Crispy, crunchy, a little salty—and good for you? That's the sweet potato fry!
Grilling hamburger patties tonight and wishing you could order in some crispy, salty french fries? While regular french fries taste amazing, they contain zero nutrients (I know, it's such a letdown). They probably contain the opposite, like anti-nutrients or something. Okay, well, they do. It's called saturated fat, grease, empty calories, carbohydrates galore, etc.
While regular, un-fried potatoes contain a similar nutritional value to sweet potatoes, their glycemic indexes (the indicator of how a food affects your blood sugar) differ greatly.
These two distant spud cousins may look similar on the outside, but your body will process them in completely different ways. The white potato is much like white rice. The simple carb can process through your body quickly, spike your blood sugar, and leave you hungry and reaching for more. Sweet potatoes, on the other hand, usually boast a low GI and maintain steady blood sugar levels.
With all of that said, it's time to don the apron and do some cooking. Below is an easy, delicious, and wholesome way to make sweet potato fries. No fryer needed! Think of them as crispy baked sweet potatoes. Enjoy them with tonight's dinner or serve them as an appetizer with one of your favorite new dipping sauces!
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. rosemary
1. Preheat the oven to 425° and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Using a potato peeler, remove the skins from the sweet potatoes and then cut them into small, similarly-sized fries so that they will cook evenly.
3. Drizzle the olive oil over the fries and add all of the above seasonings. Toss them in the olive oil and seasonings and then spread them out on the cookie sheet.
4. Place the cookie sheet in the oven to bake for 20 minutes. After the initial 20 minutes, flip the fries and allow them to bake for another 10-15 minutes. Check on them frequently to make sure they are still crisping and not burning.
5. Once they have puffed and crisped to perfection, remove them from the oven and serve!