Sweet Potato Shoestrings- Fries, that is
Like my pal Kalyn I'm a big fan of sweet potatoes. And sweet potato fries. Kalyn's recipe has a different spice blend than mine but our recipes are quite similar. Check out hers if you don't happen to care for my particular spices. Or get down-and-dirty personal and make up your own signature concoction.
Cooking is all about making recipes your own. Developing your own tastes. Your likes and dislikes. It's flexible and intuitive. And highly personal. It's not precise like, say, brain surgery. Unless you're baking something fussy. Then folks swear by precision. But I've never been that kind of cook. I'm intuitive.
I fly by the seat of my jeans.
I look at a picture and feel inspired. I open my pantry and get juiced- to play the What If? Game that is. What if I take this ingredient and add it to that ingredient? I wonder. I wonder what that would taste like?
Sweet Potato Shoestring Fries Recipe
We bake our shoestring potatoes instead of deep-frying them because after a certain age your tummy starts to protest too much fat. But don't worry. These fries are still crispy and delicious.
1 sweet potato per person
Light olive oil or organic canola oil, as needed
Seasoning: ground cumin, thyme, black pepper, red pepper, and cinnamon* see note
For serving:
Sea salt
Champagne or rice vinegar
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into long thin shoestrings. Toss them into a bowl and drizzle with light olive oil; stirring lightly to coat.
Generously season them. Note* My seasoning mix is equal shakes of: cumin, thyme and black pepper; and a little bit of hot red pepper and cinnamon.
Throw them on a baking sheet. Spread evenly- in one layer, if possible.
Bake in the upper portion of your oven for about 20 to 30 minutes- until they are tender and sizzling and crispy around the edges. (Your oven times may vary from mine.)
Season with sea salt immediately. (Adding salt after they roast keeps them crisper.)
Crack open a gluten-free Redbridge beer.
Serve with a sprinkle of champagne vinegar (at the table) or scarf them down plain.
Fabulous with:
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Karina's Maple-Apricot Glazed Meatloaf
Balsamic Roasted Pepper Chicken
Baked Cod with Roasted Sweet & Sour Vegetables
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Try my tasty and different Two Potato Salad recipe with sweet potatoes.
15 comments:
Yum! I like to bake my sweet potato fries, too. The seasoning changes each time I make them but I've never used thyme. It sounds great, so I'll give your flavor combination a try next time! Those gorgeous photos are making me hungry!
My cousin even has what she calls a What If Salad, it's all about adaptation.
I've never seen sweet potatoes look sooooo good! Mmmmm!
These sound really good. I like the combo of cumin, spicy red pepper and cinnamon. Baking works great for me not only to avoid the fat, which I also try to do, but also because clean up is sooooo much easier. These look great and with fall right around the corner, I'll have to give them a try!
Great photos! They sound so delicious. I never was a fan of sweet potatoes that much until I made sweet potato fries last year. (And don't let the produce man tell you that the orange ones are "yams" because there are no yams in the U.S. no matter what the sign says!)
Love the comment list. You're amazing me with all these cool things.
I haven't made sweet potato fries in forever, so thanks for the reminder. I love them with Creole seasoning--but then, I love everything with Creole seasoning!
Any tips or tricks for getting them crispy? I've never been able to accomplish that...
Love your combination of spices, especially the cinnamon. For me, it's all about the crunchy salt. Sweet potato fries are one of my passions!
Nicole- I like the combo of thyme and spices. Hope you do, too!
Alanna- A What If? Salad- love it!
Kristen- Wish I was munching on some as we speak.
Paula- True! Clean up is way easier.
Kalyn- Aw thanks! Finding new blog stuff is such geek fun. ;)
SusanV- Oh yeah- Creole would be fab!
Amy- Not salting them until after they're done roasting helps. Also using light olive oil at a higher heat- and using thin strips- helps. Some of the fatter ones are still chewy in the middle but the ends get crispy. And you know something? I swear it depends upon the potato. Some I get are stringy. Hate that!
Lydia- Cinnamon is fast becoming my favorite secret ingredient in savory cooking. ;)
Karina
I did something good with sweet potatoes recently as well:
http://ukcoeliac.blogspot.com/2008/06/rosemary-sweet-potato-wedges.html
These look amazing-- and I can't wait to try them this fall! Thanks for the comment at http://blogs1.marthastewart.com/dinnertonight -- looking forward to keeping in touch about all things on the foodie horizon!
Wanted to let you know I've made these twice now and they have become a family favorite with my two teen boys! The older one is a wrestler and only eats healthy stuff, won't eat fatty "regular fries" but LOVES these!
You mean you're supposed to eat sweet potato fries with something? Huh. I always thought they were a main course. ; )
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