Healthier Sweet Potato Options for Thanksgiving–RAD DIET

One of my favorite things about this time of year is that sweet potatoes are in abundance and on sale!  I always stock up on fresh sweet potatoes or yams and make them many different ways.   They are loaded with all kinds of good vitamins and antioxidants, including in the skin.  I have to tell you that I have never been a fan of candied yams; they are too sweet (even though I love sweets) and then there is the whole marshmallow controversy (with? without? full size? mini? who wants to get in the middle of that?).  Since getting diagnosed with Dercum’s Disease and being more vigilant about my diet, I look for ways to enjoy all the natural goodness of sweet potatoes, without coating them in loads of butter or sugar.

So what else can you do with Sweet Potatoes?

Bake ‘em: They are great simply baked, then topped with a smidge of olive oil margarine (Olivio brand) or coconut oil, and any of the following that you like:  cinnamon, brown sugar, nutmeg, cloves, or allspice.  Clean the sweet potato, poke a few holes in it with a fork, then wrap in a paper towel and place in the microwave for 6-8 minutes, just as you would with a white potato.  Remember, there are lots of nutrients in the skin too!

Mash ‘em: Peel them, cut into cubes, and boil them, just as you would with white potatoes.  I mash them with a fork or do a coarse mash with a potato masher, as I like some lumps.  You can finish them off with the same spices as when you bake them.  Or another great flavor that goes with sweet potatoes is orange.  Try blending in a little orange rind, orange juice, or even a dab or orange marmalade.  Another fun thing to do with mashed potatoes is to make a pretty bowl of half sweet and half white potatoes.  I have even seen chefs use a pastry bag to make a beautiful single-serving swirl of the two and then re-bake them just to brown the tops.

Chip ‘em: This is probably not for Thanksgiving, but they make a great snack.  Peel sweet potatoes and slice them really thin.  Place in a single layer on a baking rack resting inside a cookie sheet.  Lightly spray with Pam cooking spray or brush with a touch of olive oil.  Bake at a low temperature, about 275 degrees until crisp.  Now, I will tell you that I don’t often have great luck with this method yielding consistently crisp chips (some stay soggy, some crisp up as they cool).  The more consistent the potatoes are in size and thickness, the better.  Some recipes cook them for a longer time at a lower temp and others go for a short time at a higher temp.  This year, I am going to try a food dehydrator and see if that makes a better chip.  No matter how you get there, sprinkle them lightly with sea salt as they cool and enjoy.  They can be stored in a plastic storage container for a few days…if they last that long!

Roast ‘em: I don’t have any favorite recipes here, but you can roast peeled and cubed sweet potatoes drizzled with olive oil, slivered onions, salt and pepper…just like you do with white potatoes.   I have even heard they are good drizzled with a little balsamic vinegar when done, for a sweet and tangy contrast.

Slice and Bake ‘em: One of the great things about sweet potatoes is that they blend so nicely with different flavor profiles–with apples, cranberries, raisins (especially golden), apricots, orange and other citrus flavors, Asian spices, curry, Mexican or Moroccan spices. So there are endless possibilities for making a casserole that mixes your favorite flavors together.   One of my favorite recipes for a sweet potato casserole is below.  I discovered it in Cooking Light magazine about 3 or 4 years ago and just love it!

GINGER-LIME SWEET POTATOES

1/3 C flour (use rice flour to be gluten free)

10 Cups (about 3 pounds) thinly sliced sweet potatoes

1/4 C Olivio olive oil margarine (original recipe used butter)

1/3 C  packed light brown sugar

1 TBS fresh lime rind

2 TBS fresh lime juice

1 TBS grated orange rind

1 TBS grated peeled fresh ginger

1 tsp low sodium soy sauce

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Cooking spray or olive oil to coat casserole pan

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Measure flour into bowl large enough to fit the potatoes.  Place potato slices in bowl and toss well with flour.

Melt olive-oil margarine in a small saucepan over low heat.  Add sugar and remaining 7 ingredients (through pepper).  Cook 4 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Pour over potato mixture and toss well.  Spoon mixture into a shallow casserole dish coated with cooking spray (or brushed with olive oil).

Cover and bake at 425 for 55 minutes or until tender.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Yields 12 servings of 1/2 cup each, 188 calories, 20% calories from fat (that was from original recipe using butter).

I haven’t made them in a really long time and just typing the recipe is making me hungry for them!  Have a Happy–and Healthy Thanksgiving everyone!