Lemon Thyme Yogurt with Sweet Potato Chips

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I've gotten a lot of messages lately about how to use up summer herbs, so consider this post one of several in a series about summer herbs. Thyme is one of my favorites - I'm currently staying at my parents' home before I start my new job, and my mom's herb "corner" on our patio is amazing. She has two different types of thyme! For this recipe, I used lemon thyme and a bit of regular as well, but feel free to use whatever you find. 

Sweet potato fries get an upgrade to chips with an addicting crispy coating thanks to avocado oil, lemon juice, and more fresh thyme. I love avocado oil because it is great for cooking at higher temperatures without burning the food or becoming harmful to you! 

Here's what you'll need: 

  • 1 large sweet potato, washed and peeled 

  • 3 Tbsp avocado oil 

  • 1 whole lemon (for zesting and juicing) 

  • 8oz container plain greek yogurt (I used Chobani 2% - I like higher fat content in my yogurt) 

  • 1 heaping Tbsp + 1 tsp fresh thyme (I just pull the leaves off the stalks and put into a pile) 

  • 1 tsp ground turmeric 

  • 1/4 tsp salt 

  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 

  • 1 garlic clove, roasted, peeled, and mashed (I love to roast an entire garlic head and then keep the leftover peeled cloves in a mason jar in the fridge) 

Here's how to make it: 

     Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Slice the sweet potato into rounds (1/8 of an inch or less). If the rounds are super big, cut in half for quicker baking time. Place rounds into a bowl with avocado oil, juice from 1/2 lemon, and 1 tsp of the fresh thyme. Using hands, coat the rounds in the oil and then spread onto a baking sheet (make sure they are not touching). Bake for 20 minutes, then flip all of the chips over and bake for another 10-15 minutes until crispy - make sure to watch closely so they do not burn! Take out of oven and let cool. 

     While the sweet potato chips are cooking, it's time to make the sauce. Using a whisk or spatula, combine the yogurt, zest from whole lemon, juice from the other 1/2 of the lemon, 1 Tbsp thyme, turmeric, salt, pepper, and mashed garlic clove. I don't think it's necessary to blend this sauce together because the garlic clove does a lovely job of incorporating itself into the yogurt and I love some texture. Pour into a serving bowl, garnish plate with chips, and serve! 

Annie Muske