Beet Baked Fries

via @easy.breezy.vegan on Instagram

If you haven't jumped on the fries-from-things-that-are-not-potatoes bandwagon yet, you're missing out.  

I have mixed feelings towards finger food- some I detest, some I love.  Fries are one of my favorites, and I've had so much fun experimenting with pretty much every recipe under the sun!

Baked fries are one of my favorite quick appetizers or snacks that I love whipping up.  Whether I'm making a huge batch for a party or a single serving batch for me and only me, I love trying to make fries out of anything.  I've tried out the following:

-regular potatoes

-sweet potatoes

-butternut squash

-acorn squash

-kabocha squash

-beets

-avocado

-celery

-carrot

-bell peppers

-daikon radish

Of that list, some were amazing, some were strange, and some were just not for me.  Example- the carrot fries were not my favorite, but that's because I don't even like carrots in the first place.  I thought that if I seasoned them with an ungodly amount of chili powder and baked them, they would not taste like carrots, and they would magically transform into sweet-potato-esque fries.  No, they tasted like spicy carrots.  So if you like carrots, make carrot fries.  But if you're like me and don't like carrots, don't be a knucklehead and make carrot fries.  ;-)

The daikon fries were all right (I might try again with a different recipe), and the bell peppers and celery fries were less like "fries", and more like strips of roasted vegetables.  I loved the avocado fries, but they were very rich and creamy, and are more of an occasional indulgence.  

The squashes all worked like magic- acorn was great, kabocha fries were crispy on the outside but held all the creamy kabocha goodness I love on the inside, and butternut yielded delicious fries, almost exactly like sweet potato fries!  And of course, both the potatoes were classic, and delicious as ever!  But so much healthier than a traditional fry made in oil.  

These beet fries were a hit at my party.  Even the potato purists, a.k.a. my family, loved these.  Finger food at its best!  Not only are these delicious, but the rich purple beet color adds eye appeal and is a total conversation starter.  Everyone wanted to know how I made them, and they wanted the recipe!  So here it is.  :-)

Potatoes, I love you, but watch out.  

Beet Fries Nutrition Facts

Baked Beet Fries

Serves: 1-3

3 fresh beets

1 sprig parsley, minced

1/4 tsp salt

spices of choice (I used french thyme)

oil (optional, not used here)

1.  Preheat oven to 375 F.  

2.  Wash beets and cut off stems.  You can save the beet greens!  They're edible: they cook wonderfully like chard and make a great salad.  

3.  Peel the beets.  This might get messy- beets bleed!  Don't worry if they make a mess, beet juice cleans up fairly easily.  

4.  Cut the beets into fries.  Throw them into a bowl.  If using oil, coat them in oil or oil spray, then toss them in the salt, parsley, and spices.  

5.  Spread them out on a baking sheet covered in nonstick foil or parchment.  Bake them for 25-30 minutes, or until the outsides are crispy but not burnt!