If you don’t feel like eating your vegetables tonight, turn to sweet potatoes instead. They’re tasty cooked up any which way – baked, roasted, boiled, pureed, microwaved – so tasty that I have a hard time believing they’re actually good for me. But allegedly, these tuberous root vegetables are packed with antioxidants and vitamins, so eat up!
During the winter, sweet potatoes are my weeknight stand by because they’re so versatile. The sweet, starchy flesh pairs nicely with sweet ingredients, like cinnamon, brown sugar and the occasional marshmallow, as well as savory ingredients like sage, rosemary, and bacon fat.
- How to pick: Sweet potatoes reach their prime in Winter, but can be found year-round. Choose potatoes that are firm and unblemished. Avoid ones with cracks or soft spots.
- How to store: Unless you have a root cellar (um, I don’t even have a pantry), sweet potatoes won’t last more than 10 days. Store them loose in a cool, dark place. Keeping them in the fridge will mess with the flavor and texture.
- How to prepare: If your potatoes are from the farmer’s market, just give them a good scrub before cooking. Peel commercially grown potatoes because sometimes the skin is treated with dye or wax – yuck! To bake whole potatoes, pierce them with a fork (so they don’t explode!) and roast for about 45 minutes in a 400 degree oven. When cutting sweet potatoes for a frying or boiling recipe, slice them in half first and place the cut edge on your cutting board for stability. Be ware, they’re slippery little guys under a knife! Slice into wedges and then cubes, if desired.
- Recipe ideas: For a perfect side dish, try Christina’s Cinnamon-Spiced Sweet Potatoes or Williams-Sonoma soup. For a hearty main course, 101 Cookbook’s Sweet Potato Falafel or Gourmet’s Sweet Potato Gnocchi sound divine. To sweeten things up at the end of a meal, try Martha’s Stewart’s Fudge Brownies made with sweet potato puree or Paula Deen’s Sweet Potato Pie. And later this week, I’ll reveal my favorite Sunday brunch recipe – Sweet Potato Hash with Fried Eggs.
- Fun fact: Sweet potatoes are commonly mistaken – and mislabeled – as yams, but they aren’t even related! True yams are native to Asia and Africa, can grow seven feet in length, and are much sweeter than sweet potatoes.
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Can’t wait for your Sweet Potato Hash with Fried Eggs Recipe!!!!
I adore sweet potatoes and eat them probably way too often… Really need a few more recipes though!
Mmm, thanks Jillian! Last night my friend Alex made this amazing sweet potato ravioli…such a treat, she topped it with a garlic, butter and thyme sauce and then sprinkled chopped walnuts over.
I’m going to try the recipe you provided from Gourmet…I’ve been dying to try sweet potato gnocchi!
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