Trader Joe's Zucchini Fries

Browsing the frozen foods section, I spotted and picked up a bag of the Trader Joe's Zucchini Fries. Initially they reminded me of a vegetable tempora ... while also a substitute for the normal french fries that could accompany any dish. I wasn't sure how they would fare since I know zucchini is one of the fussier squashes.

 

The bag describes the side dish as grilled and lightly battered zucchini. I sprayed some non-stick cooking spray on a baking sheet, added the zucchini fries, gave them another little spritz and popped them into the oven per the cooking instructions. A little more than halfway through, I turned the zucchini fries over and returned them back into the oven to finish off. Truthfully, at that point I was hesitant, the fries were kind of flimsy and not looking extremely promising. But I pushed those thoughts aside and let them finish baking off.

 

The end result turned out a lot better than imagined. The fries had enough time to crisp up making the outside batter crunchy and leaving the zucchini inside soft and moist. The fries did not dry out and for the most part the fries were firm enough to stand up on their own without falling limp when picked up off a plate. They were mild in flavor, being that of just zucchini and a slight batter on the outside of them. I enjoyed mine with a little sprinkle of salt over them, while I dipped them into a little reduced sugar ketchup. Overall I found them to be incredibly delicious ... whereas my mother who also had some alongside her dinner was as equally pleased with them as I was. Definitely a 2 thumbs up food find!

 

A serving, which is roughly a 1 cup (85g/3 oz.) is 140 calories or 4 points plus values.