Sweet Potatoes – One Ingredient Six Ways

  in Blog

Sweet Potatoes…creamy, sweet, easy to cook, nutritious, hearty, versatile. What’s not to like about them? You can use them interchangeably with yams. (They are both tuberous root vegetables but they aren’t related.) Try one of these recipes that feature sweet potatoes, from soup to hash to latkes to cake, one of these should tickle your sweet potato fancy.

Buckwheat Winter Casserole

Serves 4

1 ½ cups kasha (toasted buckwheat)
2 cups water
½ teaspoon salt
2 15-ounce cans pureed winter squash or sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon butter or vegetable oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 bunch kale, stems removed, chopped
½ cup vegetable broth

Sauce:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup tamari
2 large cloves garlic, minced

Sauce: In a small jar mix olive oil, tamari and garlic. Set aside.

  1. Heat oven to 350°. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil, add kasha and salt, cover and cook 15-20 minutes on low heat, or until water is absorbed.
  2. In another sauce pan steam or boil the kale for 5-10 minutes until tender. Remove kale from pan, drain, and set aside.
  3. Add butter and onions to the pan and sauté for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the squash or sweet potatoes and salt to taste. Then add enough vegetable broth to create a mixture that can be spread like frosting. Spread kasha in the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Layer the kale on top of kasha. Spread squash or sweet potato mixture on top, dropping in spoonfuls and spread to cover. Bake for 40 minutes. Drizzle garlic sauce over top and serve.
    Serves 6.

Thai Chili

From Clean Eating
Serves 6

1 ½ teaspoons red curry paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups vegetable broth
½ cup uncooked bulgur
1 small sweet potato, peeled, diced small
1 large green pepper, diced small
2 15-oz cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups home cooked
2 6-oz. cans tomato paste
½ cup coconut milk
2 green onions, chopped
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

In a medium soup pot add curry paste, cumin and a couple tablespoons of broth. Whisk to remove lumps. Add remaining broth, bulgur, sweet potato and green pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in beans, coconut milk and tomato paste. Cook uncovered about 10 minutes, until bulgur is tender and chili is thick. Stir in salt, black pepper and green onions.

Quinoa Sweet Potato Latkes

Serves 4

3/4 cup dry quinoa, red or white
2 eggs
2 cups shredded raw sweet potatoes
4 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt, divided
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour Oil for frying – coconut, canola, etc.
Optional topping: sour cream

  1. Bring quinoa, 1 1/2 cups of water, and ½ teaspoon of the salt to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Water should be absorbed or drain excess. Cool for 15 minutes.
  2. Beat eggs together in a bowl and add the sweet potatoes, green onion, cilantro, flour, cooked quinoa and remaining salt and pepper. Let stand 15 minutes.
  3. Heat a small amount of oil in a fry pan over medium high heat.  Using a ¼ cup measure, scoop mixture into hot oil and press to flatten. Cook until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towel and serve hot with sour cream.

Yam Edamame Hash

Serves 6

8 oz diced smoked sausage
1 onion, diced small
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, diced small
1 garlic clove, minced
1 12-oz. package shelled edamame
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
½ teaspoon thyme
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
6 poached or sunny side up eggs

  1. Sauté sausage and onion in oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes or until onion and ham are lightly browned. Add yams, and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in edamame, broth, and thyme. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, about minutes or until yams are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with a poached or sunny side up egg.

West African Peanut Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart vegetable stock
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed
1 teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon dry ginger
sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1 14.5 oz can tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup chopped peanuts

  1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Cook onion and carrot until tender and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add spices and cook 1 minute. Stir in vegetable stock and sweet potatoes. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes until yams are tender.
  2. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and return to a simmer. Stir in peanut butter.
  3. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Stir in chopped peanuts.

Sweet Potato Pound Cake

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼  teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ lb unsalted butter (1 stick)
¾ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
2 large eggs
¼ cup pecans, chopped

  1. Preheat oven to 325°.  Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
  3. In a large bowl with electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Mix in sweet potatoes, then eggs one at a time.  With mixer on low, add flour, one-third at a time, just until blended.
  4. Spoon into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle pecans on top. Bake 65 to 70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  
  5. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.  Remove from pan to cool completely.