Thursday, March 3, 2016

Classic Oven Fries



Let's face it, Americans, we love our french fries. In fact, I do not think there are to many foodss that we do not like that include the use of potatoes. In this article I will be talking about how to make a healthier baked alternative to french fries known as oven fries. While I have a large garden, potatoes are not one of the vegetables that I grow, simply because they are so darn cheap. Last week we 'comp priced' and a purchased a 5lb bag of russet potatoes for $1.49 from our local Walmart that were on sale at 'Rio Bravo Mexican Market. Honestly, I cannot grow them cheaper than that.

If you have read any of my articles regarding the Minimilasist Panty, then you will know that potatoes should be one of your essential pantry staples simply because of their versatility. Anyway, there are several ways to make french fries at home, but the easiest, quickest, and most healthy way is to bake them in the oven.


The Recipe

As I mentioned earlier, rather than fry our potatoes in a 'Fry Daddy' or electric skillet, we are going to season them with spices and then bake them in the oven with a minimal amount of olive oil until they are golden brown or simply cooked to your satisfaction. I have been using this recipe for years, but I cannot take credit for it, it is originally an old Good Housekeeping recipe that was first uploaded to their website in 2006. You can find the original recipe here: Classic Oven Fries.

Classic Oven Wedge Fries (My Version)

3 medium sized baking potaoes (russets)
4 teaspoons oilve oil
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional if you like your fries spicy)

Peheat your oven to 425 degrees, then spray a foil lined pan with non-stick spray. Then in a large bowl, combine the olive oil, and the remaining ingredients except the potatoes and mix throughly with a fork and set aside until you have finished cutting your potatoes.



Wash dry and cut your potaotes into wedges by first cutting the potato in half, then cut eat half in half again leaving you with four wedges. Then cut each of these four wedges in half again until you get a total of 8 wedges. Btw, I leave the skins on, remove them if you like, but the extra nutrients are in the skins and the skin helps hold the potatoes together.



Once your potaoes are cut, toss them in the bowl (6 to 8 wedges at a time) with the olive oil and seasonings/spices until they are throughly coated. Then place them on your spray lined cookie sheet in an even layer and place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then turn the potato wedges over and cook for an additional 10 minutes (total of 25 minutes cook time).



Chef's Note: When I flip my fries over after the 15 minutes mark, I hit them lightly with the salt an pepper shaker. It is not necessary, but I like to do so anyway. In addition, after the total 25 minutes of cook time I sometimes turn on my broiler on low and cook for an additional 2 minutes just to brown the tops a little more.



Because I am a fan of all things when it comes to indian food, I have included my version of an Indian inspired oven fries recipe. These fries are great when serving grilled tandorri chicken or rabbit or any traditional indian dish which would call for potaotes (aloo) as a side dish. To make these Indian oven fries follow the same instructions as for the classic oven fries.

Indian Inspired Oven Fries

4 teaspoons oilve oil
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garam masala or curry powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper


A Health Note

A large serving of french fries (154 grams or 5.4 oz) at McDonalds contains 24 grams of fat. The total fat combined in this recipe oven oven fries is 18 grams for three baking potaotes with a combined weight of 28 ounces. That's 4.4 grams of fat per ounce of french fries from McDonalds versus 0.64 grams of fat per ounce of classic oven fries. That means the homemade fries have 6.9 times less fat than those made at McDonalds (4.4 grams / 0.64 grams = 6.875).




Conclusion

These oven fries and great and easy to make. We eat them with hamburgers fresh from the grill or as a side for a nice steak instead of a baked potato. You can make them plain, mild, or hot and spicy, however you and your family desire. These oven fries are always a hit around here and I do not have to worry about all the unsaturated fats that are found in potatoes that have been deep fried.

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Related Articles On Our Blog:

All About Potatoes

The Minimalist Pantry Series On Our Blog:

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