Recipe: Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Pineapple-Cranberry Chutney

I have just a few finishing touches left to add before I post my review for Grange Restaurant in Sacramento (there was a lot to cover so I wanted to make sure I got it all), but before I do that and head to San Jose for Thanksgiving with my Mom and Aunt Matilda who’s visiting from New Mexico, I wanted to share one more little holiday-inspired recipe. Some crisp & tender sweet potato fries.

They are everywhere right now: in casseroles, in stuffing, in soups, on Poor Girl Eats Well; sweet potatoes and their fine holiday friends have taken over the world as we embark upon the holiday season. And as much as I swear by my mother’s candied orange yams, I have this thing about sweet potato fries. In valley girl speak, I’m like, totally addicted to them. I wanted them badly and I wanted them now; fortunately, I had a couple still hanging out in my Big Giant Bowl.

You can make this healthy, tasty snack in a variety of ways with a multitude of different dipping sauces. This time around I gleaned some inspiration from Pyramid Alehouse, one of the many breweries in Downtown Sacramento, conveniently located across the courtyard from the Cathedral in which I sing. They serve their giant portion of sweet potato fries with a curried chutney that’s sweet & tangy enough to make you forget about ketchup. Since I’m not the hugest fan of fried things, I roast my “fries” in the oven with a minimal amount of olive oil to help give them a crisp exterior. I dust them lightly with salt, pepper & garlic, letting the true flavor of the sweet potato shine through and mix with the chutney. Speaking of which, this is another super easy “cheater” chutney that requires little effort to make. If you’re not into cranberries, try my other cheater chutney which uses mango instead.

Serve these at a slightly less traditional Thanksgiving feast or enjoy them on their own; this is a great, low-cost snack that you’ll find yourself turning to again and again!