Roasted Spiced Sweet Potato Fries

One of my splurge items at the grocery store tends to be for frozen sweet potato fries, specifically the Alexia brand Chiptole flavor. Though they're not fried, they are really crispy and have delicious flavor. While I continue to trim the budget and keep our meals healthy, I decided spending $4 on a bag of fries was wasteful when I could pick up two sweet potatoes for a dollar and concoct a seasoning blend at home.

I did a quick internet search and found this recipe on epicurious, originally from Gourmet for Roasted Spiced Sweet Potato Fries, and it sounded like a definite winner. I love fennel seed, crushed red pepper, and because of Symon Sundays, I have quite the stockpile of coriander seed. I wasn't sure just how crispy they'd get with a coating of olive oil and high heat, but they came out quite crisp and very flavorful. I served these with steamed broccoli (cheap and in season!) and Barbeque Lentil Loaf, another inexpensive healthy dish!

Note: Crushing your spices at home is the way to go - I always buy whole seeds! You can use your muscle with a mortar and pestle or use a coffee grinder, just be sure to clean it well between uses! My mortar and pestle are from www.serrv.org, which is a company that sources goods from third world countries, paying a fair price. I encourage you to check out their products! 

Roasted Spiced Sweet Potato Fries

from epicurious.com and Gourmet January 2002

1 tsp. coriander seeds

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp. kosher salt

3 tbsp. EVOO

2 lbs. Sweet Potatoes

Preheat oven to 425*

Place coriander, fennel, oregano and red pepper in a mortar and pestle, crush well.

Scrub potatoes well, slice into wedges.

Add to a mixing bowl, drizzle with EVOO, salt and spice blend.

Toss well to coat.

Arrange on a baking sheet spaced evenly apart, roast for 20 minutes.

Flip and roast for an additional 15-20 minutes, until crisp and browned.