Spiralized Sweet Potatoes 2 Ways

Post by Paula Jahn, Co-owner and Registered Dietitian at Nourish Northwest

My mother in law loves kitchen gadgets. She has gifted me several kitchen items that I would never buy for myself (but happily use!).  I am generally a minimalist in the kitchen; a good sharp knife, a rimmed baking sheet, and a cast iron skillet usually do it for me. Well, after experimenting with the spiralizer she gave me for my birthday, my list of frequently used items might be growing. While I’ve railed against frivolous kitchen gimmicks in the past, I can easily justify the spiralizer’s real estate in my cabinets. It fits my criteria for any piece of kitchen equipment: It must have more than one use, and that it does! Its most common use is to make “vegoodles” out of zucchini or yellow summer squash. The first recipe I made was zucchini noodles with a vegan pesto.

It is beloved by the raw food community, but I prefer to give the vegetables a quick warm-through on the stove. That way, they absorb more of the sauce’s flavors. Also, I find that raw squash can be difficult to digest for some individuals. You can make noodles out of pretty much any firm vegetable or fruit: cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, beets, sweet potatoes…But, it can also (almost) replace a mandoline using the slicing blade to make thin, even rounds.

Or, using the larger noodler blade, make curly fries!

There are lots of recipes cropping up in food blogs that use the spiralizer, including Inspiralized, which is 100% devoted to the machine. If you’re looking for a hands-on experience, Nourish Northwest is hosting a cooking class on how to use the spiralizer, including recipes and samples. Sign up here!

I wanted to branch out and try different blade settings on sweet potatoes. I made oven chips and oven curly fries. After tasting these, this gadget may have just been promoted to the countertop. Welcome to my kitchen, little gadget.

Spiralized Sweet Potato Chips or Curly Fries

Ingredients
1-2 small sweet potatoes

Olive oil

Salt

Sprinkle of chili powder, smoked paprika, or any other spice

Preparation

For crispy sweet potato chips:

1.  Preheat oven to 450 F. Spiralize the sweet potato using the slicer blade on the spiralizer. Break apart each ring to make individual circles.

2. Brush both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and spice of choice.

3. Bake on parchment-lined baking sheet for 7-10 minutes. Gently flip and bake for another 5 minutes or until crisp but not burnt.

For curly fries:

1.  Preheat oven to 450 F. Spiralize the sweet potato using the medium-sized noodler blade on the spiralizer. Break apart each long strand into 3-4 inch pieces.

2. In a bowl or on a parchment-lined baking sheet, toss with 1-2 Tbs olive oil, a pinch of salt and seasoning of choice.

3. Spread in an even layer and bake for 10-15 minutes, until crisp on the outside and cooked through.