Okay, I was wondering..

has anyone come up with a veggie that can replace taters and be used to make french fries?

I was thinking eggplant, but that is not real firm.

I love fried eggplant strips and by using Atkins bake mix and some seasonings, I can get a really acceptable dish that is so much like the Italian classic from my youth... I fry em in canola or olive oil and drain them well. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese and real zippy Italian dressing on em and yum!

Dang, now I'm hungry again.......

Back to the topic, what have you done to replace taters? And how do you prepare em?

BTW Rutabagas is out.......

I dont have the answer but would also love to hear feedback on this one. I really miss my taters

Ummmmm...OK what about cauliflowerpieces dipped in egg then ground nuts with seaonings(Garlic and whatever else you like) and salt and then deep fried I have not done this but the idea just went through my head as I read this post.I wonder if they would be OK done on fan bake in the main oven... sprinkle with cheese before baking might add to the crispness too.You would have to start with raw cauli though to cut down on the moisture content of the finished'Tatter'!! I will be interested to hear any other comments too.

Prof Gumby, if you're looking for crunch, try the Cauliflower Popcorn (recipe's on this site) but I don't think anyone's found a good potato substitute. (No sub for starch, I guess) I tried deep-frying turnips using the two-time method (fry once at a lower temp., let them cool and deep-fry them again at a higher temp. but they still came out kind of limp. Maybe breading them would work. (You could deep fry sweet potato strips but that would be a once-a-month kind of thing if you're close to goal)

Congrats on your terrific weight loss so far. You live in da U.P. eh? So do I (Iron Mountain). It's going to be a cold weekend!

hey, that's funny. i thought it was just us Canadians who are made fun of for saying,"eh." eh? guess not! lol

I make turnip fries. Cut them up like fries and deepfry them. Salt them up and eat them.
Now mind you they don't *taste* like real fries but it sure kills the fry cravings I get when I have these.

Actually, many Yoopers are further north than a lot of Canadians!! It must be all the fresh air eh?

Thanks for the compliment, and it looks like your doing well too! Cold, ug...a big bonfire Saturday night will warm the spirits anyway....

I do the cauliflower thing once in a while, I really try to limit the deep fried foods, even if it is good oil used. Brings back a lot of cravings in my weaker moments. Deep fried cauliflower is a staple in many pubs round here, just like Japaleno Poppers, Fried Mushrooms, fried cheeze curds and the like.

But as has been said, it just aint fries...

I may try the turnip recipie, and the sweet tater fries are a real treat. I may make some mixed fries with the turnips, sweet taters, cauliflower and eggplant.

The quest continues.....

(BTW I am in Menominee, not too far away.....but then is anythng too far away in the UP, besides the Mackinaw Bridge??)

You're making me hungry.

I'll have a look through my recipes tomorrow evening after my errands regarding turnip fries and see what I can post for you. I know I have one that was Atkin's approved which I pulled out of a Woman's Day magazine.

I might make some for myself. I've been jonesing for fries lately.

I've heard of fried radishes and rutabagas, besides turnips. I've fried chayote squash myself. Boil them until tender, then peel and slice and fry.

I watch Blaine's Low Carb kitchen and this is a recipe he made. They looked really good and he couldn't stop eating them.

Boardwalk Fries

4 cups sliced daikon turnip
1/4 cup soy flour to coat - seasoned with salt & pepper
Maryland Crab seasoning to coat
Peanut oil to fry

Preheat peanut oil in 375 degree deep fryer. Wash & peel daikon turnip. Trim top and bottom of turnip and discard. Cut turnip in 3-4" chunks. Cut 1/8" of one side so turnip is flat and will not roll. Cut turnip into 1/2" slices. Cut slices into 1/2" strips (objective is to make them french fry size). Lightly coat batches of turnip with soy flour and shake off excess. Fry in oil until well browned - approximately 10 minutes. Season with Maryland Crab seasoning to taste.

Yield 4 servings - approximately 4.5 net carbs per serving

Daikon radish is pretty close to potato, IMO. Don't let the radish smell when they are raw turn you off - it goes away with cooking. I've used it as a substitute for potato in stews and vegetable curry as well as grated and squeezed in a towel, then fried like homefries. They have to be cooked a lot longer than pototoes, tho. Last time I made the fries I cooked them in the microwave (covered in water) for a bit before baking them.

Have you ever used crushed pork rinds for 'breading' ?? They work amazingly well for that crispiness and they're 0 carbs and cheap

chicken strips:

Crush a bag of pork rinds in a large ziploc bag then add 1/4 - 1/2 cup of grated dry parmesan. Shake the bag to mix. Then pour the bagful onto a plate. Take boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut them into strips. Coat them with mayo (smear on with fingers - messy!) and then press each side of the strip into the pork rinds. Lay them out on a foil-covered, PAM sprayed baking sheet and bake until they are as crispy as you like them.

I absolutely HATE pork rinds but I adore this recipe. My kids love it, too I've used the pork rinds on whole chicken pieces (legs, thighs, etc) as well as for fish filets. They turn out great and can be stored in the fridge for a quick snack or to have for lunch the next day. They taste great cold as well.

Maybe this would work for you with daikon or another veggie? How about just the stems of the cauliflower?

HTH,

Rutabagas..ug.....

I like The Daikon Radish idea too, also when ya make fries, try em with some Emeril's southwest Essence and low carb cheese sauce on em (or shredded cheese of choice)

Life is too short not to live a little........

If you just want something to take the place of fries but not necessarily be mimicking them, you can dip portabello mushroom strips in egg and then almond meal (with any seasoning you want in it) and fry on the the stovetop (a deep fryer would probably be better, but I don't have one - you do need a good amount of oil for this). They are tasty!

I just fried up some grated daikon and it turned out real good. The texture is satisfying, there's a slight taste of radish but it doesn't bother me. I think I'll serve this for breakfast.