Crispy Fries

Comfort Foods Made Healthy

French Fries, Hot Chips, the irresistible Burger-Buddies, or the easy-to-make-at-home crispy fries; it doesn't matter what you want to call them, they're delicious! The best news is that you can make them guilt free and devourable without any special equipment, deep fryers, or unhealthy fats, coatings, and added sugars. The best part is how to make it even easier for your next batch on a rushed Friday night. Watch the magic in the video to see how.

Serves: 4-6

Why It's Good For You:

A source of slow-releasing carbohydrates, sweet potatoes provide us with sustained energy. But they also contain iron! You may be aware that we need the mineral iron to have adequate energy, but iron plays other important roles in our body, including red and white blood cell production, resistance to stress, proper im­mune functioning, and the metabolizing of protein, among other things.

Ingredients

(use organic ingredients where possible)

• 1 kg potatoes
• 1 kg mixed root veggies: carrot, beetroot, parsnip, &/or sweet potato
• 1 egg (or omit and add 2 tbsp water)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup polenta
• 3 tbsp almond meal or sunflower seed meal
• 1 tbsp tapioca starch
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-2 tbsp cajun spice blend (oregano, basil, garlic, onion, paprika, chili, cumin) or other favorite spices.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Put a large pot on the boil, only 1/3 full of water.
3. Prepare your chosen veggie chips by washing, peeling (or not), and cutting to desired shape and thickness.
4. Blanch the cut veggies for approximately 6-10 minutes.
5. Leave the beetroot to do separately at the end, preventing every vegetables from turning red.
6. As they finish blanching, scoop them out of the hot water into a very large bowl.
7. Whisk up the egg and olive oil together.
8. Pour this over the blanched veggies and toss either by hand or with your mad skills in the 'bowl toss' method.
9. Sprinkle the remaining ingredients over the coated veggies and toss again until evenly coated.
10. Arrange on the baking tray.
11. Rotate the trays so all chips get a chance in the spotlight (on the top row under the most direct heat).
12. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, depending on your oven, how full the oven is, and the size of the cuts. Taste test frequently. ;)

Notes*

• Become a master at efficiency by making a triple batch at one time. Freeze extras once they are coated for easy baking on a rushed Friday night - a la McCain style - but soooooo much better. A large slotted spoon makes this a breeze to batch- blanch all within the same boiling water. A very large stainless steel bowl also makes this very easy to toss.
• Prepare as many baking trays as you will need to be able to space the fries roughly one layer deep and with some space in between them. Baking paper (parchment paper) is advised.
• The key to successfully baked chips is to give them space. Do not be tempted to overcrowd them or risk having soft and droopy fries.
• Some ovens hold more moisture than others. If your chips simply are not crisping up, it can be of benefit to either prop open the oven with a heat-safe utensil or partially open the oven door for a quick second every few minutes, just to let extra moisture come out.
• Partially freeze the fries laid flat on trays first. Once semi-frozen, then you can pile them in a bag without clumping.
• For something different, try cutting your veggies in round slices instead of sticks so that you can make use of the slicing blades on a food processor or a mandoline and save a ton of time cutting.