Sweet Potato Fries

Yum. That's all I have to say about these. Ok, maybe not all. I thought  that sweet potatoes were disgusting for most of my life, then I tried sweet potato fries and instantly fell in love with this vegetable from down under (under the ground, that is, not the Australian Outback...). 

These fries are just the perfect amount of crispy and salty on the outside, with a chewy gooey texture and sweet flavor inside. Plus, sweet potatoes are super good for you, or so I am told.

We've been making these on a weekly basis! The recipe is pretty easy and straightforward, adapted from The Art of Doing Stuff. They also have a good recipe for sriracha mayo dipping sauce that I'm sure brings the health factor down a bit (but of course the yumminess factor skyrockets).

Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, cornstarch, olive oil, salt. Oven @ 400. 

Here's the basic idea: cut potatoes into fry slices (how big or small they are depends on how crispy you want them to be. I like mine a little bigger so the inside stays gooey!). Let them soak in some warm water for a few minutes (I usually can only do five or so because I'm so impatient). After drying off the slices a wee bit with a paper towel, plop them into a gallon sized ziploc with a few spoonfuls of cornstarch. Shake until the fries are coated. Then, lay them on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt (I use seasoned salt- yum!). You can mix them up with your fingertips, I've found that works the best. The olive oil should be enough to make the cornstarch "disappear" on the fries. Arrange the fries on the cookie sheet so they are not touching one another. Then, bake them for about 15 minutes. Flip them over, and bake for another 5-10 minutes or according to your crispiness quota. I like mine super crispy, almost burnt.

Enjoy!