Recipe Swap - How Sweet! Fries, and nutrition, too

By: By Michael Hastings | JOURNAL FOOD EDITOR
Published: July 15, 2009

In case you hadn't noticed, sweet potatoes aren't just for Thanksgiving and Christmas anymore.

And considering how nutritious they are, the more often we eat them the better.

Aside from baking them, turning sweet potatoes into fries is simple and easy. That's especially true if you don't deep-fry them, which would kind of negates the nutritional benefits.

Below are two recipes for sweet-potato fries, one cooked in the oven and the other on the grill.

Oven Sweet Potato Fries

To cut the fries, first cut the sweet potatoes into ½-inch thick slices, then cut those slices lengthwise at ½-inch intervals. The recipes below are plain, but they can be doctored with garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, chopped rosemary, or other spices and herbs.

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into ½-inch thick strips

2 tablespoons olive or other vegetable

oil, plus more as needed

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste, optional

1. Heat oven to 475 degrees. Place a large empty baking sheet on the middle rack.

2 In a baking dish, toss the sweet potatoes with the oil, salt and pepper, if using. Keep tossing until all sides are coated with oil. Add a tablespoon or so more as needed.

3. Carefully pull out the hot sheet pan and add the sweet potatoes. Spread them in a single layer.

4. Bake the sweet potatoes, turning occasionally until cooked through and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve immediately.

Grilled Sweet-Potato Fries

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into ½-inch thick strips

2 tablespoons olive or other vegetable oil, plus more as needed

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste, optional

1. Heat a grill to medium heat.

2 In a baking dish, toss sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons of oil, salt and pepper, if using. Toss until all sides are coated, adding more oil if needed.

3. Place a grill rack on the grill to heat up, or brush the grill grates with oil. Add the sweet potatoes in a single layer, being sure to place them so they run perpendicular to the grates.

4. Grill, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Help

□ Recipe Swap would like a recipe for onion rings.

■ Send requests or recipes to Recipe Swap, c/o Michael Hastings, Food Editor, Winston-Salem Journal, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, NC 27102; or e-mail to mhastings@wsjournal.com. Please include name, address and a daytime telephone number. Previously published recipes are available in the Recipe Database at www.journalnow.com/swap.