Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Savor healthier fries and gourmet dips
Savor healthier fries and gourmet dips
In honor of National French Fry Day tomorrow, here’s the skinny on skinny fries, aka oven fries.
Adore fries, but abhor the fat? In honor of National French Fry Day tomorrow (July 13), here’s the skinny on skinny fries, aka oven fries. Ditch the guilt and dig in!
“I’ve always loved french fries,” said Shelly Hughes of Plant Based Foody in West Chester. “The way I do it is a no-oil french fry.”
Her secret: “Boil them for 5 to 10 minutes, so they’re not fully cooked, and then you can put them in the oven,” explained the plantbased cooking teacher. “They dry out in the oven, so you get that crispy flavor without adding oil.”
She serves fries with a creamy cashew sour-cream dipping sauce that has “the same texture as traditional sour cream.”
Prefer ketchup? Spice it up with cayenne and garam masala.
“It’s so easy to put together, but adds extra warmth and spice to regular-old ketchup,” according to Emily Scott of The Wildflower Chef in West Chester, who also likes a red pepper sauce that’s “a play on traditional ketchup — made with clean ingredients and with no added sugar.”
Another option: green sauce with jalapeños, cilantro, garlic and more.
“The green sauce is my favorite because it is creamy and rich with the fresh flavors of herbs and a nice garlicky bite,” the personal chef described. “The green sauce is awesome on just about everything, not just fries!”
As for those fries, she tosses potatoes with olive oil and roasts them to crispy perfection.
“Oven fries are healthier than traditionally deep-fried ones, plus they are so much easier to make at home because they don’t make as big of a mess,” Scott noted.
And “leftover oven fries taste great made into a hash or mixed into a soup. The same can’t be said for the deep-fried version, which are usually no good an hour after they’re prepared.”
Roasted “No-Oil” Oven Fries INGREDIENTS
5 medium-sized red potatoes (can substitute other potatoes) ½ teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 420 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Wash the potatoes and cut in to wedges (about ½-inch wedges). Add potatoes to a pot of water, bring to a boil and cook for 7 minutes. The water should be about 2 inches above the potatoes. The potatoes are done when a little less than fork-tender. Drain the potatoes and add back to pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir and coat the potatoes. Transfer the potatoes to the baking sheet with parchment paper and spread evenly. Bake in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes until crispy and brown on the outside. Flip the potatoes after 15 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Creamy Cashew SourCream Dipping Sauce INGREDIENTS
1 cup of raw cashews 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ to ¾ cup of water (or as needed)
1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1 pinch smoked paprika
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the cashews into a bowl and cover with water. Let soak for a few hours or overnight. Drain and rinse the cashews. Add the cashews
and the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, nutritional yeast. Blend in a Vitamix or high-speed blender until you reach a smooth consistency. Add water slowly to reach the desired consistency. The less water added the thicker the sauce. Scape the sides of the blender and continue to blend or pulse until smooth. Transfer to a dish add a pinch of smoked paprika (optional). Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Note: This cashew sour cream can be used as a substitute for traditional sour cream. Refrigerate for up to 7 days or can be frozen for a month. RECIPE COURTESY OF PLANT BASED FOODY
Oven Fries INGREDIENTS
2 russet potatoes, peels
left ON, sliced in half and then into thin wedges Olive oil Salt and pepper to taste OR seasoned salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss potato wedges with a good drizzle of olive oil, to coat (3 to 4 tablespoons should do the trick). Season with salt and pepper. Roast potatoes for 20 to 40 minutes, checking frequently and rotating the pan once halfway through cooking. Serves 4. RECIPE COURTESY OF THE WILDFLOWER CHEF
Garam Masala Ketchup
Ingredients ½ cup ketchup 2 teaspoons garam masala (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional) Instructions Mix well. RECIPE COURTESY OF THE WILDFLOWER CHEF
Red Pepper Sauce INGREDIENTS
1 cup chopped, seeded Roma tomatoes
1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained
¼ cup low-sodium vegetable broth (or water) 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Instructions In a food processor, blend all ingredients. RECIPE COURTESY OF THE WILDFLOWER CHEF
Green Sauce
(original recipe from Once Upon a Chef)
INGREDIENTS
3 jalapeño chili peppers, seeded, roughly chopped 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped ½ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup sour cream (Vegan sour cream works well, too!)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Blend in a blender or mini food processor until smooth. RECIPE COURTESY OF THE WILDFLOWER CHEF