Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Lemon, Garlic Aioli

Who doesn’t love a good batch of sweet potato fries?! Only trouble is, most fries are made from conventional potatoes and fried in highly-processed vegetable oils. Some places still even use partially hydrogenated oils.  Not to mention, all the other scary additives in fries these days. Good thing there are some pretty delicious and nourishing alternatives and you’ve found one right here.

Health benefits of sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a staple in my kitchen, and they should be in yours too. They are an excellent source of potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. Potassium is so important for thyroid health as you need that mineral for your cells to be able to use thyroid hormone. Potassium is also important for blood sugar regulation. Sweet potatoes are also a good source of manganese, copper, and some b-vitamins.

Another cool fact about sweet potatoes — there are nearly 400 varieties of these flavorful, nutrient-dense root vegetables! You could eat a different type of sweet potato every day for well over a year.

Health benefits of ghee

Ghee is a good source of CLA and butyric acid. It’s also rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, E, and K. The combination of ghee and sweet potatoes is also slightly strategic. Ghee and sweet potatoes are synergistic in that the saturated fats from the ghee help your body make more use of the carotenes in sweet potatoes. Plus, it’s just a delicious combination.

Can I use another kind of sweet potato?

Yes! And it’s encouraged if you want to mix it up. I love Japanese sweet potatoes. They are white and not orange, so they are lower in beta carotene. Beta carotene can be problematic for some people to use and convert, especially if they have a sluggish thyroid.

Sold on sweet potatoes yet? Let’s get started.

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Fries

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 1 T grass-fed ghee, melted
• Sea salt, to taste
• 1 T chopped parsley
• Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions for Sweet Potato Fries

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut the sweet potatoes into fries. It’s important that they are all roughly the same size. They don’t have to all be the same length, but their width should be about the same so that they all cook at the same rate.
3. Coat your “fries” in ghee and sea salt.
4. Spread the fries out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You may need to use two baking sheets so that the fries have enough space. Make sure the fries are spread out and not touching each other.
5. Bake the fries for 20-25 minutes, flipping half-way through. I literally go through and flip each and every one. It’s a little bit of work, but it’s worth it. While the fries are cooking, you can prepare the aioli.
6. Once the fries are ready to come out (they should be turning a little golden and be slightly crispy), transfer them to a plate or bowl. Toss with the lemon zest and parsley. You can also add more salt here, if you so choose. Now let’s move on to the aioli.

Ingredients for the lemon, garlic aioli

• 1/4 t dried mustard
• 1/4 t smoked paprika
• 2 T lemon juice
• 3 T avocado mayo (or make your own)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/8 t salt

Instructions for lemon-garlic aioli

1. Combine all the ingredients listed above.
2. Dip your fries into the lemon, garlic aioli and enjoy your tasty, crispy, healthy sweet potato fries!

You can also experiment with different spices in the aioli and on the fries. Some ideas are smoked paprika, chipotle powder, and cayenne.

Let me know if you make these! What spices have you tried on sweet potato fries? I’m always looking for different variations and ways to get more potent spices in my diet. Let me know in the comments below!

xo,

Candace