Zesty Cook » fries

Baked Potato Wedges with Thyme!

zesty — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:00:13 +0000

We made it! Finally, Friday is here. I wanted to wind down the week with one of my favorite comfort foods – potatoes. Potatoes are easy to make, versatile, easy to season and accepts flavors well.

For me, potato wedges must have some crunch and a whole lot of flavor. I really work hard on making sure they get golden brown and cook evenly. Nothing worse then getting a good bite of potato and then a partially raw bite. We have all been there.

These little wonders are super easy to make and if you are on a budget you can really stretch your dollar with this recipe.

Ingredients

3 Medium-Large Baking Potatoes
1 Tbsp. Dried Thyme
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the potatoes into even wedges.
Place Potatoes in a bowl and add all other ingredients.

Coat well, line cookie sheet with parchment paper and place in a single layer.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown. (Baking time will depend on the heat of your oven)
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When baking potato wedges, it is important not to crowd the cookie sheet and keep it to a single layer. This will allow even cooking. Turning often is key despite the fact you will lose heat from your oven when you open it. Stay close to the oven, keep an eye on them and get them golden and crispy.

This turned out really well and were very satisfying. I made two dips to go along with the wedges. First one was a curry mayonnaise dip and the second one was a sweet chili ranch dip. I just whipped them up in side dishes however I forgot to take a picture…. slack I know.

Let me know what you like to dip you potato wedges in? I hope you have a great weekend and I’ll see you on Monday.

Along the same lines, here is another post on stuffed baked potatoes.

Take care

zesty

Baked Sweet Potato Fries Anyone?

zesty — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 10:00:35 +0000

The time has come, Sweet Potato Fries is now getting some attention. A few weeks back I shared with everyone a quick and easy way to whip up a batch of healthy homemade french fries. This crunchy plate of goodness received a lot of positive response. With that came requests and references for sweet potato fries.

Krista over at Kristas Kravings said she loved sweet potato fries done in a very similar process. Juliet from Think Inside the IceBox said that she had sweet potato fries on her to do list. As well, Nick over at PeanutButterBoy said he also like to make a batch of sweet potato fries in the oven. Also Clayton from Furiousfoodies asked if I could whip up a batch of sweet potato fries. Needless to say with all these requests, I had to oblige and put these on the Zesty Menu.

Now I have been experimenting with sweet potato fries for a couple of years now. To be honest, I find the most successful way to make excellent sweet potato fries is to deep fry them. However, I opted for the healthier alternative and went baked. When baking sweet potato fries, you have to be very alert and on your toes because of all the sweetness in the potato they tend to burn very quickly if not attended to properly. Because of that reason, I tend to cut the potatoes a little larger than a traditional french fry to avoid burning. This is only valid when using the oven method.

So follow along – as it doesn’t really get any simpler!

Ingredients

2 Large Sweet Potatoes
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tsp Nutmeg
1 Tsp. Cumin
Black Cracked Pepper
Salt

Method

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.

After peeling and cutting (try a mandolin/v-slicer) the potatoes to your desired size – I like to soak them in water and release some of the starch which will allow them to crisp up a little more.
Once soaked for about 30 minutes, be sure to dry them really well. Do not leave any water moisture on the potatoes.

Transfer to a bowl and toss with the oil and spice combination.

Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Sweet Potatoes are way for delicate than a regular potato and can burn very easily. Do not go in the room to watch your favorite tv show…. just stay in the kitchen – turn on your favorite tunes and dance around for a while. You will need to flip these little guys 3 or 4 times to get them just perfect. Stay close and keep smiling.

Now that you have a delicious plate of baked goodness, what does everyone love to dip these into? Last night I chose a spicy ranch dip with a hint of Jalapeno Pepper to kick things up. Normally I just go straight ranch… but I felt adventurous. Let me know your favorite dipping sauce for sweet potato fries.

Happy Tuesday everyone…. I can’t wait to hear your response.

Zesty

Burger and Fries: Grease in Moderation

zesty — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:00:22 +0000

Well it was a busy day at the house after work. We had to prepare the pool for winter, cut the grass and go for a walk. I didn’t have anytime to cook so I thought it was a good excuse for one of my favorite take out joints.

Even though I tend to call myself somewhat of a healthy eater and try to eat form all the food groups daily, every now and again you just have to break away and indulge.

This double cheese burger is amazingly juicy and very flavorful. With my favorite toppings ketchup , mustard, relish and sauteed onions…. What a gem! Not too mention killer fries with a little crunch and some hearty coleslaw and fresh cracked pepper.

After devouring this meal…. the best you can do is lie down on the couch and let your stomach stretch. It does it too me everytime even though I keep coming back for more. While I don’t want to promote eating this food as a good thing – it is definitely not a bad thing in moderation.

What I would like to hear from everybody is what are their favorite burger toppings. The toppings that are a must have for you!