Sweet Potato Fries

Last night's dinner, part three!  These aren't really "fries" since they're baked, but nobody will ever know. 

Recipe:
Sweet Potato Fries

• 4 sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line baking sheets with aluminum foil and set aside.

Cut the potatoes in half widthwise and then cut each half into 1/2-inch thick strips.  (Don't worry about peeling the potatoes.)  Make sure the strips are all pretty uniform in size to ensure even cooking.  Next, in a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the remaining ingredients to coat well.  Spread the fries out onto the baking sheets in a single layer.  Bake for about 45 minutes, turning the fries over halfway through. The fries are done when they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. 

Yields 4-6 servings of soft, flavorful, colorful fries.

Comments:
Taste:      

The great thing about sweet potato fries is that you can customize the spice level and seasoning to accommodate anyone's taste.  You could swap out the savory spices in this recipe with sweeter spices such as cinnamon and a little bit of brown sugar.  But, I think they were delicious just as they were.  

Accessibility:     

Sweet potatoes should be easy to find (you can use "yams" too, since most "yams" sold in the U.S. are actually just sweet potatoes).  It's not a big deal if you don't have some of the spices listed above--really, they'd be great with just a little oil and salt.  

Ease of Preparation:   

Sweet potatoes are a bit difficult to chop/slice since they're so firm.  But, once you prepare the potatoes, the rest of the recipe is easy.       

Non-vegan friendliness:   

Everyone loves sweet potato fries!  Well, maybe not everyone, but there's certainly nothing vegan-specific about them.