I love fries. I think people in general think that vegetarians eat lots of vegetables, salads, and nuts. I do eat a lot of vegetables, but I don't eat many salads or nuts. I still love deep fried and starchy filling foods. I have made sweet potato wedges many times, but I came across this recipe for healthy sweet potato fries that looked too irresistable to not be tried.
They had the typical sweetness that you'd expect and overall were a nice alternative to normal potato fries, but not quite as crispy as I'd have liked.
Sweet Potato Fries
serves 2
1 large sweet potato
2 egg whites
3 tbsps flour
1 tbsp spices (I used chili powder and cayenne powder)
Preheat oven to 205 C/ 400 F. Cut the sweet potato into thin sticks and soak them in cold water for about 15 minutes, then put on kitchen towel to dry. Lightly whisk the egg whites until light and foamy. Coat the sweet potato sticks in the egg whites and spices, then add the flour in a tablespoon at a time until they are covered in a thick coating. Lay the coated sticks on a rack in a single layer so none of them touch*. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until browned and crispy.
*I ran out of room on my rack so had to put the rest on a baking tray. I actually found that the fries on the baking tray ended up crispier than the ones on the rack - but the coating made a bit of a mess on the tray.
I know to most people it's not barbeque season quite yet, but living in a country where the sun is rare, it's hard to resist the urge to bbq whenever it does make an appearance. So while this recipe may be a bit early, please understand that opportunities must be taken when they can!
A friend made this simple potato salad for her house warming party a couple years ago and it was a huge hit. I much prefer it to the typical potato salads with loads of mayo and/or egg that leave you feeling very heavy. I made it for a bbq picnic with my partner's family - I was concerned that the raw red onions may be too strong for them, but they loved it and made it themselves when they got home.
This is great for picnics because it can be easily put together at the last minute, so the mayonnaise doesn't spoil. The potatoes can be cooked days in advance, cooled then kept in the fridge until you need them. When I made it for the picnic, I boiled the potatoes the night before and let them cool overnight. Then in the morning I sliced the onions and added them to the potatoes with some pepper. I packed a small jar of mayonnaise in the cooler bag and stirred it all up right before serving.
Red Onion New Potato Salad
serves 4
1 kg / 2 lbs new potatoes*
1 medium red onion - halved and thinly sliced
1-2 tbsps mayonnaise**
salt & pepper to taste
Boil the new potatoes until tender, drain and let cool. Mix in sliced red onion and mayonnaise. Season to taste. (It's that simple!)
*Or charlotte, or any other small potato.
**A little mayo goes a long way, so add it in bit by bit so it's not too thick.
.jpg)
It was at least a few years ago when I first made onion rings - and this was only my second attempt since then because the first try had been so dismal. Because it has been so long I cannot actually remember what recipe I used, but I do remember the barely battered somewhat soggy and doughy covered onions that resulted. So when I suggested making onion rings to go with our burgers, my partner was - well, less than excited by the idea.
Due to the last attempt my expectations were low. I am not a proficient deep fryer, and to be honest, the thought of a pan full of scalding hot oil on the stove scares me. Even when taking the fried onion rings out of the oil I was less than convinced that they worked, quite a few of them weren't actually 'rings' - more like half moons. However, once we'd tasted them we knew they were a success. The batter was light and very crispy with sweet onion inside and just a hint of spice. Had I been more patient and delicate when frying them up (as my falafel burger was cooling), I probably could have gotten more perfect 'rings' and a more even batter coating - but I don't think this would have made much difference to the flavor.
Beer battered onion rings
serves 2 as a side dish
2 medium onions - cut into 1/2 inch rings
milk - as much as it takes to cover onion rings (at least a couple cups)
sifted
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne (or chilli powder)
1/2 tsp cumin
about 1 1/2 bottles beer (lager style)
Cover onion slices with milk in a bowl and leave to soak for about 30 minutes. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan (ie: cast iron) in a 200 C/ 400 F oven. Sift together dry ingredients then add beer in until you get a (American) pancake like consistency*. Transfer pan to the stove and put on high heat. In batches, coat about six to eight onion rings in the batter and fry in a single layer in the oil, turning over once when browned on the bottom side - then remove and put on paper towel to drain.
*You may need to add more flour or beer depending on the consistency of the batter - it shouldn't be too thick.
.jpg)