Oven Roasted Za’atar Sweet Potato Fries with Chili Mayo – Recipe!

I don’t know about you, but does it look like Doomsday outside with all the smoke in the air from the fires?  If you live anywhere in California, or the West Coast right now, the air is so thick, and heavy with smoke, daylight doesn’t seem to be able to peer through all the darkness, most of the day.  These are some pretty scary times, and comfort food that’s healthish, seems to be the cuisine we all need right now.

Roasted sweet potatoes are easy to prepare, and whether you have an electric, or a gas oven, turning basic potatoes into sweet potato fries, makes them much more appealing.  Steak fries, fries you order at those fancy steakhouses that come with a thick juicy piece of meat, are better prepared at home with a slightly spicy dipping sauce.  This fashionable side dish sprinkled with a warming spice blend, like Za’atar makes them extra special, and offers an updated approach to eating.  Za’atar is a combination of sumac, sesame seeds and salt, and sometimes a little cumin, or coriander is added for an additional earthy flair. You can either make your own, or buy it already blended either online, or at higher end grocery stores.

The combination of sweet, earthy and a little spicy from the chili mayo dipping sauce is just what the doctor ordered, to keep us going through these challenging times.  The good news is, is that we will get through this together, and it doesn’t hurt to have a good meal along the way, including these sweet potato fries, to brighten your day.

Ingredients

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled

1 tablespoon Za’atar

salt & pepper

olive oil

Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 heaping tablespoon chili sauce, any variety

pinch of salt

(Serves 4)

To Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, if electric and 425 if gas.  Slice sweet potatoes in half horizontally, and cut into thick fries.  Place on sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, toss.  Lay each potato flat on sheet pan.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Bake in the oven 20-25 minutes, or until crispy and deep golden brown.  Remove sheet pan and sprinkle Za’atar over top of fries.  Turn oven heat off and place sheet pan back into oven for 5 minutes, to meld spices to potatoes.  Remove potatoes and place in a serving dish.
3. Stir dipping sauce together and serve with potatoes.  Enjoy!