Baked Avocado Fries

Yes, I said it ... Avocado Fries! These little morsels are amazing. The first few times I made them I thought I found my little slice of Heaven on Earth. The avocado stays soft and silky on the inside and the outside has an amazing crispy breading. However, the first few times I made them I also fried them and this did bother me a bit. I NEVER fry anything, but I felt like if I baked them they wouldn't keep that perfect marriage of soft and crunchy.

I recently watched, The Big Fix, a documentary on the BP oil spill. The thought of oil ... any oil has been bothering me. I wanted avocado fries for dinner, but the thought of pulling out all that oil annoyed me and I decided it was time to bake them. I am not only glad that I watched The Big Fix because it was sadly enlightening (I say sadly because, if/when you watch it, you too will be sad about the system that we live in), but I was glad because it made me finally bake my avocado fries and they were SO much better! They kept their soft interior and crunchy outside, but now they weren't covered in evil oil! Okay, a little extreme but they really are better baked than fried!

My mom made a version of them a while back and told me that she got a great response from her guests over the dipping sauce but they could've done without the fries. I was shocked! She used flour instead of panko. Aha! Don’t make her mistake ... stick with the crispy panko or rice chips if you want them gluten free. I've also used Ian's Gluten Free Panko and they were AMAZING!!!

Baked Avocado Fries with Spicy Lime Dipping Sauce

Serves 4

2 avocados, sliced 1/4 in lengthwise
2 eggs
1 T lemon juice
1 1/2 c panko or rice chips
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Spicy Lime Dipping Sauce

1/2 c vegenaise
juice from 1/2 lime
1 t chili powder or sriracha
1 t garlic powder

In one bowl, mix together egg and lemon juice. In another bowl mix together panko, cheese, salt and pepper.

First dip the avocado slices in the breading, then in the egg and then back in the breading a second time. This gives them their great crunch!

Bake at 400º for 7 minutes then flip and bake for another 7 minutes. Once their out I give them another little squirt of lime juice over the top. Serve with the Spicy Lime Dipping Sauce.