Spiced Sweet Potato Fries with Maple BBQ sauce

Wow - what started out as a silly little snack attack turned into a full-blown production. I was looking for something healthy to nosh on and when my psychotic raid of the cupboards turned up nothing, I set my sights on the fridge. There were a few sweet potatoes left from some lofty menu plan involving a curry lentil stew that never materialized, so I grabbed some and pondered their fate.

I picked up the cookbook that has taken up permanent residence on the kitchen counter to find some inspiration and happened across this recipe. Quick. Easy. And way better than a bag full of chips! The best part was that the Bear - having never (seriously, never) tasted a sweet potato - was totally bowled over by these yummy little critters. Super score!!

Posted a quick snap on the Facebook page and the response was so overwhelming I had to share. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Spiced Sweet Potato Fries with Maple BBQ Sauce
Recipe adapted from Easy Green Organic

4 medium to large sweet potatoes, cut into 1-2" strips (I leave the skin on for maximum nutrient value but original recipe calls for peeled)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
sea salt for sprinkling

3/4 cup barbeque sauce
3 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl mix the cumin, coriander, garlic powder, paprika, olive oil and salt. Add the sweet potatoes and hand-toss until they're evenly coated. Add the parsley and mix well.

Lay out the potatoes in a single layer on a large baking sheet and bake, stirring once or twice, for about 30 minutes or until the edges are browned and the potatoes are cooked through.

While they're baking, mix the barbeque sauce and maple syrup together in a small bowl.

When the fries are done, sprinkle them with the sea salt and enjoy!! They're a great snack on their own or a perfect side for these BBQ Portabella Sliders.

Note: mine tend to come out kind of soft rather than crispy - which I actually like. You may need to make a couple of batches to come up with the consistency and texture that you prefer. If anyone manages to make them crispy, let me know how you did it! 

BBQ Portabella Sliders

Photo courtesy of How Sweet It Is

Let me first start off with a confession, lest I be stoned, flogged or otherwise ostracized for pulling a fast one: this is NOT vegan cheese in the photo.

Sorry.

Having said that, the reason I'm sharing this is because these scrumptious little suckers are a great example of a Sneaky Vegan meal (sans or substituting the cheese) that was prepared and posted by Jessica from How Sweet It Is: an awesome blogger who - as a self-outed vegetable hater - is about as far from vegan as one can get and still posts some really amazing vegan and vegetarian stuff.

It just goes to show that great vegan food can be found anywhere - even in the most unlikely of places, kitchens and blogs. So when you're looking for good vegan recipes, definitely check out the usual suspects, but stay open to other "omni-sources". You never know where more yummy nuggets like these might be hiding...

Thanks Jessica - I can't wait to try these!


BBQ Portobello Sliders
recipe courtesy of Jessica at How Sweet It Is
makes 6 sliders

6 baby portobello stuffing mushrooms
6 slider buns
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, sliced
2-3 ounces gouda, sliced into squares (not sure vegan gouda exists, but any vegan cheese will do)
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup bbq sauce, for drizzling and dipping

Heat a skillet on medium-low heat and add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt and let caramelize, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, then turn off heat and set aside.

While onions are caramelizing, brush mushrooms with remaining olive oil and sprinkle both sides with pepper, paprika, onion and chili powder. Heat a skillet ( or a grill) on medium heat and cook until mushrooms are juicy and tender – about 5 minutes on each side. With 1-2 minutes remaining, add a slice of gouda on top to melt.

Assemble sliders by placing the mushroom on the bun, then top with onions, avocado, and a hefty drizzle of bbq sauce.

Note from Jessica: if you can’t find slider buns in your local store, just buy dinner rolls. I did this for years before grocery stores actually started selling slider buns!


Update: made these for Mom and they were delish - even with vegan cheese =) Pair them up with these Spiced Sweet Potato Fries and use the Maple BBQ Sauce in that recipe. Heaven!

Sneaky Vegan BBQ Ideas

Photo courtesy of Amazon

Looking for some vegan BBQ ideas for the 4th of July weekend?

Here are some great options to enjoy in mixed company:

Start things off with some tequila-spiked guac and chips.

Give your sweet potatoes a cilantro-lime twist.

This black-bean and corn salad with tomatoes and avocados is a delicious protein-rich side dish.

Grill up some Portabello and Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers, these yummy Quinoa Burgers or even Gwyneth's veggie burgers.

Fire up some grilled peaches with ginger coconut caramel.

Make some strawberry-basil lemonade and serve it up in mason jars with paper straws.

Try making your own ginger and lemon beer

Or, if you don't have time to go the DIY route, stock up on these vegan beers.

Going as a guest? Bring this delicious vegan dessert!

If you need more ideas for this weekend (or the rest of the summer) find yourself a great vegan BBQ cookbook and have at it!

Anyone readers out there who have have some great BBQ recipes to share? Let us know!


Have fun and be safe everyone!