Sweet Potatoes: Easy to Prepare, Delicious to Eat!

One of our favorite whole food options here at Holistic Health Center is sweet potatoes. They are delicious, as well as packed with vitamins A, B5 and B6, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, and carotenoids (seen by their orange color). They are also fat free and cholesterol free, and are relatively low in sodium. They are one of the ingredients we recommend using for a roasted vegetable dish! There are four main ways to prepare them and you can choose your favorite, depending on the time you have to prepare them and your personal taste preference.

The first method, although not ideal, is the most time efficient and simple – the microwave. We understand some concerns using the microwave; however, real life means making compromises at times. Microwaves usually have a “potato” button on them, typically “baking” them for 6-8 minutes. This process makes a soft, mashable potato, opposed to the crispy outside of roasted potatoes. From here, you can just peel the skin off, and then you can top it with maple or regular almond butter, melted butter, yellow mustard, salsa, avocado, or eggs. It’s up to you!

The second method is boiling the sweet potato. First, you want to scrub the skin off the potato with a hard-bristled brush to make sure there isn’t any remaining dirt on it. Use a vegetable peeler or a small knife to remove the skin, and then cut the potato into ⅓ inch cubes. Place the diced sweet potatoes and a dash of salt in a saucepan or Dutch oven and put just enough water in the saucepan to cover them. Bring the pot to a boil, simmer, and then cook for 10 to 12 minutes (if you want them to be tender on the outside and fork resistant in the center) or, for softer, more tender sweet potatoes, 25-30 minutes. Drain the potatoes with a coriander, and run cold water over them for a quick cool.

Sauteing the sweet potatoes starts similar to the boiling method. You scrub and skin the sweet potatoes, and cut them into ⅓ inch cubes. Heat a cast iron or nonstick skillet with olive oil and sautee with diced onions. Add a lid to the skillet to steam until they are able to be pierced with a fork. Add seasonings and enjoy!

Alternatively, you can also cut the sweet potatoes into matchsticks (about ¼ inch) or wedges for baked sweet potato fries. Once you have cut them into either wedges or cubes, toss with olive oil and place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until they can be pierced easily with a fork or knife.

Once the sweet potatoes have been cooked, you can mash them for a sweet potato mash, adding in butter or cream, and seasonings of choice. Another idea is sweet potato hashbrowns, made easily with a food processor.

Photo credit to:https://www.flickr.com/photos/ellaolsson/