Here is one of my favorite side dishes. I created them after having a deep-fried version at the local Renaissance Festival. Instead of breaded and fried, these "fries" are baked. They are good with or without the creamy garlic dip. A Thai peanut sauce would go well with these for someone of the vegan persuasion.
The dipping sauce is a tart, cool contrast to the sweet potato. My original recipe used sour cream as a base, but this last time I subbed in plain yogurt in an effort to cut down on the calories. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference; hence the final recipe is made with non-fat plain yogurt. This sauce is also very good on fish and chicken. I've dipped both proteins in it before baking with rave reviews.
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients:
2 medium-sized sweet potatoes
1 tbp rice (or white) vinegar
2 tbs light olive oil
1 tsp fresh thyme, very finely minced
1 tsp fresh basil, very finely minced
2 tsp fresh parsley, very finely minced
1 tsp cumin
salt/pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice potatoes into strips about 1/4" around. In a large bowl whisk oil, herbs, and cumin together. Toss potato strips with oil mixture until thoroughly coated.
Arrange evenly on baking sheet, not touching. Bake 15 minutes, flip, and bake another 18-20 minutes (or under caramel brown and crisp on the outside).
Remove from the oven and salt/pepper to taste. Makes 6 servings.
Creamy Garlic Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
1 c low fat plain yogurt
3 tbs mayo
1 tbs horseradish
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tbs light or extra virgin olive oil
2 clove garlic, very finely minced
3 tbs parsley, very finely minced
salt/pepper to taste
Directions:
Whisk together all ingredients until well-combined. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving. Serve chilled. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
