Creamy Sweet Potatoes

There is something wonderful about sweet potatoes. Perhaps it is that somehow I feel like I am being extra healthy when I eat them, even when they are smothered in cream and cheese. Perhaps it is that while it is a potato it is chock full of vitamins, specifically vitamin A. Or perhaps it is just that they seem to be one of my new favorite vegetables; I didn't eat many sweet potatoes growing up, none that I can remember in fact. And more importantly I purchased a large box of them recently and am experimenting with them in different recipes.

Winter Veg Pasta with Sweet Potato Sauce

Just because the air is cold and the ground is frozen doesn't mean you can't have fresh vegetables in every meal you prepare. As we are in full swing of the holidays and our waist bands get a smidge tight it is important to have an easy go to healthy recipe. This is it; full of vegetables, lean meats, and flavor you will love.

Now, I admit I may have exaggerated the easy to make part...wait, don't go! It is easy to make, but there is a little prep time with the sweet potatoes. Unless you have a wee baby in the home, like myself, and are frequently stemming vegetables into complete submission and then pureeing them to the end of any form they once had, you probably won't have loads of sweet potato puree just sitting in your freezer, or see making some for this pasta as a great opportunity to stock up. But really is so easy to peel a sweet potato and steam or boil it, it just takes a little time. So get out those winter veggies, pull out the pasta, and start cooking, because you are going to love this.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Lately my husband and I, and even my baby, having been enjoying sweet potatoes prepared in different ways. I came across a recipe for sweet potato fries, which I had never tried, but thought sounded good. So I decided to try them alongside one of my hamburgers.

At first I was a wee bit disappointed with the results of these oven fries as they weren't crispy at all, even though the flavor was what I had hoped. Fortunately I had told Kelly what I was making that night and then told her the results; so under the direction of her great wisdom, I decided to revamp the recipe slightly and rename them Roasted Sweet Potatoes and once again I was happy with the results.

Soy-glazed Sweet Potatoes

It's time for a lesson on tubers. We in the US like to think that we eat yams. We actually don't. A YAM looks a lot like a sweet potato, but it's actually in a completely different vegetable family, can grow over 7 or 8 feet in length, and is commonly found in Africa, Asia, and South America. But you'd be hard pressed to find a real yam in your local grocery store. You're probably looking at a sweet potato masquerading as a yam. 

The reason is that a long time ago, some grocer decided that consumers were too easily confused by the many varieties of sweet potatoes. "What? A sweet potato with yellow skin? And now a purple one? Or is it supposed to be orange? Which do I choose?!" (I personally don't see what the problem is; we eat apples of different shapes, sizes, textures, and colors and no one started calling them grapes or plantains  or avocados to differentiate). So someone started calling the more common orange-y sweet potatoes yams (the Garnet variety), and the rest of them, the yellow, white, purple and light orange ones, were dubbed sweet potatoes. 

Garnet sweet potatoes- the orange ones- are perfect for this recipe because, being ridiculously sweet, they could use a bit of salt to temper them. The glaze itself is still sweet enough thanks to the brown sugar, but it adds a lovely savoriness that one needs in the perfect side dish. 

Sweet Potatoes with Spiced Black Beans

When I found this recipe, my first thought was “Weird. Who would eat beans with sweet potatoes?!” But then I read some of the very positive reviews and decided to give it a try…and was pleasantly surprised. Regardless of the very strange combination, this recipe is actually quite delicious. Give it a try. Serve as a hearty side dish to pork or chicken, or as a light main course.

Thai Red Chicken Curry

One of my very, very favorite types of food is Thai. And since I can't afford to eat out all the time, I've been forced to try making it at home. This is my attempt at something slightly resembling authentic Thai food, and although I don't claim to be a true Thai chef, I think my curry is still pretty tasty.

This recipe calls for some ingredients that you may not have hanging around your fridge. It is, however, well worth going to the store and investing in those ingredients: fish sauce and curry paste. Both of them last for ages, so you need not worry about using them quickly. And since fish sauce is a staple of many Asian dishes, you might even use it again for something else.

Thai Red Chicken Curry
recipe by Kelly
Pictures by Caroline

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small sweet potato, chopped into 1 inch cubes (Optional)
1-2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste*
1 14-ounce can unsweetened light coconut milk
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup pineapple pieces, with juice
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded**

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook about 2 minutes; add curry paste and stir until onions are soft (I suggest adding 1 tablespoon at first, in case you are sensitive to spice. After you've added the coconut milk and stirred, try the sauce and add more paste if desired). Add red peppers and cook another 2 minutes.
   
2. Add coconut milk, fish sauce and brown sugar. Stir until blended, then add sweet potato, if desired. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until potatoes are tender.
   
3. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with jasmine or basmati rice.
   

*You can find red curry paste in the ethnic/foreign food section of the grocery store. One common brand usually found in almost any store (yes, even the ones with a relatively low ethnic food selection) is "Thai Kitchen." Fish sauce is usually located in the same general area.

**I like to broil my chicken and then, since I'm not a big fan of cubed chicken, I usually shred it. But if you prefer to cubed or slice it, that's also fine. You could also leave the chicken out and go vegetarian for the night.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

I love twice baked potatoes. The creamy, salty, buttery goodness...so delicious! Now imagine a hint of sweetness combined with an actual sweet potato. These are easy and tasty and you can make them the day before if you want. Yum.

Make-Ahead Sweet Potatoes
from www.bettycrocker.com
Pictures by Caroline

6 medium sweet potatoes
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons millk
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons buttter, softened
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Pierce sweet potatoes with a fork to allow steam to escape. Bake about 45 minutes, or until tender.
   
2. Cut in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out inside of potato, leaving a thin shell. Mash the potatoes in a large bowl until no lumps remain (If you don't completely cook the potatoes, it will be much more difficult to smoothly mash the potatoes).
   
3. Place shells in an ungreased 9 x 13 baking dish. If desired, cover and refrigerate no longer than 24 hours.
   
4. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake uncovered about 25 minutes or until potato mixture is golden brown. (If baking filled shells immediately after mashing potatoes, bake about 20 minutes).
   

-Kelly