Soup, gratin and pancake recipes from Cookie magazines column: Sneak it In, in which veggies are added to all kinds of kid friendly foods. Explore the other foods too.

http://www.cookiemag.com/food/sneakitin/2006/11/sneakspotato

This is basically a sweet potato and spinach curry from WHfoods.org newsletter:

Spinach and Sweet Potato Healthy Saute

Prep and Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

4 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 cup + 1 TBS chicken or vegetable broth

A tsp turmeric

A tsp coriander

A tsp cumin

A tsp cardamom

1 TBS fresh lemon juice

2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

6 oz frozen spinach, thawed

2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Chop onions and mince garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their health-promoting benefits.

Heat 1 TBS broth in a large stainless steel skillet. Healthy SautA onion in broth over medium heat for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add garlic and continue to sautA for another minute.

Add seasonings and stir to mix thoroughly. Add broth and sweet potatoes. Simmer covered over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover to allow sauce to thicken and cook another couple minutes. Add cilantro, salt & pepper to taste.

Press water out of spinach and add to sweet potatoes. Cook uncovered to allow sauce to thicken and cook another couple minutes. Add cilantro, salt & pepper to taste.

---------------------

Also, turns out the greens are edible too. Which is interesting because a month ago I stuck some chunks of sprouting potato in a pot and the vines grow like mad with little care. And apparently they are about as nutrient dense as the average greens. Common in West African and Asian cooking. And it's a very attractive plant.

Also, the wikipedia article mentions that they are eaten for breakfast, as I think they ought to be, in the Dominican Republic.

I would think you could easily reduce or replace the sugar in this.

Sweet Potato Cake (from Martinique)

Serves 4

Amount (Measure) Ingredient

* 2 pounds (896 g) sweet potatoes, peeled, thickly sliced

* 2 tablespoons (1 ounce, 30 ml) butter

* 3/4 cup (6 ounces, 168 g) brown sugar

* 1/4 cup (2 ounces, 60 ml) dark rum

* 1/2 cup (4 ounces, 120 ml) milk

* 2 teaspoons lime rind, grated

* 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce, 15 ml) lime juice

* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 2 teaspoons baking powder

Procedure

1. Preheat oven at 350AF (176AC)

2. Cook sweet potatoes in just enough water to cover until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and mash.

3. While still warm mix in butter, sugar, and rum.

4. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

5. Add milk, grated rind, and lime juice.

6. Sift together cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder. Add to sweet potatoes and mix thoroughly.

7. Pour into a greased 9 x 5-inch (22.5 x 12.5 cm) loaf pan.

8. Bake at 350AP (176AC) 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean.

9. Let cool 5 minutes, then turn onto a rack to cool.

Sweet potato curry with spinach and chick peas

Recipe makes 6 servings

Calories 172

Sodium 422mg 17%

Potassium 800mg 22%

Total Carbohydrate 33.7g 11%

Dietary Fiber 7.6g 30%

Sugars 5.2g

Protein 6.7g 13%

Ingredients

* 1/2 large sweet onion, chopped or 2 scallions, thinly sliced

* 1-2 teaspoon canola oil

* 2 tablespoons curry powder

* 1 tablespoon cumin

* 1 teaspoon cinnamon

* 10 ounces fresh spinach, washed, stemmed and coarsely chopped

* 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 lbs)

* 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

* 1/2 cup water

* 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, can substitute fresh if available

* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

* basmati rice or brown rice, for serving

Directions

1. You may choose to cook the sweet potatoes however you prefer.

2. I like to peel, chop and steam mine in a veggie steamer for about 15 minutes.

3.Baking or boiling work well too.

4.While sweet potatoes cook, heat 1-2 tsp of canola or vegetable oil over medium heat.

5.Add onions and sautA 2-3 minutes, or until they begin to soften.

6.Next, add the curry powder, cumin, and cinnamon, and stir to coat the onions evenly with spices.

