superfitbabe

Why is it that baked sweet potatoes keeps me full for four hours, whereas the same amount of sweet potato fries keep me full for two minutes?

This might be just me, but in general, portions of sweet potato fries look less satiating than plain roasted sweet potatoes kept whole. It’s why I feel way more satisfied consuming whole sweet potatoes than sweet potatoes in sliced, cubed, or wedge form. Seriously, I can hammer a two-pound bag of air-fried sweet potato chips or two pounds worth of sweet potato fries, but it’s challenging for me to finish more than two pounds of sweet potato.

My record was three pounds, and gosh, I reeeeeally had to push myself to finish all the sweet potatoes because I wouldn’t forgive myself if I had to discard them, and I was not willing to store leftover sweet potatoes that were basically covered in crunchy peanut butter and maple syrup that would alter the flavors and texture overnight. Don’t ever push yourself past the point of feeling full. It’s not worth the pain of stretching your stomach and the food coma post-meal.

But anyways, let’s talk sweet potato fries. Everybody seems to have a slightly different preference on how they like their fries: straight, droopy, curly, straight, oily, clean, salty, pure, thin, thick, plain, spicy, soft to the touch, burnt to the crisp, or somewhere in the middle. Growing up, I never discriminated against fries, but my favorite preparation of fries were golden-brown, moderately thick, fluffy inside with a crunchy exterior, and lightly garnished with salt. Oh yeah, and most of the oil had to be blotted away.

I tried several different ways of creating healthier sweet potato fries. The first way was to just cut them when raw and roast them at 450F until ready. They were tasty, but nothing extraordinary. The second method involved baking a sweet potato and then cutting it into fry shapes and just eating them like that. Not my favorite since the skin fell off too easily and everything fell apart. However….THIS cooking hack. Wowza. Not only do you get the soft interior that everyone loves, but you also get a charred, blackened, and super-duper crispy lining on every fry!

Best part about this recipe? It’s incredibly easy, dorm-friendly, and requires minimal cleaning after cooking (best part)! All you have to do is roast the sweet potatoes until mostly cooked, slice them into fries or wedges, and broil them for a few minutes to crisp them up to your liking. You don’t need any oil or seasonings, but you’re more than welcome to use any.

Your sweet potato fries can be consumed as an accompaniment to your main course, or you can have more as an entree in itself. I paired a serving of sweet potato fries with Gardein’s mandarin crispy Chick’n nuggets that I roasted without the orange sauce. They taste just like McDonalds chicken nuggets, and I actually prefer these Gardein pieces without the sauce! Still, either way tastes amazing. The sweet potato fries could not have been a better side and tasted just as good, if not better!

RECIPE (serves 3-4)

• 2 pounds of sweet potatoes; any variety works!
• Optional: salt, pepper, olive oil, coconut oil, truffle oil, curry powder, cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, etc.

PROCEDURE

1. Preheat the oven to 475F.
2. Rinse the sweet potatoes, scrubbing away any dirt.
3. Dry the sweet potatoes completely.
4. Poke a few holes in each sweet potato with a fork.
5. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, aluminum foil, or a Silpat sheet.
6. Roast the sweet potatoes for 15-35 minutes, depending on how large your sweet potatoes are.
7. Remove the sweet potatoes immediately.
8. Set the oven to broil.
9. Carefully cut the sweet potatoes into slices or wedges.
10. Broil the sweet potato fries for 10-15 minutes on the same tray.
11. Let cool before serving.

How many pounds of sweet potatoes/potatoes can you eat in one sitting? How do you like your fries?