I know I promised a few recipes with yogurt this week, in honor of the Blogger Secret Ingredient.  It came at a good time because I was planning on making baked zucchini fries, and what goes better with zucchini fries than ranch dressing?  And ranch dressing goes perfectly with almost anything I can think of (raw veggies, crackers, sandwiches, grilled meats, etc.) so I always make extra.  The zucchini is really just a guise so I don’t just eat the ranch by itself.

 

A Note on the Buttermilk:  If you don’t have buttermilk you can make your own.  Pour ½ c of milk into a small bowl, then add ½ TB of lemon juice or vinegar (I like to use some kind of white vinegar for this).  Don’t stir!  Let it sit for 10 minutes to curdle, then use.

 

Baked Zucchini Fries with Homemade Buttermilk-Yogurt Ranch Dressing

 

(Yield:  2 servings, plus extra dressing)

 

Zucchini Fries:

1 medium zucchini, cut into long, thin pieces

¼ c Italian-style dry breadcrumbs

2 TB fresh grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp dried herbs (any combination of parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, etc.)

½ tsp garlic powder

Pinch salt and pepper

1 egg beaten with 2 TB milk

Cooking spray

 

Buttermilk-Yogurt Ranch Dressing:

½ c buttermilk

5 TB Greek plain low-fat yogurt

1 TB dried parsley

½ tsp dried dill

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  In a shallow bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, dried herbs, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Coat the zucchini in the egg/milk mixture, then in the breadcrumb mixture.  Arrange the zucchini in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, flipping the zucchini once.

 

For the dressing, whisk together all ingredients.  Serve the zucchini alongside the dressing for dipping.