7.Add tomatoes with their juices, and the chickpeas, stir to combine.

8.Add A cup water and raise heat up to a strong simmer for about a minute or two.

9.Next, add the fresh spinach, a couple handfuls at a time, stirring to coat with cooking liquid.

10.When all the spinach is added to the pan, cover and simmer until just wilted, about 3 minutes.

11.Add the cooked sweet potatoes to the liquid, and stir to coat.

12.Simmer for another 3-5 minutes, or until flavors are well combined.

13.Transfer to serving dish, toss with fresh cilantro, and serve hot.

14.This dish is nice served over basmati or brown rice.

from

http://www.recipezaar.com/Sweet-Potato-Cur...Chickpeas-84474

Several other interesting recipes:

http://www.recipezaar.com/browse/top/19

especially this one for breakfast

Sweet Potato Patties

http://www.recipezaar.com/Great-Great-Aunt...o-Patties-92741 Except, don't use shortening, use butter or coconut oil, and don't make the sugary sauce.

West Indian Potato Curry

courtesy of Foodland Ontario (foodland.gov.on.ca)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp minced fresh ginger root

1 Tbsp curry powder (or to taste)

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 canned tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water

1/2 tsp salt

In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onions, garlic and ginger until softened. 2 to 3 minutes. Add curry powder; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add regular and sweet potatoes, tomatoes, stock and salt, bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender

In addition to being a bachelor, I'm cooking challenged. Imagine my surprise when I found frozen sweet potatoes from Ore Ida at the local grocery store. Preparation is quite simple. Put the entire bag in the microwave for 12 minutes, mash, and customize to your liking. I add a little bit of organic, fat free milk, 1 can of crushed pineapple, and a couple of marshmellows. I realze that making them from scratch is ideal, but this is a great solution for those with limited time looking to add this power food to their diet. One batch lasts me almost an entire week. My dinners lately have consited of grilled salmon with peach mango salsa and sweet potatoes. I'm already starting to see improvements in my skin's texture.

You can see more about this product at

In addition to being a bachelor, I'm cooking challenged. Imagine my surprise when I found frozen sweet potatoes from Ore Ida at the local grocery store. Preparation is quite simple. Put the entire bag in the microwave for 12 minutes, mash, and customize to your liking. I add a little bit of organic, fat free milk, 1 can of crushed pineapple, and a couple of marshmellows. I realze that making them from scratch is ideal, but this is a great solution for those with limited time looking to add this power food to their diet. One batch lasts me almost an entire week. My dinners lately have consited of grilled salmon with peach mango salsa and sweet potatoes. I'm already starting to see improvements in my skin's texture.

 

You can see more about this product at

Imagine your surprise when you realise that there is very, very very little nutrients left in your radio-active sweet potatoes =)

Yum sweet potatoes. We eat these all the time in my house. We usually bake them and eat with a little Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream (great for those of you avoiding dairy) and chives.

Sometimes we make baked sweet potato french fries. Cut them up, brush with a little oil and then season and bake on a cookie sheet about 400-425 until lightly browned. SOOOO GOOOD

Yum sweet potatoes. We eat these all the time in my house. We usually bake them and eat with a little Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream (great for those of you avoiding dairy) and chives.

 

Sometimes we make baked sweet potato french fries. Cut them up, brush with a little oil and then season and bake on a cookie sheet about 400-425 until lightly browned. SOOOO GOOOD

Sounds yummy I LOVE Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream! My mom and I are lactose intolerant so we use tofutti often

Sweet Potato Gratin With Coconut Milk and Chipotle Chile

* 3 pounds sweet potatoes (about six medium), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds

* One 15-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

* 1/2 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced

* 1 tbs. fresh lime juice

* 1 tsp. salt

* 1 tbs. maple syrup

* 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, coconut milk, chipotle chile, lime juice, salt, maple syrup and garlic. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish (8 x 11-inch Pyrex is ideal). Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 45 minutes to one hour, until the sweet potatoes are just tender. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until the tops are browned.

