Sizzling Cinnamon Thyme Sweet Potato Fries

Yum

For Cinco de Mayo I brought you a wonderful recipe for Grilled Cuban Flank Steak, and as a side dish we had Sizzling Cinnamon Thyme Sweet Potato Fries.

I completely forgot to post the recipe for the Sizzling Cinnamon Thyme Sweet Potato Fries so I'm sharing that here with you today!

These are a wonderful variation on sweet potato fries that combines both sweet (cinnamon) and savory (thyme) seasonings sprinkled over the cut sweet potatoes and baked to perfection.

What a great side dish!  Baking sweet potato fries is a healthier substitute to French fries and they taste fantastic!  Crispy edges on the outside and tender on the inside, these fries are taken up a notch with the cinnamon and thyme, so don't be surprised if you start eating them with abandon!

These are the perfect side dish, or a tasty snack.  Serve them all summer long with your grilled recipes.  30 minutes to the BADDEST sweet potato fries you've ever had!

Enjoy!






Sizzling Cinnamon Thyme Sweet Potato Fries

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled

3 tablespoons of olive

2 Tbls fresh thyme, chopped 

1 tsp of ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and spray a large baking sheet with non stick spray

Slice your sweet potatoes into planks and then into sticks.  Then add them to a bowl.  Add the olive oil and the seasonings and toss well to coat.  

Add the potatoes to your baking sheets and spread them out so they don't overlap. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes tossing them 1 or 2 times until they are golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to sit 2 minutes, then serve hot.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

 I love salads that are born out of "kitchen sink" items that turn out spectacular!

This is what happened with this salad.  A little rummaging through the refrigerator and I came up with some leftover cooked green beans, a sweet potato, and some carrots.

So let's make a salad!  But this one is special.  Why?  The roasted, caramelized sweet potatoes lend such a great warm comforting feeling to this salad.  Not to mention the wonderful sweetness!  I used an actual sweet potato, which you will notice is more of a white color.  You could use a yam, which are orange fleshed.  That would certainly make the color pop, but the taste will be the same.  

The green beans were leftovers, which I kept at room temperature for this salad, giving a nice crunch.

So taking simple ingredients that are fresh, make for a spectacular salad!  Topped with a simple yogurt dressing that is tangy, yet light.  The perfect lunch if I do say so. 

I hope you find this inspiring enough to make your own comforting salad.  Please come back and let me know what you think of it once you try it.

Enjoy!


Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

serves 4

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1" chunks
8 oz of green beans, cooked and chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 c shredded carrots
mixed spring greens

Dressing:

1 c plain low fat yogurt
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place potato chunks on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat.
Spread potatoes in a flat layer.  Roast for 20 minutes, stirring half way through.

Meanwhile, prepare dressing in a small bowl or mason jar.  Add all ingredients and shake until thoroughly combined.  Set aside.

Assemble salad by placing  equal parts lettuce on each plate.  Top with potatoes, green beans and carrots.  Drizzle with dressing.  Serve.

Grilled Vegetables vs. Roasted Vegetables

Lovin' the veggies!

The best way to eat them?  Seasonally.  If you eat what's in season your vegetables will be at their peak flavor, providing you with the best tasting dishes.  During the summer my favorite way to cook them is grilling.  We were grilling veggies all summer long, inside on the grill pan, and outdoors on the BBQ.  Some of my favorite summer veggies that repeatedly showed up in my house were:  Eggplant, Yellow Summer Squash, Zucchini, Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes, and Corn.

During the fall months and into the holidays I love to roast my veggies.  I love how roasting caramelizes them and brings that sweet wonderful flavor you can't find in other methods of cooking.  Some of my favorites are:  Acorn Squash, Beets, Yams, Sweet Potatoes, Bell Peppers, Celery Root, and Pumpkin. 

Let's talk about grilling.
Grilling is cooking over a direct heat source such as a fire or gas grill.  Grilling brings out vegetables natural sugars while infusing a smokiness   A key to grilling vegetables is to cook them briefly and simply on a hot indoor, or outdoor grill. 

 - Oil your vegetables for added flavor and to prevent sticking

 - A small grill pan or basket works well in grilling smaller vegetables that may fall through the rack.

 - Cook over medium-high to high heat for about 5-6 minutes per side, looking for some charred surfaces.

 - Good with a sprinkle of herbs or a citrus splash.  A light vinaigrette or sauces are also a good choice as a topping.

Here are some of my grilled summer veggies:

Let's talk about roasting.
Roasting is a dry-heat oven cooking method, using an open pan.  You can roast many items such as meat, fish, fruits and vegetables.  Roasting takes little prep work and once it is in the oven, it does all the work for you!  The high heat used in roasting allows the food sugars to form on the surface or carmelizing, and gives you that sweet flavor and brown crust, while the inside stays tender. 

 - Cook at a high temperature, usually 450 degrees, for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. You can toss or turn half way through the cooking cycle.

 - Vegetables are usually coated with  a little olive oil or melted butter to promote browning and keep them from drying out.  Season with salt & pepper or your favorite herb mixture for added flavors.

 - Use a roasting pan that is just large enough so that the vegetables are all lying flat and there is some space in-between.  Overcrowding will result in steaming instead.

Here are a combination of roasted yams, sweet potato, and pumpkin:

 

Kitchen tip #1:  Make sure to cut your vegetables in uniform sizes so that the food cooks evenly, and at the same rate.  Smaller pieces tend to cook best as they reduce the roasting time and allow for a deeper carmelization.

Kitchen tip #2:  when roasting pumpkin choose a small pumpkin which are sweeter and lend better to cooking.  Varieties to look out for are Sugar Pie, Baby Bear, or Cheese pumpkins.  The large ones don't cook very well.

Make sure to eat your veggies!!!