Spring Recipe: Spicy Green Bean Fries

It's almost time to dust off the grill and de-web that patio furniture. With warm weather on its way, we're itching for barbecue season. Whether you are planning a Sunday cookout, a Cinco de Mayo pool party, or gearing up for a Memorial Day gathering, we've put together an awesome menu of delicious, green recipes. Today we will start with a healthy and green alternative to a barbecue favorite: french fries.

Spicy Green Bean Fries

Why limit yourself to potatoes when you can turn just about anything into a "fry," even green beans. This lean, green vegetable is not only low in cholesterol and fat but aalso high in dietary fiber, protein, and iron. Best of all, green bean season is starting, so they can be found at your local farmers' market (keep in mind that they come in yellow and purple if you'd like a variety of colors). Kristen McCaffrey from Slender Kitchen created this tasty way to turn a power vegetable into a zesty barbecue appetizer!

Ingredients:

1 lb. green beans, washed and trimmed

1 cup bread crumbs

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 egg whites

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Stir together the bread crumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Place in a shallow bowl or plate.
3. Whisk together the egg whites until frothy.
4. Dip the green beans into the egg white and then roll in the bread crumbs. Place on the parchment paper in a single layer. Repeat until all the green beans are coated in bread crumbs.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until green beans are nice and crispy, shaking the baking sheet once during cooking

Skinny Chipotle Ranch Sauce

Ingredients:

    1 cup of fat free sour cream

    2 tbsp of olive oil mayo

    1 oz package of Ranch Dip mix

    1 tbsp of chipotle powder

 Combine ingredients and chill before serving.

 

 

 

--The Spicy Green Bean Fries recipe was created by Kristen McCaffrey of Slender Kitchen. Reprinted with permission

--Skinny Chipotle Ranch Sauce is a family recipe from Brittany Johnson.

--image 1 by istockphoto/cierra45; image 2 courtesy of Kristen McCaffrey

 

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