From care2.org. And I can vouch for sweet potatoes tasting great with chiles. Although I've never tried them with chipotles, which are smoked jalapeAos. And you may want to check the label on what's in the adobo sauce before you buy.

I would skip the maple syrup although 1 tablespoon for a dish that makes so many servings. I just have never gotten why people insist on sweetening something that's already sweet. Like in that nasty sweet potato dish people make for Thanksgiving.

How has this worked for everyone? I have done some research and sweet potatoes (along with other tubers) might be paleo, as long as they are not over consumed. I might add them to my diet once I am completely clear (get close and close every week ). Probably just gonna eat 1 after working out to replenish glycogen storage. I will post when I do it, but it might take months.

How has this worked for everyone? I have done some research and sweet potatoes (along with other tubers) might be paleo, as long as they are not over consumed. I might add them to my diet once I am completely clear (get close and close every week ). Probably just gonna eat 1 after working out to replenish glycogen storage. I will post when I do it, but it might take months.

I'm still eating sweet potatoes! It's awesome! I've been clear for a while with occasional zits around mouth which is normal! I shave frequently.

Spicy Sweet Potato Puree

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes

3/4 cup Greek-style yogurt or 1/2 cup soy yogurt (for a vegan version)

1/2 to 1 cup nonfat milk (or soymilk for a vegan version)

Juice of 1/2 lime

Chipotle powder, to taste

Sea salt, to taste

Pink peppercorns, ground, to taste

A few sprigs of fresh cilantro and a honey drizzle, for garnish (optional)

1. Boil sweet potato cubes for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Drain and place sweet potatoes in food processor.

2. Add Greek-style yogurt and 1/2 cup milk and process until smooth. Check consistency and add more milk if you like, then add lime juice, and chipotle powder, sea salt, and ground pink peppercorns, to taste.

3. Transfer puree to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs and a drizzle of honey, if desired.

Serves 4 to 6.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/spicy-swe...tato-puree.html

Note: I think a potato ricer or mashing with a potato masher always results in better textured potatoes than processing or whipping with beaters or whatever. Beating like that affects the starches.

Sweet Potato and Apple Bake

4 cups apples, sliced

1 orange/orange juice

4 cups sweet potatoes

Combine 4 cups of sliced apples, the juice from one orange, and 4 cups of sliced sweet potatoes in a casserole or baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until done.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/its-sweet-potato-time.html

Comment made on that site:

As an alternate to the above "baked version" here is my common recipe. Ripen sweet potatoes in brown paper bag. I NEVER cook potatoes I just bought. Peel and remove blemishes. Cut potatoes into whatever shape you choose, I do "chips" or "sticks" primarily. Put into bowl (cover with saran wrap later) or zip lock bag. Add olive oil, minced garlic, and (fresh preferred) rosemary. Let marinate (I usually do at least 24 hours). During marinating time, take out and toss mixture, recoating evenly. Put on baking sheet (I line with aluminum foil with thin coating of non-stick spray), spread evenly; sprinkle with sea salt to your taste, bake at 375 degrees until soft, turning once about half way through (about 20 minutes-40 to 50 minutes total baking time approximate). Baking time depends on how thick or thin you make your pieces, so all times & baking temperatures are relative. Before removing from oven, I turn on the broiler and "crisp" them. Careful not to burn, but we like ours crispy.

Made and ate sweet potatoes for the first time tonight because of this thread. They were... bland tasting, but that's probably because all I did was cut, boil, serve. I .. do not like them as much as regular potatoes, but hopefully some things in this thread will change my mind! Thanks!

whenever we have a barbeque, we'll always have some wrapped in tin foil and thrown right in the coals (:

also great mashed in place of polenta/normal mash

Got a big bag of sweet potatoes during my last food run. Love 'em.

