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Sep 26 2011

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Posted by missamy in Step-by-Step Recipes

Healthy snack options mean, well, it means options. And options are good, especially when we’re heading into the holiday season, packed with all flavors of goodies at every turn. Yes, having healthy and tasty options in your repertoire is always a good thing. This recipe for Baked Sweet Potato Fries submitted by Tasty Kitchen member Caitlin is one of those options. Sweet potatoes are packed with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, and baking the fries, as this recipe calls for, keeps the fat down. Good for snacking, or as a side dish, these Baked Sweet Potato Fries are satisfying to the max. Simple too. Let me show ya.

For starters, I’d recommend doubling or tripling this recipe right off the bat. They’re good and will get gobbled up quick.

You’ll need: sweet potato(es), olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.

(The spices/herbs can easily be changed for different flavor combos, so be creative with these. Maybe rosemary, salt, and olive oil? A simple trio, but mighty tasty too.)

Slice the sweet potato into strips, about 1/2″ thick. The thinner they are, the crispier they’ll be. They’ll cook quicker too, so make sure you account for that in the cook time.

Place the fries in a bowl and add the olive oil.

Then add the spices and combine well, coating all fries evenly. We like it spicy, so I added a full 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne to ours. Yum!

Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Toss and continue baking another 10-15 minutes until crisp. Ovens vary, so make sure to watch your first batch closely to see what cook time is appropriate for your oven.

That’s it! Easy huh? And totally drool worthy. Try them soon and let me know what you think. And again, you may wanna double the batch.

A big thanks to Caitlin for the recipe. We’ve already made it three times this week. My 13-year-old son even asked for them for a snack. Smart kid, I think. Definitely a good option.

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Baked Sweet Potato Fries

by Caitlin on February 5, 2011 in Potatoes, Sides

5.00 Mitt(s) 8 Rating(s) 8 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5

Description

These puppies are quickly becoming my new popcorn, a.k.a. my new late-night, movie watching snack. They are quick and easy, as well as healthier than the starchy alternative. I leave the skins on them, because Maude tells me to, but you should follow your instincts on that one. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself making these at 11 pm when everyone else is asleep, but you have a lot of Grey’s Anatomy to catch up on.

Ingredients

1 whole Sweet Potato
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt
¼ teaspoons Freshly Ground Pepper
¼ teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 pinch Cayenne Pepper (if You're Down With That)

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450F.

2. Scrub the sweet potato and cut into 1/2 inch slices (or thinner if you like your fries crispier).

3. In a bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne (if you like-ah some spice-ah).

4. Arrange fries evenly on a cookie sheet and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes minutes, checking after 20 minutes to prevent burning (ovens vary). Flip halfway so they cook evenly.

5. Settle in for a good movie and a glass of wine with a delicious snack.

Suggestion: Try throwing on some parmesan cheese during the last few minutes of baking for a yummy surprise!

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Amy Johnson is a blogger who writes about food, travel, the home (both inside and out), and various observations and random musings about anything and everything. Visit her blog She Wears Many Hats for a dose of deliciousness, practicality, hilarity, or just plain fun. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children.

Dec 6 2010

Bakery Style Rosemary Flatbread

Posted by Natalie | Perry's Plate in Baking, Step-by-Step Recipes

We’re big hummus eaters at our house. Sometimes the only way I can get my little girls to eat raw vegetables is to place a bowl full of hummus in front of them. Lately I’ve grown weary of carrot sticks and cucumber slices and wanted to find something healthier to dip than a store-bought cracker. When I first stumbled upon this recipe for Bakery Style Rosemary Flatbread, I thought it was for a thin, soft bread, similar to naan.

Nope. Crunchier. Like a cracker trying its hardest to be a tortilla. But still a cracker. And the best part? There’s no yeast involved.

Today’s recipe comes from culinarycapers—a vegetarian TK member whose recipe box is filled with all kinds of delicious concoctions!

Let’s get started, shall we?

No mysterious ingredients here: flour (I used white whole wheat), fresh rosemary, salt, olive oil, baking powder, freshly ground black pepper, and some parchment paper.

First, get the leaves off of the rosemary stems. The easiest way to do this is by grabbing it with one hand where the tough stem begins. With your other hand, pinch the stem, slide your fingers down, and …

ZIP! Off they come. The first time I did this I’m pretty sure I giggled at how easy it was.

You’ll need about three sprigs. Give those leaves a good chop.

Then put them in a big bowl with the other dry ingredients.

Whisk away.

Then pour in the oil.

And some warm water. (No, I didn’t rinse my measuring cup. You probably wouldn’t either. Admit.)

Stir until it comes together and gets clumpy.

At this point you may want to knead it a bit. Not a lot. Just to get it into a big ball.

Then cover it with a clean towel and let it rest for 30 minutes while you check your email, take a shower, eat one or two clementine oranges. Or eight. I’m so glad they’re back in season, aren’t you?

Meanwhile, stick a cookie sheet in the oven and preheat it to 450 degrees. If it’s rimmed, place it upside down so you can get the flatbread in and out of the oven easier.

When the dough’s ready, get a clean workspace ready by sprinkling it with flour. Have a rolling pin and a dough cutter (if you’ve got one) ready.

Divide the dough into 6 or 8 pieces, depending on how large you want your flatbreads to be. Dough cutters are great for this, but you could surely use a knife.

Place all but one section of the dough back into the bowl and keep them covered as you work. Sprinkle a bit of flour on the dough you’re working with.

Roll it out fairly thin. You could go paper thin if you’d like. Experiment with it and see what makes you happy. It doesn’t have to be perfectly round. Perfect edges and symmetry were soooo 5 years ago—lucky for those of us who are incapable of making perfect circles.

Using your dough cutter (or a spatula) loosen the dough from the workspace …

And transfer it to a smallish piece of parchment.

Brush liberally with olive oil.

Sprinkle with sea salt, then place it (carefully!!) on that screaming hot pan in the oven. I just picked up the paper and put it in there with my hands. You could also put it on another flat baking sheet or pizza peel and slide it into the oven.

Oh, and I’m pretty sure it says on my box of parchment paper that I shouldn’t use it in an oven hotter than 420 degrees. I used the same two pieces of parchment for all of my flatbreads and they did not spontaneously combust. I’m not a parchment safety officer, but I think it helps not to have excess (like, a LOT of) parchment around the dough.

And I like to live on the edge.

But, seriously. Keep an eye on it.

When it comes out of the oven it should look something like this. Golden brown with a few bubbles (or some giant ones) baked onto the surface. Yum.

Let it cool for a bit, then break it in to pieces. This flatbread would be great alongside some crudites and hummus (or any kind of vegetable dip) at a holiday gathering. It’s very light and has a subtle rosemary flavor that pairs well with all kinds of things.

Thanks for a great recipe culinarycapers!

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