CRISPY Baked Fries + Vegan Ketchup

 

Did you hear that? Delicious, "CRISPY" (healthy, fat-free) FRIES that are baked in the oven! Paired with a super-awesome vegan ketchup?!

Mmm… it's just oh-so-good even though it doesn't have any added fat or chemicals!

As for the seasoning, this time I seasoned mine with some dried herbs & spices. But feel free to use any other seasoning/spice mix that you like!

Potatoes (especially fries) are usually said to be "bad for you", "fattening", "unhealthy", "empty calories", and all those stuff, BUT hey! Actually, potatoes aren't bad for you at all, what's bad for you is the common way that people prepare them (especially in fast food chains where they add all sorts of chemicals, preservatives, etc they're not even 'potatoes' anymore lol)

Potatoes themselves are in fact, packed with lots of good vitamins and minerals that are good for your body. They are also easy to digest, so don't be surprised when you see lot's of people (my high carb vegan friends, especially) eat LOTS of potatoes but stay lean. So yeah, potatoes are good for you. But you need to prepare them properly! Remember that, okay? :)

Recipe

For the fries:

• 1 kg sweet potatoes/regular potatoes (about 4-5 medium-large), or use more/less depending on how hungry you are, adjust seasonings as needed
• 1/2 tsp garlic/onion powder
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried basil/parsley
• pink himalayan salt/coarse salt, to taste *optional

For the vegan ketchup:

• 1/2 kg tomatoes (I like to use a mix of cherry tomatoes & regular big ones), cut into small pieces
• 4 cloves garlic (peel, but leave them whole)
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 tsp dried herbs
• salt, pepper to taste

Method


To make the ketchup, 

1. Preheat your oven to 200 Celcius, line a large baking sheet (or use 2 smaller ones) with parchment paper. the tomatoes evenly on the baking sheet, put the whole garlic cloves on top of the tomatoes. 
2. Roast for 20-30 minutes (watch closely to make sure they don't burn) until tomatoes are kind of wrinkled and 'caramelised' in some spots. Your kitchen will smell heavenly.
3. Put the tomatoes & garlic into a food processor, puree until smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients, blend until mixed. Adjust seasonings to taste.

To make the fries,

1. Preheat your oven to 180 Celcius, line a big baking sheet (or use 2 smaller ones depending on what you have, or you can bake them in batches) with parchment paper. Cut potatoes into fries (cut it thinner, makes them crispier!) Wash them, shake off the excess water, pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Toss the potatoes with the seasonings, arrange them on a single layer on the baking sheet (don't overcrowd the pan or they won't crisp up properly).
3. Bake for 30-40 minutes -> depending on your oven and how thick/thin you cut them (watch closely to make sure they don't burn) until golden brown and crispy!
4. Turn off the oven, open your oven door a bit and let the chips sit in there for about 10 minutes (I find this makes them just a bit crispier hahah)
5. Serve with the homemade vegan ketchup. And there you have it! A nice serving of healthy, fat free, vegan fries with ketchup! YUM