Does anybody know how long these things will last? Both raw and cooked/refrigerated? I'm not sure if I can make it through all of these before they go bad.

AidanDC, If you are finding you're still hungry after stir fry try having some wholegrain basmati rice with it. Low GI and very tasty. You'll be stuffed

Made and ate sweet potatoes for the first time tonight because of this thread. They were... bland tasting, but that's probably because all I did was cut, boil, serve. I .. do not like them as much as regular potatoes, but hopefully some things in this thread will change my mind! Thanks!

Bland? Compared to regular potatoes? Odd considering how much more flavor they have. Well, next time sprinkle them with a cayenne-peppery season salt like a cajun seasoning blend. Delicious. Or have for breakfast with butter and cinnamon.

Made and ate sweet potatoes for the first time tonight because of this thread. They were... bland tasting, but that's probably because all I did was cut, boil, serve. I .. do not like them as much as regular potatoes, but hopefully some things in this thread will change my mind! Thanks!

 

Bland? Compared to regular potatoes? Odd considering how much more flavor they have. Well, next time sprinkle them with a cayenne-peppery season salt like a cajun seasoning blend. Delicious. Or have for breakfast with butter and cinnamon.

 

Agreed. Sweet Potatoes are much more flavorful than normal potatoes. Maybe you got a yam by accident, many stores mislabel them. Those are pretty bland and more watery when cooked.

My favorite way of eating sweet potatoes is just baked with plenty of butter to dip it in!

Grilled white and sweet potato salad

Rahman aRocka Harperas grilled potato salad is affordable, easy to make

As seen on the Today show

Note: I would skip the white potatoes. And have on a bed of greens.

Ingredients

# 2 large waxy potatoes, about 1 pound

# 1 or 2 sweet potatoes, about 1 pound

# 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

# Salt and pepper

# 1 tablespoon grainy mustard

# 1 tablespoon cider or to taste

# 1 teaspoon Cajun spice

# 1 clove garlic, minced

# 1 bunch scallions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced

# 1 red bell pepper, diced

# 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions

Start a gas or charcoal grill, or heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. (Or use a grill pan or skillet.)

Peel potatoes and cut them into slices 1/2-inch thick.

Toss them with half the olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.

Grill potatoes over direct but not-too-hot heat, turning them as they brown. (relatively low heat if you want them to cook before burning)

Potatoes will cook in about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove them as they become tender.

When they are done and fairly cool, toss them with remaining ingredients.

Taste and adjust seasoning and serve.

The salad can be covered and refrigerated.

Bring to room temperature before serving.

Mark Sisson decided to discuss sweet potatoes in his blog today:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/difference-...#comment-675308

There's some interesting comments as well including one referring to a book called Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human about humans learning to control fire primarily for cooking the tubers, a dependable food source in the savannah.

And my (betterways) comment on growing them for the edible, nutritious greens that make a very attractive potted plant and a great source of organic greens in the summer.

Sweet Potato Cookies

 

1 large sweet potato (bake covered in tin foil in oven/on bbq until soft, discard the skin)

1 medium carrot (peeled and grated)

1 handful of raisins or cranberries

1 piece of finely chopped candied ginger (optional)

sprinkle of salt

1/4 cup soaked flax seeds

1 egg yolk

dash cinnamon

 

Combine all ingredients and spoon onto non-stick cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until desired consistency is reached. Sometimes I'll take a couple out and eat them soft and bake the rest for a little longer. These make great granola bar replacements and can really hit the spot as an afternoon snack. Great for work days too!

