Our eggplant is still growing strong and now we have some new varieties of white eggplant and Japanese eggplant – both great options to the typical eggplant we grow and buy in the grocery stores. Outside of the traditional eggplant dishes, here is a new option for preparing your eggplant and something the kids may be intrigued by. I found this recipe on the Dizzy Busy & Hungry website – a great find for quick recipes for families on the go!
Ingredients for baked eggplant fries:
- 2 medium eggplants (try a few different types of eggplant here!)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
Ingredients for the dipping sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise (you may be able to try greek yogurt as a substitute here)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground chipotle (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
How to prepare:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Slice eggplants into rounds about ¾ inch thick, and then slice the rounds into wedges about 1 inch wide.
- Place the eggplant wedges into a large bowl, then drizzle the olive oil and toss until well distributed.
- Add the garlic salt, pepper, cornstarch, and dried basil flakes and toss again.
- Place the fries on a wire rack on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.
- While the fries are baking, make the dipping sauce by combining the mayonnaise (or greek yogurt), basil, garlic, lemon juice, ground chipotle, and salt in a small bowl. Chill the sauce until the fries are done.
- For crisper fries, place under the broiler for 3-4 minutes after baking – be careful that they do not burn.
- Serve your baked eggplant fries immediately.
