Sweet potatoes are not just for fries anymore. Branch out and start experimenting with this naturally sweet and delicious vegetable. Besides being packed with fiber, antioxidants and vitamin A, sweet potatoes are just plain good!
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
SWEET POTATO PECAN PRALINE STREUSEL
SERVES 8–10
Filling
5–6 medium sweet potatoes, rinsed and dried
Olive oil spray
½ cup milk
4 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon cardamom
2 large eggs
Topping
¾ cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup rolled oats
4 tablespoons packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
⅓ cup whole pecans
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Cut a small slice off the end of each sweet potato to allow steam to escape, and place potatoes on baking sheet. Spray potatoes all over with oil. Bake one hour or until tender. Spray a two-quart (9-by-9-inch) baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
When potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove skin, place potatoes in a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. (You can also use a hand mixer.) Add milk, syrup, vanilla, salt, cardamom and eggs and combine. Pour mixture into the prepared dish, smoothing the top with a spatula. In another bowl, combine chopped nuts, flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the melted butter, then sprinkle the nut mixture evenly over the top of the potato mixture and top with whole pecans. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
Sweet potato and apple cobbler
Photo by Iuliia Nedrygailova
Serves 8
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced or sliced
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced or sliced
2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
1 teaspoon cardamom or nutmeg
Pinch of kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 9-inch pie dough
Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, toss the apples and sweet potatoes with lemon juice. In a smaller bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, cardamom and salt. Add to apples and sweet potatoes and toss again. Pour into prepared dish and dot with butter. Roll out dough and place over the top of the dish. Cut off excess dough; turn under and crimp. Cut three to four slits in top of dough to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes or until brown. Allow to cool before cutting and serving.
Sweet potato biscuits
Photo by Karen Hermann
Makes 14–16
2 cups self-rising flour
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and chilled
¼ cup shortening, cut into ½-inch cubes and chilled
1 cup sweet potato puree (see tips/techniques below)
½ cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 425 F. Into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a dough blade, add flour, cinnamon and sugar and stir together. Add butter and shortening and pulse until the butter pieces are about the size of small peas (five to seven pulses). Pour into a large bowl, make a well in the center of the flour, and add the sweet potato puree and buttermilk to the well. Using a spatula or your fingers in a circular motion, fold the flour into the wet mixture. Mix just enough until a dough ball forms. Do not overmix! Turn dough out onto a clean, dry, floured surface.
Using your floured hands, pat dough into a round disk about ½ inch thick and fold in half. Repeat this step two more times. (Keep the surface floured.) Then pat dough into a disk ½ inch thick for normal biscuits or ¾ inch for tall biscuits. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour, cut out biscuits starting at the outside of the dough and working your way to the center. Combine leftover scraps to form additional biscuits. Place cut biscuits on a baking sheet or in a cast-iron skillet, sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 10–15 minutes until lightly brown. Serve hot.
Chef’s tip: How to make sweet potato puree:
- Preheat oven to 375 F
- Cut a small slice off end of potatoes
- Lightly spray potatoes with olive oil
- Bake for 45–60 minutes, until tender
- When cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh into a food processor and blend until smooth
- Store covered in refrigerator for up to one week
Sweet potato and roots au gratin
Photo by Iuliia Nedrygailova
Serves 6–8
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1½ cups heavy cream
2 large garlic cloves, smashed
3–4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 large, long sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3 large parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced
3–4 beets, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
Fresh thyme leaves, for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease an oval or round dish (2.5 quarts) with butter and set aside. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add cream, garlic cloves, thyme, salt and pepper. Allow to come to a simmer, but do not boil. Turn off heat and allow flavors to infuse the cream for 15 minutes. Strain out garlic cloves and thyme sprigs.
In prepared dish, arrange a handful of sweet potatoes, followed by parsnips, then beets. Repeat until all vegetables are arranged. Pour cream mixture over the vegetables, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until fork tender. Remove foil and sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 15 minutes until cheese melts and the top is lightly browned and bubbly. Garnish with fresh thyme.