Did anyone try this and get it to turn out? I tried it two different ways, once with raisins, and once with raspberries. Both attempts ended with a mushy mix even after baking for a long period of time. I guess I was expecting it to harden at some point. After baking I let it set, and even put it in the fridge. It remained mushy. I don't really cook, so that could be part of the problem. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

But, as I nearly always say, add greens to this recipe at the end of cooking. And make your own coconut milk: http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php/topic/227342-drink-recipes/page__st__40#entry3223682

Sweet potato, Red Pepper and Coconut Soup
http://www.nigella.c...oconut-soup-272

http://dietforclearskin.blogspot.com/2013/02/hot-spicy-bowl-of-vitamin-for-your-skin.html

INGREDIENTS

• 25g butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 crushed clove of garlic,
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 450g grated sweet potato
• 2 chopped red peppers
• 700ml vegetable stock
• 400 g can of coconut milk.

METHOD

Serves: 2

• Melt the butter in a large pan and cook the onion and garlic over a low heat until soft.
• Add the coriander and cook for 1 minute. Add the sweet potato and pepper, cook for 5 minutes.
• Pour in the stock and bring to the boil; cover then simmer for around 20 minutes.
• Allow to cool a little then puree
• Return to the pan, add the coconut milk, heat gently until piping hot then serve.

Some info from whfoods:

Blood Sugar Benefits

Many people think about starchy root vegetables as a food group that could not possibly be helpful for controlling their blood sugar. That's because many people realize that food starches can be converted by our digestive tract into simple sugars. If foods are especially concentrated in starch, there can often be a risk of too much simple sugar release in our digestive tract and too much pressure upon our bloodstream to uptake more sugar. (The result in this situation would be an overly quick elevation of our blood sugar level.) What's fascinating about sweet potatoes is their ability to actually improve blood sugar regulationeven in persons with type 2 diabetes. While sweet potatoes do contain a valuable amount of dietary fiber (just over 3 grams per medium sweet potato) and if boiled or steamed can carry a very reasonable glycemic index (GI) rating of approximately 50, it may not be either of these factors that explains their unusual blood sugar regulating benefits. Recent research has shown that extracts from sweet potatoes can significantly increase blood levels of adiponectin in persons with type 2 diabetes. Adiponectin is a protein hormone produced by our fat cells, and it serves as an important modifier of insulin metabolism. Persons with poorly-regulated insulin metabolism and insulin insensitivity tend to have lower levels of adiponectin, and persons with healthier insulin metabolism tend to have higher levels. While more research on much larger groups of individuals to further evaluate and confirm these blood sugar regulating benefits, this area of health research is an especially exciting one for anyone who loves sweet potatoes.

 

And, of course there are many other benefits:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=64

Such as:

Yet beta-carotene only begins to tell the story of sweet potato antioxidants. Particularly in purple-fleshed sweet potato, antioxidant anthocyanin pigments are abundant. Cyanidins and peonidins are concentrated in the starchy core of part of purple-fleshed sweet potatoes, and these antioxidant nutrients may be even more concentrated in the flesh than in the skin. That's sweet potatoes have genes (IbMYB1 and IbMYB2) that are specialized for the production of anthocyanin pigments in the fleshy part of the tuber. Ordinary, we have to rely on the skins of foods for this same level of anthocyanin antioxidants. But not in the case of sweet potatoes! Extracts from the highly pigmented and colorful purple-fleshed and purple-skinned sweet potatoes have been shown in research studies to increased the activity of two key antioxidant enzymescopper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) and catalase (CAT).

Where's Databased with his believe that a zinc superoxide dismutase deficiency is the root cause of all of our acne?

Mark Sisson decided to discuss sweet potatoes in his blog today:

http://www.marksdail...#comment-675308

 

So which one is the idea one to eat?

Do the others contain all the great things that the classic sweet potatoes do?

I've only ever eaten the orange-skinned one and didn't even know there was another. He doesn't list the great things about the orange one, but names a few things about the classic sweet potato. In every grocery store I've been to the orange ones are all they have and they're just called sweet potatoes.

 

Eat them. They are what I and most people here have been talking about.

And like with most produce, there are many varieties. It's just that our industrial food supply only provides a few.