Spicy Steak Fries

I'm going to go ahead and admit that I've made this recipe more times than necessary, under the guise of "perfecting the spice blend", only because these are seriously tasty. As I mentioned in the last post, I'm a huge fan of salty snacks, and fries are no exception.

This is a great recipe to have on hand for a pretty easy side dish. (and not a meal, as it may or may not have been for me at one point this past week) Although it does require some time in the oven, most of the time is non-active, so you can easily be making the rest of the meal in the meantime.

I guarantee that you'll be making this recipe again and again - it's just that good!



Spicy Steak Fries
Serves 2-4

2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp Old Bay
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut potatoes into steak fry wedges. In the microwave, melt butter in a small dish. Whisk in olive oil, garlic, and remaining spices. Toss wedges in butter mixture and spread into 9x13" baking dish. Place into preheated oven. Allow to roast for 15 minutes, then toss. Continue to toss every 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are crispy and brown. (this took about 45 minutes for me). Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Fun with the Dehydrator: Cheezy Kale Chips

Snack foods are my absolute demise when it comes to trying to eat healthy. I can easily pass up cakes, cookies, pies, and other sweets, but my resistance is low if you dangle any kind of salty snack in front of me.

Whenever I'm trying to really at healthy, I usually fire up the dehydrator (or Dry Baby, as I like to call it) to make some healthy snacks to have on hand. To be honest, my dehydrator is probably used more for snacks than anything else!

This week, I dried some lovely apple slices tossed in apple pie spice, some lovely fresh kiwi fruit, and these cheezy kale chips. The last kale chips were such a hit, but the Dry Baby really makes them even better. Any recipe of kale chip, when made in the dehydrator, will last for days, so it's perfect to make a large batch and snack on them throughout the week. When I'm feeling lazy, I will just toss some fresh kale leaves with a smidgen of olive oil and whatever seasoning salt happens to be on hand - lemon pepper being my favorite at the moment. If I have a few more minutes, I'll make this recipe.



Cheezy Kale Chips

2 large bunchs of kale, washed, destemmed, and torn into pieces
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 2 hours
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder

Drain cashews. In a food processsor, combine cashews and remaining ingredients, except for the kale leaves. Process until well combined. In a large bowl, toss kale leaves with cashew mixture, and mix well with your hands, until every piece is coated.
Place in dehydrator and dry at 115 degrees for 6-8 hours, until crispy and coating is dry. Store in a airtight container.

You may also like:
*Fun with the Dehydrator - Mexican Crackers
*Fun with the Dehydrator - Lemon Macaroons