Sides, Sides, Sides! Part 1

I'm trying to catch up with all the dishes that I've made, but haven't had time to post!  Here are two side dishes that are easy and nutritious, sweet potato fries and skillet squash and leek au gratin!  I do zesty fries as we are not big fans of the sweet version using brown sugar.  Both of these dishes take less than an hour and are minimal mess!  I used panko crumbs to top the au gratin, but you could easily substitute corn flake crumbs or some other GF choice.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries:

Ingredients:

3 sweet potatoes

3 tbsp olive oil 

1 tbsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400*F. Peel, slice, wash and pat dry potatoes.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, mix together the oil and spices.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Gently toss the potatoes in the oil mixture.  Evenly distribute the seasoned potatoes on the baking sheet.  Bake in oven for 40 minutes. Turn once during baking.  If you would like crispier fries, place the fries under a low broiler for 2-3 minutes.

Skillet Squash and Leek Au Gratin:

Ingredients:

2 zucchini 

2 summer squash

2 leeks

3/4 cup milk

1 tbsp cornstarch

Salt and pepper

1 cup panko crumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup butter, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Thinly slice the leeks up to to the dark green.  Soak the leeks in a bowl of cold water to remove sand.  Gently pat the leeks dry.  Slice the squash and zucchini.  Melt 1 tbsp of the butter in an oven proof skillet over med-low heat.  Add the leeks to the skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes to soften.  

Add the squash and zucchini to the skillet and cook for and additional 5 minutes.  Stir gently several times to avoid over browning.  Mix milk and cornstarch together until smooth.  Add the mixture to the skillet and turn up the heat to medium.  Bring to a slow boil stir several times.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  After the sauce is thickened, top with panko mixture and dot with remaining butter.  Place a skillet in oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the crumb topping is golden brown.