Herbed Fries, Sweet Potato Rostis and Tzatziki

Vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten free

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Serves 4-6

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Vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten free 〰️ Serves 4-6 〰️

In case you missed it, we are somehow already in September. Spring has officially sprung. That means that picnic season is right around the corner. Luckily for you, I’ve created the ultimate picnic dish. This dish features herbed fries baked until golden and crispy, alongside flavoursome sweet potato rostis and tied together with a homemade tzatziki. It is filled with love and flavour, and is the perfect accompaniment to your next picnic.

The dish tastes wonderful whether served immediately, or once allowed to cool. This is a critical aspect to a successful picnic dish, in my personal experience. As someone who kept pulling this dish out of the fridge to snack on, I can wholeheartedly vouch for this fact. From a nutrition perspective, when potatoes are cooked and then cooled, as is the case with this dish, the structure of some of the carbohydrates changes during the cooling process and become a specific kind of starch known as resistant starch. Resistant starch is a food source for the beneficial bacteria within our large intestine, or our gut, and it is necessary that we keep them fed as they support our digestive health, our immune health, and even our mental health.

In full transparency, I partnered with Bite Me Fine Foods to create this recipe. I have been purchasing from this brand for many years now, and was already very familiar with their products. The Sweet Potato Rostis were a personal favourite of mine long before they reached out. If you are interested in purchasing from their range of plant-based patties, rostis, fritters, and hashbrowns, you can use my code earthymik20 for 20% off online. Their website is available here.

To see a video of how to make this dish, click here.

INGREDIENTS

Fries:

• 4 medium-large potatoes, sliced into fries (skin left on)

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil


• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• 1 tablespoon dried Italian mixed herbs

• Pinch sea salt

Tzatziki:

• 200 grams dairy-free sour cream (I like the Coyo brand, however plain coconut yoghurt also works)

• 1/2 cucumber, grated, liquid squeezed out (skin left on)

• Juice of 1/2 lime

• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, stems removed, chopped

• Salt and pepper, to season

• 1 packet of Bite Me Fine Foods Sweet Potato Rostis (use my code earthymik for 20% off)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Place all of the fries ingredients in a large mixing bowl and use a wooden spoon to stir well until evenly coated. Transfer the fries to the baking tray and use the spoon to spread out evenly. Bake for 60 minutes, or until golden to your preference. Halfway through baking, remove from the oven and gently turn the fries to ensure that they cook evenly.

   4 medium-large potatoes, sliced into fries (skin left on)

   1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil


   Juice of 1/2 lemon

   1 tablespoon dried Italian mixed herbs

   Pinch sea salt

2. In the meantime, combine all of the tzatziki ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Use a dessert spoon to stir until well combined, and then taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary. Once the flavour is to your taste, place in the fridge to set aside until serving.

   200 grams dairy-free sour cream

   1/2 cucumber, grated, liquid squeezed out (skin left on)

   Juice of 1/2 lime

   2 tablespoons fresh dill, stems removed, chopped

   Salt and pepper, to season

3. When your fries have 10 minutes left, remove the tray from the oven and use a metal spatula to shuffle the fries to one side. Place the Bite Me Sweet Potato Rostis on the tray and return to the oven.

   1 packet of Bite Me Fine Foods Sweet Potato Rostis (use my code earthymik for 20% off)

4. When the fries and rostis have finished baking, remove the tray from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Assemble the dish on a large serving plate by placing the tzatziki in the centre, arranging the rostis around the dip and then the fries on the outside of the rostis. Enjoy! If you are taking this to a picnic, the dish still tastes wonderful when cold, however do make sure that you keep the tzatziki cold up until serving. Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to three days.