By Gloria Stovall
Fries can sometimes be the vegan’s “best friend”, as more often than not, these tasty potatoes may be the only item on the menu a vegan can consume, depending on where one is dining. Now that I am more advanced and knowledgeable in my vegan lifestyle, I am aware of the fact that those appetizing french fries can be cross contaminated with meat and or gluten, due to the shared fryers restaurants often use. If you do not concern yourself with consuming gluten, then it should not warrant a problem, but if you are a vegan, this can be detrimental as your body is no longer accustomed or conditioned to digesting animal products. The good news is you can politely ask or request the waitress to prepare the fries in a separate fryer to avoid and eliminate cross contamination.
Ok…now let’s get to the good stuff! The potato is a nutritious whole food that is full of vitamin C, B6, manganese, potassium and not to mention, so delectable. Potatoes are versatile and easy to prepare as they can be baked, fried, steamed, roasted, boiled and you can also saute’ potatoes. I personally have fallen in love with baking my own french fries from scratch and would love to share my recipe and preparation method with you, but I must warn you these baked vegan fries are exceptionally delightful and delish.
Ingredients: Two organic russet or golden potatoes, organic oregano, organic sea salt, organic black and red pepper, organic olive or coconut oil.
Preparation: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Rinse the potatoes well and cut them to the desired thickness (I usually cut a variety of thin and thick slices). Next you place the cut potato slices in a bowl of cold water for at least two hours so the starch can be removed-this results in crispier fries even though they are baked. After soaking the potatoes, place them on a baking sheet or roasting pan and begin to rub the organic olive or coconut oil until the potato slices are covered. You can also sprinkle or drop the oil on the cut slices as well. Next you sprinkle the organic seasonings (oregano, sea salt, black and red pepper) on the slices. Next, take a spatula, large spoon or even your hands to mix the oil and seasonings together until the potato slices are completely covered. After doing that, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and place the potatoes in the oven. Allow the fries to bake for at least 45 minutes or to your desired length of time. I personally love crispier fries that stick to the pan, which is why I prefer baking them for a minimum of 45 minutes. After the baking time is up, remove the fries from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes or so, place them on a plate or you can eat them straight from the pan, and enjoy.
Please let me know if you tried the recipe as I would love to hear from you!
Gloria Stovall 
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