Amazing Baked Oven Fries

Contributor | KRISTINA  

Who likes fries? Just about everyone, right? But oh, the grease...have no fear, the next time you get a craving you should try this french fry miracle that  

tastes like deep fried but only uses 5 tablespoons of oil!  

But this comes with a warning--

they are addicting! 

A quick story behind my discovery of these started with a visit to

 some friends. They offered me these fries and my first response was 

"these are so good-are they fried?"

 "Nope. Oven fried." 

"Really? I need this recipe!"

Coming from Cook's Illustrated Magazine, 

here's what you'll need to try these out:

 (p.s. It's important to follow closely for great results.)

3 russet potatoes, peeled or skins on (your preference),

cut lengthwise into 10-12 evenly sized wedges

5 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil

salt and ground black pepper

heavy duty baking sheet

large bowl for soaking potatoes

foil

paper towels or dry, clean kitchen towel

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position. Preheat to 475.
2. Place potatoes in large bowl and cover with hot tap water for 10 min.

a hot bath works wonders to remove starches and reveal a creamy, smooth center

3. Meanwhile, coat a heavy duty rimmed baking sheet with 4 Tbsp. oil.
Sprinkle evenly with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. ground pepper (suggested amount.)
 Set aside.

4. Drain potatoes and blot dry with cloth or paper towels. Spread out onto paper towels
or kitchen towel and thoroughly blot dry.
5. Wipe out empty bowl, return potatoes to bowl and toss with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil.

and add a little salt and pepper to taste so both sides are coated

6. Arrange potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Cover tightly with

foil and bake 5 minutes.

7. Remove foil and continue to bake until bottoms of potatoes are spotty golden
brown, 15-20 min, rotating baking sheet after 10 min.
8. With spatula or tongs, loosen potatoes from pan, then flip each wedge, keeping
potatoes in single layer.
9. Continue baking until fries are golden and crisp, 5-15 min. longer, rotating pan
as needed if fries are browning unevenly.

These fries taste great sprinkled with malt vinegar, and a dash of salt and pepper. Your taste buds will be tricked into thinking they ate something deep fried but in fact are low in fat. 

(P.S.If you notice the logo "Remadesimpleblog" on these photos, that's because they came from Kristina's DIY blog where she posts mostly crafts and decorating, but sometimes posts recipes too.)You can visit her here:  

Canadian Bacon and Veggie-Filled Crepes

Contributor | KRISTINA

Every now and then, we get a crepe craving. Sometimes we like them sweet, filled with strawberries. Or savory, filled with Canadian bacon, sautéed spinach, mushrooms and onions. Topped with Hollandaise sauce. Oh, yeah...For the most part healthy. The dollop of sauce on top really makes the crepe amazing though, but it can be skipped to reduce calories.

For some reason, we've heard people say that crepes are hard to make. We have never had a problem though with this tried and true recipe from Better Homes and Gardens. Double the recipe if you're cooking for a crowd. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/4
  cups milk
• 1
  cup all-purpose flour (we used whole white wheat flour)
• 1
  egg
• 1
  teaspoon cooking oil
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder

METHOD

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender container. For dinner crepes, add 1/4 teaspoon salt. For dessert crepes, add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon sugar instead of salt. Cover and blend until smooth. If desired, flavor batter.

2. Heat a lightly greased 6- or 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of batter into center of skillet (use 3 tablespoons batter for an 8-inch skillet). Lift and tilt skillet to spread batter and coat bottom of pan. Return to heat. Cook for 1 minute or until light brown. Turn with a spatula, and cook second side for 30 seconds.

3. Slide finished crepes onto paper towels. For filled crepes, spoon filling into center; roll or fold crepe while still in the pan; slide carefully onto plate. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet and stirring batter if needed. Makes about 12 (8-inch) or 16 ( 6-inch) crepes.

For filling: 
Dice Canadian bacon, onions, mushrooms. Grab a handful of fresh spinach and sautee in pan lightly coated with olive oil until spinach is wilted and rest of ingredients are browned. 

For sauce: 

Mock Hollandaise Sauce:

• 1/4
  cup dairy sour cream (we used reduced fat) 
• 1/4
  cup mayonnaise or salad dressing (we used reduced fat olive oil mayo)
• 1
  teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2
  teaspoon prepared mustard
  
  
  
  

  directions
  

  1.In a small saucepan combine sour cream, mayonnaise or salad dressing, lemon juice, and mustard. Cook and stir over low heat until hot.

  2.Serve with vegetables, poultry, fish or eggs. Makes 1/2 cup sauce (eight 1-tablespoon servings).

  
  

  nutrition facts (Mock Hollandaise Sauce)
  

  • Servings Per Recipe 8,
   
  • cal. (kcal) 65,
   
  • Fat, total (g) 7,
   
  • chol. (mg) 7,
   
  • sat. fat (g) 2,
   
  • carb. (g) 1,
   
  • vit. A (RE) 21,
   
  • sodium (mg) 47,
   
  • Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet