Sweet Potato Fries

It’s very hard to order restaurant-style sweet potato fries after having so many of these over the years.  Baked, crispy, and oh so addictive, these sweet potato fries are made with olive oil, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Nothing less, nothing more.  They’re a perfect appetizer or side dish year-round.  Why cinnamon and nutmeg, and no salt?  First, no matter the benefits of these spices, they are essential for true sweet potato fries.  Sure, this is my opinion, but I’m confident you’ll agree at first taste.  In addition to its aromatic flavor, cinnamon offers some groovy perks, such as antioxidants, relief of oxidative stress (1), and  reduction of risk factors for diabetes II and cardiovascular disease (2).  Whenever opportunity knocks, dust your food with cinnamon.  Nutmeg is a delightful accessory to cinnamon, and no need to fear a nutmeg trip here – the amount is small.  And for no salt?  They so do not need any salt.  Sweet potatoes have their innate advantages, as well.  They are easily grown without pesticides, are rich in beta carotene, dietary fiber, and vitamins C and B6.  We should all be eating more sweet potatoes!  They’re much more nutritious than *standard* potatoes.   

If you’ve ever dabbled in sweet potato cooking, you may be privvy to the temperature sensitivity of these orange spuds.  Some lessons just have to be learned; allow my experience to assure you that these babies burn rather easily, if you let them.  Keep the temperature at or below 380 degrees F for sweet success.  And plan ahead, these little babies take time.  Preparation is simple: wash, peel and slice the sweet potatoes.  Shake ’em up with spices and olive oil, spread on a baking sheet.  Bake.  It’s only the hour+ baking time that requires planning ahead.

Sweet Potato Fries

4-5 Organic sweet potatoes
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin olive oil preferred)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Have on hand~
gallon-size zip-top bag
large baking sheet, edged preferred
parchment paper

1. Preheat oven to 380 degrees Farenheit. 
2. Wash and peel sweet potatoes
3. Lenthwise, slice potatoes into thirds.  Slice each third into 1/2″-wide fries.  Slicing too thin will create overcooked shoestrings - s.p. fries shrink! 
(Disclaimer, my fries are definitely not shaped like McFries.  No two are alike and unique curves are welcomed, not wasted.  Think of these like snowflakes?)
4.  In a sealable (read: zip-top gallon-size) bag**, shake the following together: fries, olive oil, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Tumble and flip the bag around, helping the olive oil and spices to coat every fry.  A little olive oil will go a long way and the amount of spices is entirely based on taste preference - add or subtract loosely - I sprinkle until each fry has a nice even dusting.  
5. Line an edged baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking, spread fries in a single layer, without touching.  Use a large baking sheet or 2 medium-sized sheets.
6. Bake on upper-middle oven rack at 380 degrees F for 60-75 minutes*.  *Baking time really depends on oven.  Start checking at 60 minutes, if soft, check at 5 minute increments.  Flipping these fries half-way through baking helps them bake even more evenly. 

Okay, run out and grab a few sweet potatoes and bon appetite! 
They keep well as leftovers, just reheat in toaster oven for a few minutes at 375 degrees F.  These leftovers are not bad cold, my kiddo and I both eat them when we’re out and about, without toaster oven.  I haven’t talked my spouse into that one yet.

**Greener fries: I save the labeled ”shaking” bags after washing/rinsing out, in my refrigerator crisper drawer, and reuse for these fries…. stored alongside my labeled kale chips bags.      

Sources
(1) http://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/abs/10.2217/14750708.3.1.113
(2) http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/26/12/3215.long