This month’s Recipe Redux is about reflection, since it is that time of year, and the fact that we’ve been doing the Recipe Redux for 42 months now! It is hard to believe we’ve been doing it for that long! And it has grown tremendously since then with such a large group that we are now posting on 2 days: half of us on the 21st of the month and the other half on the 22nd. I know I’ve grown tremendously in that amount of time as well, particularly when it comes to food photography (though I still have much to learn!).
I have been participating in Recipe Redux from the beginning. The first month’s theme was grilling and I created Grilled Flank Steak with Grilled Corn and Peach Salsa. Now, granted, I haven’t participated in all 42 months since that time. I had some off months here and there due to pregnancy (bed rest really put a hamper on my cooking for a while!), adjusting to life with two kiddos and so forth. But it is something I love taking part in every month when I have been able. I am always inspired by all the creations of my fellow Reduxers. Of course it is hard to top attending Blog Brulee this past September where I got to meet quite a few fellow Reduxers at the blogging conference.
So back to this month’s challenge. In honor of the 42 month anniversary, we were challenged to “grab a book & cook”. In other words, open a cookbook and pick a recipe off either the 42nd or 142nd page to give a healthy makeover. I have a big stack of cookbooks that don’t get nearly enough use, I must admit. And due to it being a crazy time of year and coming down with the flu this past week, I did take a look through a few to find something easy with ingredients I already had on hand!
One of my many cookbooks is Second Helpings by Johnnie Gabriel. She is a good family friend and owns a restaurant, Gabriel’s, where I live. This is her second cookbook and filled with wonderful Southern recipes from my hometown. The food photography is gorgeous and happened to be taken in my sister’s house. Those are just a few of the reasons I have a fondness for this cookbook. Though I generally tweak the recipes to make them more in line with my own food philosophy.
So I flipped to page 142 and found a recipe for Sweet Potato Fries, except they are truly fried and have a brown sugar cinnamon topping, which is generally not to my liking. I make baked sweet potato fries on a regular basis at my house. Everyone in the family loves them. So I tweaked Johnnie’s recipe to how I generally make them in the oven versus a fryer (my husband was so disappointed years ago when no one bought the deep fryer he placed on our wedding registry while I was relieved!). I’m a bit of a traditionalist, going for the simple preparation and a little bit of a ketchup on the side (true confession: I love ketchup!). Though there a lot of ways to play with the basic recipe and add any number of flavors, including chipotle chili powder for a smoky flavor. Enjoy!
- 3 small sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Wash potatoes in cold running water then slice in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 3 to 4 wedges.
- Place the wedges on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Turn over the wedges on the pan and then bake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until browned.
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