Smoked Paprika Oven Fries

After a year of living on the bottom floor and not the third like I had for over 2 years, I've gained a bit of weight. You never realize how much exercise you actually get going up and down three flights of stairs many, many, many times a day. I've been working out a few times a week on the treadmill (while watching TV) but that can get a bit boring after a while. I think I've seen nearly every episode of Cash Cab now. Now that spring is here (or that two week period in Texas where it's actually cool and not the scorching heat of summer), Charlie and I have been walking around my apartment complex twice a day (it's .8 miles around in case you were wondering). That has helped in the fitness department but I still wanted to improve the way I ate.  In an attempt to not only eat healthier and lose weight, I bought the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook.  I didn't want to join Weight Watchers because I'm cheap but I did want to have  a book of recipes based on their program that I could use to do it on my own.

The first recipe I made was the Oven "Fries" on page 358.  I love french fries, the greasier, cheesier the better.  But I know that such a dish is not in anyway good for me.  Unless I want to add to the giggle on my thighs.  And since that is obviously not something I'm interested in doing, I've been looking for a healthier oven baked fry.  Typically, I've lightly coated the potatoes in olive oil with a little salt and a little dried parsley.  While these are very tasty, they lacked the crunch that really makes a good fry.

In the Weight Watchers recipe, the potatoes are coated in a mixture of oil and paprika.  Right away I new that I wanted to use the smoked paprika that I bought at Penzey's (I love having a location nearby!) a few weeks ago and have been dying to use.  I also changed the oil to olive oil because I love the taste of olive oil over vegetable or canola oil.  For my potatoes, I used red versus the baking potato because I prefer the flavor and texture.

A really great tip they give at the beginning of the recipe is to soak the potatoes in a cold water with a little with a bit of salt and sugar.  This supposedly draws some of the potatoes' own water out so they actually brown and crisp rather than steam in the oven.  I've never tried that before but if they say it makes the fries brown better and get crispy, I'm all for trying it.

While these were in the oven, my apartment smelled amazing.  The smoked paprika gave off such a warm, smoky scent when they were in the hot oven.  And the taste more than lived up to the smell.  The fries were slightly smoky but not overwhelmingly so.  With a little ketchup to dip, it was a great addition to lunch.  And where they crispy?  Oh yes. Perfectly crisp and crunchy, just like you had fried them traditionally.  Only they were healthier and so much better to eat.

Oven "Fries"
adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

makes 4 servings

1 1/4 pounds red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch strips
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Preheat the oven to 450°F, line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, combine the potato strips, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the sugar with enough cold water to cover the potato strips.  Soak for at least 15 minutes then drain and blot dry.

Drying out the same bowl or in a new large bowl, combine the potato strips with the olive oil and smoked paprika (I added a pinch of salt here as well). Toss until all of the potato strips are coated evenly.  Spread evenly on the lined baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes or until they are cooked through and crisp.  Turn at least once during cooking.  Sprinkle with remaining salt after baking if desired.