I was in the mood for something like a stuffed sweet potato, but changed my mind at the last minute and decided to turn this recipe into fries instead. I know. I’m wild and crazy sometimes.
I love making homemade fries because I love fries and I’m not afraid to admit it…well, I kinda am actually because we all know how unhealthy those deep-fried fries are and I hate to be judged. Yes, I know typical fries are just coated in nasty oils and cancer-causing acrylamide. But, I’m going to be honest with you, I totally indulge in those kind too every once and while and…I savour every ridiculously delicious, greasy bite. I don’t beat myself up because balance is the key to maintaining my lifestyle. But, back to reality: most of the time, I make my own fries at home because it’s dead easy and just as tasty as their evil twins.
Now, unless you have crazy blood sugar regulation issues, you don’t need to fear potatoes…even regular white potatoes… if you’re rotating them into your diet on occasion. Potatoes are filled with health-supporting nutrients like potassium, fibre and a good dose of vitamin C….We don’t’ need to fear potatoes! We just don’t need to eat them with every meal. And remember to switch up the variety of those tasty tubers in your life.
For this loaded version of my favourite sweet potato fries, I’ve gone ahead and layered on a ton of colourful veggies like red peppers and fresh herbs like chives and cilantro to up the nutritional value and score high marks in the taste department. And I did it all without a stich of dairy. That sour cream drizzle you see is my basic cashew cream with a little-added lemon to make it more “sour” creamy. Soooooo good! Go ahead and look up that recipe now so you can have the ingredients on hand (hint: cashews, lemon, salt and water) and ready to go before you start on the fries.
And just because I often like to make a simple dish into a one-plate meal, I’ve included black beans here for some added protein, fibre and calcium! Obviously, it also gives the whole thing a bit of a tex-mex vibe too and I like that.
Instead of going full boar with a complete guacamole recipe, I’ve just smashed the avocado with some lime for a quick, chunky dipping sauce. But, you can totally use real gauc…obviously. I’m just trying to make it the easiest recipe ever.
- 4 medium sweet potatoes, sliced into long fry shapes
- 1-2 tbsp coconut oil
- ½ red pepper diced
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 limes
- ½ c cooked black beans
- ¼ c chives or green onions, chopped
- ¼ c cilantro (or parsley) chopped
- 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced (optional)
- ¼ c basic cashew cream (use 1 whole lemon instead of ½)
- Sea salt and fresh pepper
- Preheat oven to 425F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss sweet potatoes with liquid coconut oil (you may need to warm it first) + a few good pinches of salt and pepper. Arrange in single layer on baking sheet and cook for about 30 minutes until lightly browned – tossing once, halfway through cooking.
- While fries cook, mash the avocado with juice of one lime and a few pinches of salt and pepper. This can be used to dip the fries into.
- Make cashew cream.
- Top with veggies, beans, a few squeezes of lime and drizzle of the cashew sour cream or use as a dip on the side.
As always, the sky’s the limit with how you choose to load up your own sweet potato fries. Of course, if you snap a pic, I’d love to see! Tag me @kimdeoncom so I can cheer on your healthy creations.
Now, go on and get loaded 😉
KD
