Faux Fried Foods

You do not need me to tell you that fried foods are not a healthful choice, that really is not news. But they sure are tasty, aren't they? Crispy and moist, mmm.... What to do? Use your oven to create oven "fried" goodness, that's what.

For example: America's favorite vegetable, the french fry. I love them, and you probably do too... from fast food to fine dining, they are delicious. To satisfy a french fry craving, try oven fried potato wedges.Take a couple of spuds, wash well and slice into wedges of uniform thickness. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the wedges out in a single layer with a bit of space in between. Roast at 350-375 degrees until golden brown. The trick with these is patience. To get that crispy fry-like exterior you must allow them to roast for quite awhile, but it's so worth it.

In honor of lent, I'm also cooking up some oven-fried fish. Instead of a thick batter that soaks up a ton of oil, these filets are coated in a flour mixture, dipped in egg, then rolled in some whole wheat cracker or bread crumbs and allowed to bake until golden brown. Serve this delicious fish and chips-style meal with spicy no-mayo cole slaw. P.S. this style of oven-frying works for chicken, too.


Oven Fried Fish and Chips:

1 lb fish filets
1 1/2 cups whole wheat cracker and/or bread crumbs
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 egg
1 T water
1 T lemon juice

2-3 large russet potatoes
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
cooking spray

Combine flour and seasonings. Beat egg with water and lemon juice. Dip fish filets into flour, then egg mixture, then roll in bread crumbs. Place on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spray filets with additional cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Slice potatoes into wedges. Spread evenly on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spray the tops of potato wedges with additional cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in 350 degree oven until crispy golden brown (about an hour).