Oven Fried Veggies!

Ok, so I don't know about you, but sometimes I just want to "dip" something in marinara or ketchup and have a nice little comfort noshing session. My favorites? Fried zucchini, fried cauliflower and broccoli (it's good, I swear), and........ (drum roll, please) ONION RINGS!!!

But, here's the thing....NONE of these are typically very heart healthy or figure friendly. So, here is a really simple recipe that you can apply to ANY of the veggies listed above--for a MUCH healthier, baked version---without sacrificing any of the crunchy comfort goodness.

Just in time for SUPER BOWL!!!

Here's what you will need:

Ingredients:
1 Veggie of your choice: an Onion (sliced in 1/2" slices and separated into rings), 2 zucchini (sliced into wedges or fry-like strips), or a head of broccoli or cauliflower (broken into bite-sized florets).

2-3 egg whites
2 Tbs. Milk
Cayenne pepper (to taste--cajon seasoning works nicely too, for a little KICK)
3 c. whole wheat panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour (you can use whole wheat, if you'd like)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooking Spray

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Whisk egg whites with milk in a bowl until thoroughly combined; season egg mixture with a pinch of cayenne pepper. Place panko crumbs into a separate bowl.
3. Place veggies into a large resealable plastic bag. Add flour, salt, and black pepper; seal bag and shake until pieces are well coated with flour.
4. Drop flour-coated veggies into egg white-milk mixture, a few at a time, and toss lightly with tongs until coated. Place veggies into panko crumbs and gently shake the bowl to toss the crumbs until the veggie are coated.
5. Transfer coated veggies to a large baking sheet; spray rings lightly with cooking spray.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until veggies are tender and crumbs are lightly golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
7. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce! I like marinara sauce!