These aren't your grandmother's sweet potatoes. In fact, what she always called "sweet potatoes" - the kind that made an appearance on the table every year at Thanksgiving in some kind of marshmallow-cloaked production - were probably what most people would actually call yams.
To be honest, there remains today some confusion about the difference between sweet potatoes and yams, due to a long-lasting - and ill-informed - interchanging of the nomenclature. What most people refer to as a yam is the dense, brown-skinned tuber - popular in traditional cuisine of the American South - with vibrant orange flesh, which is often used to make sweet potato fries, pies, and chips.
However, today's focus is on the other type of sweet potato, a staple starch in parts of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Latin and South America. With its reddish-purple skin and soft, buttery-yellow flesh, it is not only pleasing to the eye, but a delight to the palate as well. And loaded with Vitamins A and C, plus potassium, calcium, and antioxidants, it packs a wallop of a nutritional punch in a handy, little, all-natural, single-serving package.
To put an epicurean spin on a classic - but perhaps slightly ho-hum - dish, try one (or both) of the following recipes, and add your comments below to share your experience or recommendations.
Savory Sweet Potato Soup
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and cubed
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- ½ cup mushrooms (recommend shimeji or shiitake, rich in amino acids)
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ t. curry powder
- ½ t. cumin
- Plain yogurt, chives, and fresh parmesan cheese for garnish
Directions:
- In medium saucepan, heat olive oil and sauté first three ingredients 2 to 3 minutes.
- Fill saucepan about halfway with water, covering onion and garlic mixture.
- Add next five ingredients and bring soup to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender.
- Remove bay leaf.
- In a blender or food processor, or with an immersion blender, purée soup until smooth.
- Serve hot with a dollop of plain yogurt, a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese, and a pinch of chopped fresh chives.
Sweet Potato-Apple Pie
Crust
- 1 ½ c. flour
- 1 t. salt
- 1 t. sugar
- ½ c. butter, cubed
- ¼ c. ice water
- Sift first three ingredients together, then cut in butter until crumbly.
- Add ice water and mix until moistened.
- Divide dough into two discs and chill one hour.
- 2 sweet potatoes, steamed and cooled
- 2 apples
- 2 T. lemon juice
- 3 T. sugar
- 2 T. cinnamon
- 1 T. allspice
Directions:
- Peel sweet potatoes and apples, and chop into similar-sized pieces.
- Mix liberally with lemon juice, sugar, and spices, adjusting amounts to taste and dietary preference.
- Set aside, mixing from time to time.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Between sheets of wax paper, roll out both discs to 8"-9" in diameter.
- With one disc, line a pie tin, then pour in filling.
- Slice other disc in long, inch-wide strips, and use to make a lattice over the top of the pie.
- Bake 45 minutes to one hour, until crust is browned and fruit is golden-brown and bubbling.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or a robust cup of coffee.
And there you have it. So whether you're a supermarket-shopper or a grow-your-own organic guru, the next time you find yourself with an abundance of sweet potatoes on hand, get excited - great taste and fantastic nutrition are just a stir and a pinch away!
Audrey Heald - Audrey Heald has been blogging since before it was cool, or perhaps since right about the time that it started to become cool, and has ...
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