April 01, 2014 April 01, 2014/ Morgan
I love fries! Well, I love homemade baked fries the most. I eat them several times a week (okay most days..) and I can’t imagine how sad my plate would be without a big side of fries! I love russet potato fries, red potato wedges, yellow potato fries and of course sweet potato fries!!
And while I LOVE just plain fries with a bit of salt, I love to sometimes jazz them up with a bit of something. This something is some awesomely delicious oil free vegan pesto made with cilantro and pepitas (if you haven’t had them they are hulled pumpkin seeds!)
If you hate cilantro you can use basil instead, I won’t judge!
Oh and by the way – my family loves these fry baskets that I picked up at the store! So fun for sandwiches and fries outside or at home sitting on the couch! We just line them with parchment paper and throw our meals into them. Easy clean up!
makes 4-6 servings
- 2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into fries
- 2 cups loosely packed cilantro
- 1/2 cup toasted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 jalapeno, optional
- juice of 1 lime
- big pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup water
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick silicon baking mat.
Lay the sweet potato fries on the baking sheets in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes. Flip the fries and then bake for another 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Meanwhile blend the cilantro, pepitas, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, salt and water together until smooth (I used my awesome new Blendtec for a really smooth sauce but a food processor would work as well!) Taste and add any additional salt as necessary.
Toss the fries with as much of the pesto as you like! Any leftover pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.