Zucchini Chips and My Mandoline

 

The other day a friend came over to go for a walk. She left me with a giant zucchini. I like zucchini which is a good thing given the size of this puppy. After looking at it for a week I decided it was time to tackle it. And tackle it I did with still much to go.

 

I began with zucchini bread which only required two shredded cups for two loaves of bread. This was not a quick way to dispose of this zucchini. I shredded four and used the other two cups for stir fried veggies. I then decided to fry some because fried things are always good when you are watching the Olympics. Fried things remind you of all the reasons you are not an Olympic athlete with the most obvious reason being that Olympic athletes do not eat fried foods. Well, maybe on an off day?

 

This fried zucchini reminds me of when I  went to college in Tempe, Arizona where there was a restaurant called Lunt Avenue Marble Club. (I don’t know how I remember this.) They made fried zucchini slices and I think served them with a marinara sauce. They also made deep dish pizza. These were new foods to a girl from Kankakee, Illinois. These were new fattening foods and they definitely helped contribute to that freshman 15. After that year we celebrated my brother’s bar mitzvah by taking a trip to Israel. We followed it with a trip to Greece where you guessed it-we ate lots of fried zucchini served with wonderful garlic aioli. You might say we all became giant fans of fried zucchini. Since then I have not had much fried zucchini but I feel obligated to eat it at least once a year. You know-for memories sake.

 

This recipe is simple but it does require frying which I only do a few times a year. These are so much better than frozen, well, I won’t even go there. And there is no egg involved.  Just flour and water, seasonings and my mandoline. My husband bought this for me as a present one year. Once I got used to it I now don’t know what I’d do without it. It is made by Kyocera, is inexpensive, does not require set up and you can adjust the settings for 4 thicknesses. It has a ceramic blade and a guard to protect your fingers that I  seem to have misplaced. I am not a gadget person but this is a handy one to have. You don’t need one for this recipe but the thinner your zucchini the crisper they are.

 

 

Zucchini Chips

 

2c slice zucchini (this was a big zucchini so I peeled it, sliced it lengthwise in half, scooped out the seeds and sliced it in half moons on the 2.0 setting.)

1c flour

Italian seasoning

Salt

Garlic Powder

Canola Oil

 

Slice your zucchini. Place them in a colander and run under running water. Let them drain but do not let then become totally dry. Put flour and seasonings in a big ZipLoc bag.

 

 Heat oil in a large skillet. I used about 2 cups. Throw some zucchini into the bag. Shake off excess flour and toss into hot oil separating as it fries. Cook until somewhat golden. Drain and sprinkle with salt and more seasoning if you are so inclined.

 

Serve with this simple garlic aioli.

 

Garlic Aioli

 

1/2c Blue Ribbon mayonnaise

2-3 garlic cloves run through a press

1T lemon juice

Pinch of salt

 

Stir together with your whisk until blended. Use extra (if you have any) for sandwiches. Yum!