Even after almost 2 years of eating gluten-free, I’m still learning about places it can be that trip me up. Recently on Ashley’s blog I read that most restaurant fries aren’t gluten-free. Puzzled, I looked it up online and sure enough found a host of explanations why most restaurant french fries aren’t gluten-free, basically summed up by this:

• Some restaurants preserve the fries in between cutting and cooking by adding a coating including flour to soak up moisture and keep them from sticking together.
• If fries are fried in the same oil as battered foods like chicken nuggets, the oil can contaminate the fries with gluten.

Luckily in the few instances I can think of that I’ve eaten french fries I don’t remember feeling sick afterwards. But I don’t need to be told twice to avoid something potentially harmful, especially when they’re so easy to make at home.

This recipe is very simple, with just what I would call the bare-bone ingredients. You can make more flavorful fries by switching up the seasoning. The vinegar in the recipe helps to give the fries a more authentic flavor without overpowering the seasoning. Definitely don’t leave it out, and don’t worry about the fries having a strong salt and vinegar taste because they most certainly don’t.

Oven Fries

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

• 2 medium-sized russet potatoes
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• Splash(about 1/2 Tablespoon) vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more for finishing
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. With a sharp knife, cut the potatoes horizontally and then lengthwise into long, thin fry shapes.
3. Toss the fries with the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper until completely coated.
4. Line the fries out on a baking tray in a single layer. Bake for 50 minutes or until the ends are crisp, flipping occasionally to cook on all sides. Sprinkle with extra salt and serve immediately.

Serve with ketchup, obviously. I like Trader Joe’s ketchup because it’s more tart than most others but since I don’t live near one I use Whole Foods brand organic ketchup. Did you know organic ketchup has up to 8 times the lycopene of non-organic brands? Add that to the list of useless facts you’ll never need.

Lately there’s been a lot of these hasselback potatoes around the food blog world. As a meat and potatoes person, I knew I had to try these. The recipe is so simple and yet quite different than your regular baked potato. These weren’t quite crispy like potato chips as I was hoping but they were tender and rich.

And, if you’re like me, you’ll be a little disappointed to learn that this isn’t named after a certain View hostess. Next you’ll try to tell me that Whoopi Goldberg didn’t invent the whoopie pie…

Hasselback Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium baking potato
• 2 pats of butter
• Salt and pepper for seasoning

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Carefully slice the potato ever 1/4-1/2 inch about 90% of the way through, making sure not to cut it completely.

Put a pat of butter over each side of the potato. Bake it for 60 minutes.

Plate and pour the excess melted butter overtop. Season with salt and pepper.

Paula Deen would do good by this recipe, ya’ll. It was definitely a fun and different way to eat a baked potato. Bacon bits on top would have been a great final touch.

This recipe came along more as a fluke than anything else. I had already started to make mashed potatoes when I suddenly realize all I had for “milk” was vanilla almond milk. After giving it a shot and adding pumpkin puree, I realized the vanilla and almond flavors blended perfectly to make this a pumpkin pie-like mashed potato. The salt, nutmeg, and other spices lend the perfect flavors to make this a flavorful dish without too much fat.

Pumpkin Pie Spiced Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

• 3 medium baking potatoes
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup vanilla almond milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• a pinch of black pepper

Peel the potatoes and cook them until they are tender(you can use an oven or a microwave for faster cooking. Mash the potatoes to a smooth puree.

Add in the almond milk, pumpkin, and melted butter and continue to mix until it’s completely consistent. Lastly, stir in the salt, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg and pepper. Serve hot.

Warm, comforting, pumpkiny—what’s not to love? Get your fill while it’s still in season.