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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