.

Enjoy!! Buon appetito!

xoxo

Michele

Baked Eggplant Fries

Ingredients: 

1 or 2 eggplants

Olive oil

Coarse sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Slice eggplant into thinly sliced matchsticks – think french fries!

Lay on a baking sheet. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and black pepper.

Place tray in oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Check after about 10 minutes; flip fries to other side to allow both sides to brown. Bake until crispy and browned.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with additional salt, if desired.

That’s it – serve!