Replace French Fries with This Easy and Healthy Snack
24 
March 15, 2010
The most eaten vegetable in the United States is the potato. Found in fast food venues from coast to coast the delicious French Fries are hard to avoid.
BUT, it is possible to bake something that will satisfy the craving. Baked sweet potato fries have the crunchy outside, and the soft inside and they pack a nutritional wallop with 219% of your daily allowance of Vitamin A in one serving. And that is just ONE of the benefits of eating them.
How do you make sweet potatoes taste amazing? Add a little sugar and there is a caramelization that takes place. Do you notice the word "caramel" here?
Anyone else like the taste of brown sugar and salt?
I decided to make these after watching my friend Josie's spectacular failure:
Notice how my photo is better than hers :) The key is to hang around and flip the fries after 15 minutes, and not to crowd the pan. These are really EASY to make.
If you don't have a decent vegetable peeler, you should get one. I have the one below from Amazon and it is now due for a replacement after 7 years of weekly and daily use.
Having a working peeler makes you want to peel vegetables. Having a crappy peeler makes you want to order from Burger King.
After you make these, just pop them in your fridge. Eat them as a snack or add them to your salad. Mush them in your yogurt or eat them for breakfast After they are refrigerated, they aren't as crunchy but they still taste really good.
Sweet potatoes are available all year, though their season is Fall and Winter. Choose potatoes that are hard to the touch, because the soft ones are rotten.
Sweet Potato Fries Recipe
(serves 4)
aluminum foil for pan
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450 F. Half the sweet potatoes lengthwise. Place on flat slide and slice 5-6 spears (thick and long strips) of sweet potato. Place them on the aluminum foil and toss with olive oil and sugar. Spread them in one layer. It is important that they have space around them and aren't piled up on each other. Bake for 15 minutes and turn with tongs or a spatula. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Add salt and pepper. Serve hot, room temperature, or cold.
OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler
$8.99 $8.95
Do you make sweet potato fries? Please share below.
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First 20 Comments: [ see all 24 ]
yeah? You think so? Perhaps we need a throw down - and then a tub of Alka Seltzer :0
Snack-Girl on March 15, 2010
I feel ya, Yum Yucky, on the sweet potato fry failure! I had limp ones the last time I tried. But I'll try again - these look tasty!
Alta on March 15, 2010
Love your color combination - those green dishes!
marilyn on March 15, 2010
I could probably google this, but are sweet potatoes the same as yams?
Rebecca on March 15, 2010
Sweet potatoes and yams are different. The flesh in a yam is yellow (though here in the U.S. we use the name yam for sweet potato).
Snack-Girl on March 15, 2010
Oh my those sound and look so good! I will definitely be making those. Never thought to make them thin by using a peeler like that. Hubby actually uses one of those apple corer/slicers to make potato fries. It's cool but they are thick so this would be a nice change.
Angie (Losing It and Loving It) on March 15, 2010
I like to add some cajun spice to mine. They are so good that half of them are usually eaten before they even make to the plates!
Candice on March 15, 2010
I love french fries and finding tasting healthy ways to eat them is always a plus!
Wayne on March 15, 2010
I don't know why anyone eats regular fries, ever. These are just so much tastier!
westwood on March 15, 2010
Candice has a good thought there - you could also add cayenne pepper, good chili powder (think New Mexico), ground cumin or good quality Spanish smoked paprika to "brighten" the taste.
Mark on March 15, 2010
Fries you can feel great about eating! And I own that Oxo peeler -- its good. A version that is a little easier than the fries is roasted sweet potatoes. All has to do with how you cut them -- instead of long strips, try 1.5 inch chunks. Easier to stir around for good roasting.
Mattee on March 16, 2010
I LOVE sweet potatoes baked... This is definitely my go-to snack whenever I need a mid-afternoon pick me up! Paired with ketchup? You can not go wrong!
Cassie on March 16, 2010
I've been making these for the last several years-they are sooooo good. I first peel them, then slice them into rounds like potato chips using my mandoline slicer and then bake them with a variety of toppings. I started out with just olive oil and salt and went from there-they are really tasty with chili powder and cumin on them!
Cindi on March 17, 2010
The other way I make them is using a half packet of taco seasoning instead of brown sugar! Perfect flavor/spiciness! I'm excited to try brown sugar! I think I will make a dijon mustard dipping sauce!
Caitlin on March 18, 2010
I made these yesterday but with one small sweet potato (for myself hehe) and some turned out limp but they eventually turned crispy. A few were a little burnt. Also, I accidentally added a little too much sugar in the beginning but the fries turned out nice and caramelized because of that. I'm trying again right now with thicker slices (they were quite thin yesterday) in the oven and a bigger potato. :)
Jennifer on September 27, 2010
Hi...Why peel them? A lot of nutrition is in the skin. We make these all the time. Plus, if you are feeling lazy there is a"fairly" wholesome brand you can buy at the store.
jennie_hi on November 4, 2010
How may Points Plus points?? I can't wait to try them but I kind of need to figure how many points I'm eating.
Jen on May 26, 2011
The taco seasoning sounds great, or cajun seasoning. Sweet tatos are too sweet for me so I have to counter the sweet with something not sweet . Gonna try these. How many points for a serving??? anyone know??? Ok I'll get up and look in my counter.........jus being kinda lazy
maggie on October 18, 2011
SWEET a sweet potato recipe that sounds decent and easy! (and has the secret to getting em crisp!) Consider this clipped in my evernote account!
@aliadeta on October 29, 2011
Yum Yucky on March 15, 2010