French fry fan?  Here is a great substitute that is much fuller in taste and easier on the waistline.   Note that as always, portion size is important – share this delicious treat with three friends or family and enjoy at only 140 calories per serving!

Thanks to closetcooking.com for the fabulous recipe idea which we’ve tweaked a bit, and to my best friend Deb for finding it!  We think that Prego tomato sauce makes a great dip, or indulge with two tablespoons of Bolthouse Farms Caesar Parmigiano Yogurt Dressing, at 25 calories per tablespoon (good for a creamy dressing, but not as low calorie as the Prego sauce which comes in around 8 calories per tablespoon) – remember to portion control the sauces as well.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 medium portobello mushrooms (about 150g each), gills removed, sliced about 1/4″ thick
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 egg whites, beaten
  • 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • spices as you like: try salt & pepper; cajun spice; rosemary & spice – or make up your own!
DIRECTIONS:
1.  Preheat the oven to 425F.
2.  Mix the bread crumbs, cheese, and spices together.
3.  Roll the mushroom slices in flour, then the egg white, then the bread crumb mixture.
4.  Place the mushroom slices on a baking sheet (lined with tin foil and sprayed with a bit of non stick spray) until golden, about 7-10 minutes per side.
Makes 4 servings. PER SERVING: (Approximate, and not including sauces!)
CALORIES: 140
PROTEIN 10g
CARBS: 21g
FAT 2.5g
***NOTE that this nutritional info assumes that ALL of the flour and breadcrumb mixture is used, but in reality, there is still some left after you’ve coated all the mushrooms.
Therefore, FOR DIABETICS who are counting carbs, please note that the amount of carbs will actually be lower than what is written here.  It’s a bit tough to say exactly how much carb you will be getting, as it totally depends on how much of the flour and bread crumb mixture you use, as this is where most of the carbs in the recipe come from.   If you only use half of the flour and bread crumbs, cut the carb count above in half per serving (ie 10g of carbs instead of 21g).
I’d be thrilled to hear what kind of herbs and flavors you try in this recipe – please feel free to comment and share your ideas!
Dr Sue Pedersen www.drsue.ca © 2012 drsuetalks@gmail.com

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