Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries

All my life, I've hated sweet potatoes.  They always seemed so heavy and starchy, and I couldn't understand why they were always served as "dessert" at family gatherings.  The combination of sweet potato, brown sugar, and marshmallows (how do THEY fit in?) just didn't work for me.  The sweet potato really didn't seem sweet enough to work with the other ingredients.  As I started exploring a whole foods diet, though, I kept reading more and more about the health benefits of sweet potatoes: they're high in vitamins B6, C, and D; they have twice the amount of fiber found in other potatoes; they have a low glycemic index; they're a good source of iron...  I kept feeling like I was missing out on good nutrition because I didn't want to eat a marshmallow-brown sugar-butter-yam concoction that didn't even taste good!  Finally, my cousin encouraged me to try a baked sweet potato, and I was hooked.  Once I removed the expectation that the sweet potato was supposed to be "dessert sweet," I could enjoy the natural sweetness and flavors found in the tuber. I still enjoy baked sweet potatoes, but lately I've been experimenting with oven-baked fries.  After a few trial-and-error sessions, here's the end result:

OVEN-BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES


Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato
Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle
1/2 tsp. corn starch
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garam masala or curry powder
dash of salt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the sweet potato into steak fry sized chunks.  I prefer to leave the skin on to maximize nutritional value, but feel free to peel it if you prefer your fries skinless.

2.  Place the fries in a medium sized bowl and drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil.  Toss to coat.

3.  Sprinkle corn starch on fries; toss to coat. (This step isn't essential, but it helps make the fries crispier.)

4.  Add spices (including salt) to bowl; toss to coat.

5. Arrange fries on a greased baking sheet so they are not touching.  Bake on middle oven rack for 10 minutes.  Flip fries, then bake for an additional 10 minutes.  Your fries are technically done at this point, but I like to turn on the broiler and let them toast until brown before eating them. It's your choice!

6.  Enjoy!!

Gather Ingredients

1.  Cut the sweet potato into steak fry chunks.

2.  Place in a medium sized bowl and drizzle with olive oil.  Toss to coat.

3.  Sprinkle with corn starch; toss to coat.

4.  Add spices; toss to coat.

5.  Arrange on greased baking sheet.  Bake at 450 on middle rack for 10 min.  Flip and bake an additional 10 min.  Broil to brown, if desired.

Enjoy!!  I like to dip my fries in ketchup, so I always look for a brand with all-natural ingredients that doesn't contain high fructose corn syrup.  There are quite a few out there that are really good!