No-fry zone: if you find yourself craving fried food, these five finger-lickin' recipes will satisfy your willpower woes

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, May-June, 2003 by Devin Alexander

If you're trying to slim down for summer, you've probably resolved to eat clean and get lean--no more chocolate, no more pizza, no more fried foods. But just as your thoughts turn to fitness, you're hit with a huge craving for something salty, fatty, greasy and altogether yummy. Do you give in just like that? Of course not. Instead, hit the kitchen for these crave-busting fried-food alternatives.

**********

zip-a-dee-doo-dah zucchini

1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg white
2 tsp. fat-free milk
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
2 medium zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch discs
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Generously coat a medium baking sheet with cooking spray. Follow the "Basic Un-frying Technique" instructions on page 41, placing breaded zucchini on the baking sheet. Transfer sheet to oven and bake zucchini eight minutes on one side. Flip zucchini and bake another eight minutes, or until breading is crisp and zucchini is tender. Serve hot with reduced-fat ranch dressing for dipping, if desired. Makes four servings.

Per serving (without ranch dressing): 80 calories, 5 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat, 2.5 g fiber.

meowlicious breaded catfish

1/4 cup flour
2 tsp. Paul Prudhomme's Blackened Red Fish Magic Seasoning Blend (or
  your favorite Creole seasoning)
2 egg whites
1 Tbsp. milk
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
4 5-6-oz. catfish fillets (or substitute cod, flounder or haddock)
Nonstick cooking spray

Follow the "Basic Un-frying Technique" instructions on page 41, placing breaded catfish on a large plate. Spray a medium pan with cooking spray and place it over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add breaded fish. Un-fry for two minutes per side. Lower heat to medium and continue to cook fish another six minutes per side, or until crust is golden brown and fish flakes in the middle. Serve hot with low-fat or fat-free tartar sauce. Makes four servings.

Per serving (made with catfish, no tartar sauce): 285 calories, 28 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat, 1 g fiber.

"you'll still be as cute as a button" mushrooms

3 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 egg whites
1 Tbsp. milk
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat breadcrumbs
24 medium button mushrooms
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Generously coat a medium baking sheet with cooking spray. Follow the "Basic Un-frying Technique" instructions, placing breaded mushrooms on the baking sheet. Transfer sheet to oven and bake mushrooms eight minutes on one side. Flip them over and bake another three minutes, or until breading is crisp and mushrooms are tender. Serve hot with reduced-fat ranch dressing for dipping, if desired. Makes four servings.

Per serving (without ranch dressing): 97 calories, 6 g protein, 17 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat, 2 g fiber.

french-kissable fries

4 medium baking potatoes, peeled or unpeeled (try Yukon Gold or Idaho) Salt. seasoned salt or your favorite herbs, to taste Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Generously coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. (Don't use your favorite cookie sheet; un-fried french fries tend to ruin baking sheets over time.) Cut potatoes to desired thickness--anywhere from shoestring to steak-fry-sized. Place in a single layer on baking sheet.

For shoestring fries: Bake 10 minutes, then flip potatoes and bake another five minutes or until they're crisp outside and tender inside.

For steak fries: Bake 15 minutes, then flip potatoes and bake another 10 minutes or until they're crisp outside and tender inside.

Just before removing fries from oven, sprinkle very lightly with water and salt to taste. Close oven for a few seconds while water dries, so the salt sticks. Remove from oven and serve hot with ketchup. Makes four servings.

Per serving (unpeeled, no ketchup): 114 calories, 3 g protein, 2.5 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat, 2.5 g fiber.

chef's tip

Because oven temperatures vary, the fries may over-crisp or under-crisp. If this happens, try using a darker-colored baking sheet for crisper fries and a lighter-colored sheet for less-crisp fries.

sassy shrimp

1/3 cup flour
3 Tbsp. Ojai Cook brand Citrus Salt & Pepper Seasoning or 3 Tbsp. Lemon
  pepper seasoning plus 1/2 Tbsp. salt
1 1/2 lbs. large shrimp (21-25 count)
3 egg whites
1 Tbsp. fat-free milk
2 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
Nonstick cooking spray

Peel shrimp, leaving the very end of tails intact. Cut shrimp down the back so they flatten but aren't cut through, known as "butterflied" (see photo at left). Rinse shrimp in cold water, then drain. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Generously coat a medium baking sheet with cooking spray. Follow the "Basic Un-frying Technique" instructions on page 41, placing breaded shrimp on baking sheet. Transfer sheet to oven and bake shrimp five minutes on one side. Flip shrimp and bake another five minutes, or until breading is crisp and shrimp are plump and cooked through. Serve hot with seafood cocktail sauce. Makes four servings.

Per serving (without cocktail sauce): 296 calories, 41 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat, 1 g fiber.