If you are a regular Blast reader, you know that I swore off french fires for an entire year once, and I put out 10 recipes of alternatives to french fires.

Well during that year, I ate a lot of sweet potatoes. They’re better for you, have more nutrients, and give your body less white carbs/sugar.

We did a good wintery roasted sweet potatoes recipe back in January 2009. It’s delicious, but this is basically October now, and we need something a little … sweeter?

This dish serves 2-4 people as a side dish to a main entree. Goes great with a nice piece of cod, some chicken, or pork tenderloin. Serve with Pinot Grigio.

You need:

To start

• 3 large yams/sweet potatoes
• 2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (nutmeg and cinnamon work in a pinch)
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil.

To finish

• 1 ft. aluminum foil
• Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into about 10-12 dices. I recommend cutting them in half long-wise, then cutting the halves in half, then dicing it all up. Be careful. Sweet potatoes are a bitch and a half to cut. You need a sharp knife and some elbow grease. Don’t cut fingers off.

Put the foil on a 2-inch deep baking pan and liberally coat it with the cooking spray.

Spread the sweet potatoes out evenly. Apply the spices evenly on top of the potatoes. Don’t overdo the salt and pepper. Just a few shakes will do.

Drizzle about 4 tablespoons of olive oil all around and on top of the potatoes.

Bake for one hour.

Sweet potatoes don’t get crispy like white potatoes. They’ll come out soft. The sweet, nutty spices really make this dish.

Sage, meet the readers. Readers, sage.

The problem with cooking healthy is that it is a widely-known fact that the flavor is often in the fat. But fresh herbs, however daunting that section of the produce department is, are the secrets to dishes that are packed with healthy flavor. If you want a dish that rises above a salt or pepper shaker, you might want to stray to the land of funny leaves and stems — even if only once in awhile.

Likewise, where a potato leaves something to be desired in nutritional content, its funny-colored cousin is a perfect substitute. Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious vegetables on earth (and they are also one of the oldest veggies known to man).

Thus, these sweet potato wedges with crispy sage is a snack that only take a few minutes to prepare, satisfy a quick, healthy carb fix and deceptively doses you with nutrients that you didn’t even know you wanted.

Plus its about 80 calories per serving, and zero fat.

That’s 80 calories. No fat.

Bon apetit!

Dish #3 — Baked Sweet Potato Wedges with Crispy Sage Leaves

30 minutes — Market Price — 80 calories per serving

You’ll need:

• 2-3 medium-sized sweet potatoes
• A pack of sage (it’s in that department, as mentioned)
• Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 465 degrees. Coat the bottom of a cookie sheet with non-stick spray — like Pam.

Peal two medium-sized sweet potatoes. If you don’t have a peeler, all the better, cut the sweet potato peels off on each side. It should resemble something like a brick.

Slice the sweet potato like thick chips. I like to cut on the angle, then turn the potato and cut the opposite side. Repeat.

They should resemble a wedge. Don’t make them too thick, and remember, the more uniformed the slices, the more evenly they’ll cook.

In a large bowl, place the wedges and pour a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Then a tablespoon of black pepper, and three teaspoons of salt.

Next, separate the all the sage leaves in the package from their lengthy stems. Rip the leaves into thirds and throw then into the bowl of oil, salt, pepper, and sweet potato.

Mix the ingredients until the veggies are all coated with the herb mixture. Spread them out onto the cookie sheet (leave some space between the wedges, so they don’t become soggy when cooking).

Bake for 20 minutes, and remove. Let the sweet potatoes cool for 5 minutes before plating. Sprinkle with (a bit more) salt, and enjoy.

Dipping sauces are always welcome. Watch out for butters and things that add fat and calories, though.