Sweet Potato “Fries”

Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite vegetables, especially when they’re cooked to mimic French fries.  Better yet when that cooking method still preserves the healthfulness of the potatoes (with  much less fat than actually frying and leaving the skin on, which keeps vitamins intact).  Best yet, these fries cook a lot more quickly than baking a whole potato.

Sweet Potato “Fries”

Time: 20 min, Yield: 2 servings

• 2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed (no need to peel)
• 2 T. olive oil
• Salt, pepper, chili powder, cinnamon and/or cayenne pepper, to taste

Place a baking sheet in the oven, and preheat to 425ºF.  This is key to getting a crispy fry.

Slice potatoes into long wedges, and toss in olive oil and your choice of seasonings (I used all of the above – but just a touch of cinnamon and touch of cayenne).  Spread the wedges out onto the hot baking sheet and return to the oven.

Bake for 10 minutes, flip, then bake for another 5-10 min until tender and crispy.

Serve with ketchup or honey or… if you’re in the miniscule percentage of people who have this lying around, like myself…. banana ketchup!  We bought it while we were vacationing in St. Lucia and I must say it’s a pretty perfect complement for sweet potato fries.  Maybe I’ll try making some from scratch – I think it’s just banana, a touch of vinegar and tomato paste.  I’ll keep ya posted on that one!  Until then, regular ketchup or honey would do just fine!  Or if you’re feeling really crazy, how about a little bit of marshmallow fluff thinned with butter? ;-)