Whole30: Spicy Sweet Potato Oven Fries

Well, we made it. We survived the Whole30, even with a week in Michigan thrown in, with very few bumps or roadblocks. We even survived our Baby Girl’s first birthday without indulging in cake and ice cream! It wasn’t as difficult as I expected once we got into a rhythm, and I’ve pretty much learned that any meal can be deconstructed enough to become grain-free or sugar-free. As I said previously, it turned out to be dairy that I missed most. That and peanut butter.

This week, we’ve added dairy back in, have had some grains here and there and a little sugar too, with no adverse reactions. I’m not surprised by this, as neither of us is allergy-prone. The Whole30 result that has been the most beneficial for us has been breaking our daily sugar and diet soda habits over the course of the 30 days. Diet soda is off the menu for good around here, and we’re keeping the sweet treats occasional. We’ve both lost some weight and are exercising more, which are great side benefits as well. Overall, it’s been a good practice in discipline. We’re planning to repeat it again sometime.

But even though we’re done, I want to finish giving you recipes for some of the fantastic dishes we ate during our Whole30.

This post feels like a bit of a cop-out, (1) because I’m using an Instagram photo, as you can see above, and (2) because there’s really nothing to this recipe. But I’ve had several requests for it, so here goes.

I make these fries often, even when we’re not on the Whole30, because I try to limit the amount of white potatoes we consume, and because sweet potato fries are one of my favorite sides. And really, oven fries are ridiculously easy. Sure, you can buy a bag of Alexia’s and toss them on a sheet pan, but it’s cheaper to make your own.

I use the same seasoning I use in my Spicy Sweet Potato Hash Browns. I keep it in one of these fantastic little jars, which I use for a variety of homemade seasoning mixtures:

We have these often. The other night, I served them with some naked (bunless) burgers I topped with grilled onions, some sautéed summer squash and sugar snap peas, and fresh avocado sprinkled with a little sea salt (which acted mainly as an accompaniment to the burgers).

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

For the spice mixture:
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

For the fries:
2 large or 3 smaller sweet potatoes, peeled and julienned (thicker is better in the case of sweet potatoes, which will not get as crispy as white potatoes)
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
2 teaspoons water
1-2 teaspoons fry spice (enough to coat your fries without overdoing it – a little goes a long way!)

Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with foil, and spray it with oil.

In a large bowl, toss the peeled and julienned sweet potatoes with the oil and water.

Sprinkle on the fry spice, and toss well to distribute.

Arrange in a single layer on the cookie sheet.

Bake 20-25 minutes, until they have a crispy edge and are a little more golden and a little bit translucent. Note that smaller edge pieces with a thinner edge can burn more quickly, so keep an eye on them as they bake. I sometimes use a spatula to remove a few that have finished cooking early if needed.

Remove to a rack to cool slightly, and serve.

Makes enough for 2-3 people.

Side note: Baby Girl loves these without the fry spice. I simply sprinkle on a little sea salt for her. They are the perfect size for self-feeding, and soft enough for her to bite.

Here’s the printable recipe.

Enjoy!