It’s Sweet Potato Friday!

Did you know this was a thing?

No?!?!??!?

Well you should, because sweet potatoes are delicious.

I am not biased at all it’s a proven fact, look it up and let me know what you find. Okay… I am sorry they may not taste delicious to you but they are in fact healthy.

Sweet Potatoes pack a punch when it comes to nutrients. It’s full of dietary fiber, has 24% of Vitamin C based on a 2,000 diet and also has manganese and Vitamin B. Other than being really healthy for you, sweet potatoes are also a good source of energy.

Though you may be used to the orange-skinned sweet potato, the color of its skin goes all the way from white to purple. In Jamaica, we actually call sweet potato “potatoes”, this is because we have sweet potatoes with the purple skin that we call sweet potato. You may wonder then “what do you call regular potatoes?” That’s a good question we call them “Irish” short for “Irish Potatoes”. Potatoes came to the island from Ireland along with indentured servants and slaves. They became a part of our culture just like how West African stories about Anansi the Spider melted into our folklore.

Food is amazing, isn’t it? They can come from all over the world and revamp an entire culture just by their introduction to the cuisine of the place. I find that absolutely amazing. Well, I don’t want to keep giving you a history lesson, not unless you want one. Then you can just comment or follow this blog on Twitter @Spiceandnnn.

Let’s get back to business, this recipe is one of my favorite. I try to make it every Friday along with something delicious. I love how simple it is and how healthy it also is. Which means you can eat a bit more and not worry about your waist-line.

The great thing about sweet potato fries is that you can top them with anything. You can use pulled pork, sour cream, melted cheese, baked chicken, or use them as a base for nachos.

Theoretically, this recipe makes three servings but if you aren’t in the sharing mood it makes one serving for you to enjoy.

Ingredients

2 medium-sized sweet potatoes

1 tbsp of coconut oil (melted)

1/2 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp of paprika

1/4 tsp of garlic powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking trays with that good ole foil.
2. Take your two sweet potatoes and cut them into fries. They should be no thicker than a centimeter (1/3 of an inch).
3. Place them in a bowl that is light enough for you to toss the fries in.
4. Sprinkle the spices over the fries and toss them until they are evenly coated.
5. Pour the coconut oil over the fries and toss until evenly coated.
6. Spread the fries out evenly on the trays and put them in the oven for 30 minutes.
7. When 20 minutes have passed remove the fries from the oven and give them a little toss.
8. Place them back in the oven and let bake for 10 more minutes
9. Once the time has passed, take your trays out of the oven and let it cool for a bit.
10. You can sprinkle more salt if you like or just have them as is.
11. Try using 1/3 cup of mayo, 1tsp of chopped cilantro, 1/2 tsp of lime juice, and 1/2 tbsp of sriracha for an absolutely delicious dip. (You should blend these together until they are smooth, you may use a blender or you can use a small bowl to combine your ingredients.)
12. ENJOY YOUR HARD WORK!!!