There are some recipes when I glance at the ingredients I know we're in for a REAL treat. There are other recipes, like Martha Stewart's homemade marshmallows that were so good I thought I'd never buy store-bought marshmallows again, but sadly, they've never had a second go-around. There are some recipes I know will culminate into something I'll never like, so they'll never be attempted. Then there are those I will try, they appear simple and worthwhile, but the truth is the recipe will never make it to the repeat file because of either hard-to-find and/or expensive ingredients, excessive time to prepare, or there's a convenient alternative that suits us fine.
Such was the case with Grub's Cinnamon-Dusted Sweet Potato Fries.
I'm glad I tried this delicious recipe, but don't plan on making again anytime soon. Don't get me wrong, I prefer making all things from scratch and these yummies were all-natural, made from scratch with healthy ingredients, and ever-so-tasty. This little number would also meet paleo parameters- the only ingredients were sweet potatoes, coconut oil, sea salt and a little cinnamon. They were a HUGE hit with the kids and I ate my share of the tasty treat, but they seemed time consuming. Not all at one time, time-consuming, just cut wait, pat-dry, fry, wait, fry, etc.
Perhaps if I had a deep fat fryer they would have proved easier to make, but then there's the oil issue. The recipe called for the sweet potatoes to be fried in coconut oil. I love cooking with coconut oil, but it's a bit expensive to use for deep frying.
So, with the expensive oil combined with the frying time, perhaps I won't be making these again soon. Furthermore, we can buy tasty Sweet Potato Fries at Trader Joe's, pop them in the oven and have a yummy side dish in about 20 minutes. Another option I was thinking about while making them was the sweet potato chips. Easy!
Furthermore, I roast and/or grill fresh sweet potatoes often and I like the taste of those just about as well as these.
If you're interested in trying something new, I'd say give this recipe a whirl. They're very tasty and simple, but be prepared to put a dent in your $6-$8 jar of organic coconut oil.
Cinnamon-Dusted Sweet Potato Fries
The recipe stated prep time was 10 minutes. Perhaps I was distracted, but it seemed to take me much more time than 10 minutes between peeling, slicing, soaking, patting, etc.
Ingredients
4 large sweet potatoes (about 4 pounds), peeled
Coarse sea salt (I used Kosher salt)
Organic, unrefined coconut cooking oil, for frying
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon (we didn't use the cinnamon- they were great without)
Cut the sweet potatoes into slices about 1/2 inch thick, then cut them lengthwise into the shape of slim fries (we went for the chip shape).
 |
| So thankful for the Cuisinart! |
In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes with 1 teaspoon salt and enough cold water to cover by a few inches. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Thoroughly drain the sweet potatoes in a colander. Pat (tedious work this patting is!) them well with paper towels until completely dry.
 |
| They were pretty! |
Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan or deep-fryer over medium-high heat until it reaches a temperature of 325 degrees, 6-8 minutes. (Details, details...I just heated oil and fried). Fry the potatoes, in batches, until lightly browned. Remove the fries from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Increase the heat to high until it reaches 375 degrees, then add the par-fried potatoes (AGAIN, I have to fry?), in batches, back into the oil and fry until crisp, 2-4 minutes. Again, remove the fries from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Dust with cinnamon and serve immediately. I didn't use the cinnamon. I just dusted with Kosher salt and they were TASTY!
 |
| I was really stingy with the coconut oil as you can tell! |
 |
| After first round of frying |
 |
| Done and ready to eat! |
 |
| Yum! |
No comments:
Post a Comment