Simple Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

It’s no secret that I love sweet potatoes.  I’ve featured them mashed, baked, and grilled.  I’ve also folded them into phyllo dough, and into a bundt cake.

Out of all these variations, one of my favorite ways to prepare sweet potatoes happens to be one of the simplest: sliced and roasted.

As the days start to darker and the weather cooler, these sweet potato fries are a quick remedy.  Simple and quick to make, these warm and healthy fries are the quintessential comfort food, a sizzling side, and an awesome appetizer.

Last week, I got home around 10:00 p.m. after playing poker with some friends.  I trudged in from the cold, my pockets slightly lighter after the cards refused to play my way.  The refrigerator was no more accommodating; the single, incandescent light falling on nothing but a packet of pita bread and two-day old brown rice.

But then I saw a sweet potato nestled in the corner of my counter.  And with the other three ingredients always within arms’ reach, within no time, I was lying in bed, munching on sweet potato fries, and enjoying the intrigue of Harry Potter et les Reliques de la Mort.

Simple Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 30 minutes
YIELD: Serves 4

WHAT TO GRAB:
2 large sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

HOW YOU DO IT:

1.  Peel the skin from the sweet potatoes, and cut them in half, lengthwise.  Lay each half flat, and then cut the sweet potatoes into wedges, about 1/4-inch thick.  If the wedges are too wide, cut them in half (they should only be about a 1/2-inch wide.  The length is unimportant.

2.  In a large bowl, combine the wedges with the oil, salt, and pepper.  Mix well, until the wedges are well coated.  Lightly grease a baking sheet, and roast the wedges at 420 degrees for thirty minutes, turning the wedges over after 15 minutes.  Enjoy warm!