Mustard potatoes can fix your need for fries

I’ve kicked my french fry habit.

It’s been more than a year since I ate fries. I used to munch on them two or three times a week, so it’s a minor miracle that I don’t even miss them much anymore.

I won’t lie — it was rough at first. When I started trying to lose weight, I searched for healthier versions of my favorite foods. Fries were near the top of my hit list.

I found a bunch of recipes for oven-baked fries and hoped one of them could produce a tasty substitute.

No such luck. Some of them refused to get crispy. Others were way too bland. All of them just made me crave McDonald’s more.

I scrapped those recipes and kept looking for a better option. I was determined to find a solution, knowing that I couldn’t lose weight and keep it off if I was jonesing for fries every few days.

It was time to try something drastic.

I decided to quit eating fries for a month because my taste buds were never going to be satisfied with something healthier when they were still so familiar with my fast-food favorites.

My cravings kicked up a fuss for weeks, but I held on tight to my willpower and managed to steer clear of the Golden Arches.

After a month, my taste buds were in a more reasonable mood and I took another potato recipe for a test drive.

I needed an alternative that offered plenty of flavor without a lot of fat. Oprah Winfrey’s former chef, Rosie Daley, came to the rescue with her roasted mustard potatoes.

If you’re a fan of Oprah’s, you’ve probably heard her sing the praises of potatoes. I figured that if she liked this recipe, it had to be good.

Much to my delight, my taste buds gave these potatoes two thumbs-up. They make a great side dish to hamburgers or chicken. The best part is that they’re a healthy substitute for fries.

Daley’s recipe calls for baby red potatoes, but I use baking potatoes instead. And I add a few more dashes of the spices because I like that extra punch of flavor.

Over time, as I kept eating healthier, my longings for fries faded. I haven’t tasted a fried potato in 16 months.

I’m not promising to say goodbye to fries forever. If I’m dying to have some every now and then, I’ll make a little room in my food plan for them.

But I’ve got my fingers crossed that my need for a french fry fix will stay a thing of the past.

Roasted Mustard Potatoes

Adapted from an “In the Kitchen With Rosie: Oprah’s Favorite Recipes” recipe

Light vegetable oil cooking spray

4 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

2 to 4 teaspoons paprika

1 to 2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 large baking potatoes

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly coat a roasting pan with the vegetable oil spray.

Put the mustard, paprika, cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Whisk to blend.

Cut each potato into 12 to 16 chunks. Prick each chunk of potato with the tines of a fork and add them to the bowl. Toss to coat the potatoes evenly. Pour the coated potatoes into the roasting pan, leaving a little space between them. Bake for about 45 minutes to one hour, until the potatoes are fork tender.

Yield: 4 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 126 calories, 1.8 grams fat (less than 1 gram saturated, 12 percent fat calories), 3.4 grams protein, 26 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 2.9 grams dietary fiber, 393 milligrams sodium.