Easy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

These baked sweet potato fries have become a staple in my household. We have them for dinner, my daughter loves them as snacks. They are a perfect balance of sweetness in taste and crispiness in texture!

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 2 Tbs coconut oil
• salt and pepper
• smoked paprika, cinnamon or a seasoning of your choice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash and pat dry the sweet potatoes well. With the skin on, cut them into matchstick size, adjusting to your preference of thickness.
3. Place them on a tray lined with parchment paper. Toss in coconut oil, salt and pepper. Add in extra spices (optional).
4. Bake for about 30 minutes, flipping the fries once or twice, until they are tender in the middle and brown on the edges.

Fingerling Potato with dill and lemon-saffron vinaigrette

This is another Lemonade recipe of classic potato salad with dill and a mimic of French mayonnaise mix. 

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fingerling potatoes, scrubbed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup lemon-saffron vinaigrette
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 Tbs chopped fresh dill
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced

Ingredients for the lemon-saffron vinaigrette:

• large pinch of saffron threads
• 2 Tbs hot water
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Put the potatoes in a large baking pan. Drizzle with oil. Coat evenly and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes till golden on the outside and tender when pierced with a knife. Shake the pan from time to time. When done, set the potatoes aside to cool. Potatoes can be prepared in advance and refrigerated.
3. In a small bowl, combine saffron with hot water. Allow it to sit for a few minutes.
4. In a blender, combine egg yolk, mustard, lemon, turmeric, saffron (with the water), salt and pepper. Blend on medium speed for a few seconds, then reduce to low. Slowly add the oil until emulsified. Add a Tbs of water to thin out if needed.
5. Slice the potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces and put into a mixing bowl. Add the vinaigrette, yogurt, dill and shallot. Toss to evenly combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve chilled or warm.
6. Keep leftover vinaigrette in an airtight jar and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

I used the leftover vinaigrette to make an egg salad and tossed it into cooked quinoa with a little scallion. It works beautifully!