Sweet Potato Fries

I have a confession to make. 


I am in love.  With my local farmers market.


It's called Grower's Direct, and it's right down the street from our apartment. Look what we bought today:

4 large red bell peppers. 1 yellow bell pepper. 1 large bunch of asparagus. 1 huge butternut squash. 5 bananas. 1 small eggplant. 1 yellow onion. 1 large red onion. Total cost? $10.36.


 Try finding that at any grocery store. The produce here is always fresh and flavorful, and it is crazy cheap. L-O-V-E.


I have another confession to make.


Going out to eat really freaks me out. 


Is that weird? Probably, but it's totally true. I hate not knowing exactly what goes in my food. I like seeing my food get cooked. And when nutrition information isn't available, I get really freaked out...it makes me wonder what these places are hiding if they don't want to have it out for you to see. Shuddddder.


Except for you, Melting Pot. Hide whatever you want and I promise I'll be back in a few months.



But I know it's stupid to think I can avoid going out to eat for the rest of my life. It's gonna happen. Last weekend I went to see the Tim Burton exhibit (amazing!!) at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art with some friends. We were totally starved after walking around for 3 hours, so we stopped at this trendy "make your own burger" place on the way home.


I saw they had nutrition information. Whew, minor anxiety attack avoided. I saw sweet potato fries on the menu. I know, YUM. I really wanted them. And then I saw the calorie count and suddenly I did not want them.


960 calories...wtf?


I eat 1200-1300 calories a day. The thought of eating almost 3/4 of my daily calories as an appetizer made me nauseous. Vegetables are good for you, and eating them battered and deep fried kinda ruins the point of eating them in the first place. 


Since then, I've been craving sweet potato fries. I couldn't stop thinking about them. So I bought some and decided to try to make them. In a healthy way. No breading, no deep frying...I wanted to actually taste the sweet, nutty flavor of the potato. And I was definitively succesful...Ian doesn't even like sweet potatoes but ate 2 servings of these. 


These fries are totally adaptable...a tasty orange canvas waiting for some spice. I used paprika, a whole lot of black pepper, and a little bit of cayenne pepper, but I can't wait to try it again with some different spices...mix it up!  


Sweet Potato Fries
makes 4 servings, 87 calories per serving


2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into wedges
1 tbsp olive oil
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste


1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Place sweet potatoes on a baking pan, and toss with olive oil and spices, making sure to coat evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until browned and crispy.

These don't really keep well so only make what you want to eat.


Enjoy!
Amanda