Something Fried

Despite what most people think, being a vegetarian does not automatically make you a health nut. In fact, just last night I got a craving for some of those fried veggies you get at county fairs. Knowing that I only have zucchini and peppers in the house (two vegetables Brian can't stand), I decided to make him a fried porkchop with green beans and potatoes while my fried veggie strips cooked. Here were the results:

The zucchini and the green peppers were particularly amazing with the bbq sauce I dipped them in. The red peppers were so flavorful I could have eaten them without the sauce. Heres how I made these beauties:

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 zucchini

2 eggs

1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

1 tbsp Southwest Chipotle seasoning blend

All you have to do to make these delicious bites is cut your peppers into 2-inch strips and your zucchini into discs, dip in the egg, add to the seasoned breadcrumbs and bake at 450°F for 20-30 minutes on a cookie sheet. If you can make shake-n-bake, you can make these. I ate mine with bbq sauce, but they'd be equally good with ranch, marinara, or whatever you feel like dipping them in.

Also, since they were baked rather than fried, they were somewhat healthy. They'd be equally as good with practically any vegetable you happen to have in the fridge. I'm thinking broccoli, cauliflower, onion, or mushrooms.

The pork chop was only slightly more difficult, if only because they were incredibly thick and took a while to cook. To recreate this, you will need:

4 Porkchops (or however many you want to make)

2 eggs

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

1 1/2 tbsp Southwest Chipotle seasoning

3 tbsp Oil

Liberally cover a pan in oil and get it nice and hot while you prepare the pork. Prepare the same way as the veggies, first coat in the egg then seasoned bread crumbs, and add to the pan. Mine took about 8 minutes on each side, but if your chops are normal sized it should only take about 5. Be sure you have enough oil to swish around, or the crust will burn.

I served our meals with green beans and potatoes, seasoned with garlic and cayenne to compliment the southwest chipotle.