After all, it's hard not to when they're everything one wants in a snack. Crunchy, salty, crisp, and oh, so delicious. I could eat french fries by the bucketful they're so addicting.
But I don't. Because, along with their extreme tastiness, fries are also pretty darn unhealthy. In fact, usually when I have them at some restauran, I end up regretting it a couple hours later, when I start to feel like a big, heavy zombie.
However, that did not mean I was going to give up fries all together. Heck no. I was still going to enjoy my fries, just in a healthier way.
Sweet Potato Fries became that way. I found a recipe that makes them in the oven without a drop of oil, so they're much better for you than most of the fries out there.
And the best part? They're just as heavenly as the fast-food fries I love! Crunchy and crisp and totally awesome. Everything that makes a french fry, a french fry, minus the unhealthy factor. Yum!
Baked Sweet Potato Fries - original recipe can be found here
- 2 medium sized sweet potaoes
- 1 egg white
- sea salt, to taste
- optional: herbs or other spices to season fries with (I actually only used salt when I made these)
Peel sweet potatoes and cut into strips of even thickness. It doesn't matter how thick they are, but make sure each fry is around the same size, so none burn.
Soak your fries in a bowl of cold water for at least 30 minutes*. Drain and pat totally dry.
Preheat oven to 425F and line 1 or 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk egg white until slightly foamy. Add potato pieces, and any seasonings you want on your fries. Toss around, making sure to coat every piece. Spread potato pieces onto prepared baking sheets in a single layer with as few as possible touching.
Bake for 15 minutes in preheated oven, venting the oven around every 5 minutes or so to let steam escape (you don't have to do this if you have a convection oven).
After 15 minutes, take out fries, flip them over, and return to oven to finish cooking. This should take around 15 minutes, but it really depends on the thickness of your fries, so keep an eye on them (mine only took 10-12 minutes).
Once fries look ready, reduce heat to 200F and let crisp for 10-20 minutes (I only did it for 10 because I was short on time). Season with more salt (or other seasonings), if desired, and serve fries as soon as possible so they don't loose their crisp. If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container.
* The potatoes can soak for up to 2 days, so, if you want the fries to come together faster, you can peel and soak your potatoes the day (or morning) before and leave them in the fridge soaking until your ready to continue on with the recipe.
Believe me when I sat that being able to shove french fries into your mouth without feeling guilty is one of the best feelings in the world.
It's something you need to experience.
Lucky for you, these fries are super simple, and along with a few sweet potatoes, you probably have every ingredient needed to make them lying around your kitchen. So, you see, a healthy french fry really isn't that hard to acheive. I bet you could even make these in time for dinner tonight!
(P.S. Don't forget about the giveaway! It's coming soon, so stay tuned)
Revisited Recipe of the Day:
Cheesy Star Chips
