Baked Sweet Potatoes with Assorted Toppings
Serves 4 | Prep Time 10 minutes | Cook Time 45 to 60 minutes
I always think of baked sweet potatoes as little rafts of nutritious delight. Unto themselves, they’re quite tasty and full of fiber, a wonderful blood sugar regulator. But what they’re best at, at least when they’re baked and the top is slit open, is carrying numerous other healthy ingredients along for the ride. Chopped herbs, chutneys, veggies, nut creams, yogurt . . . all are great variations (see below). Many people gravitate toward a sweet potato when they feel like eating but aren’t over-the-top hungry. I like the simplicity with which they can be prepared. Bake four, eat one, put the rest in an airtight container, and they reheat in a flash. A great go-to food!
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scrub the sweet potatoes well and dry them off with a clean towel. Brush the skin of each potato with 1 teaspoon of olive or coconut oil. Pierce each potato a several times with a fork. Place the potatoes on the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until tender.
Make a slit in the top of each sweet potato and add a tablespoon of your favorite topping.
TOPPING OPTIONS:
Basic: sea salt, freshly ground pepper, with 1 tablespoon butter, ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, yogurt, or nut butter.
Add: 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, parsley, or cilantro
Add: 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric
Add: 2 teaspoons chopped walnuts or pecans
OTHER TOPPING IDEAS:
1 tablespoon Apricot Pear Chutney
1 tablespoon Moroccan pesto
1 tablespoon Cashew cream
1 tablespoon Herbed & Spiced Yogurt
1⁄4 cup Emerald Greens with Orange
1⁄4 cup Basil Broccoli
1⁄4 cup Kale with Carrots
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days.
PER SERVING (FOR BASIC OPTION): Calories: 152; Total Fat: 4.75 g (0.7 g saturated, 3.7 g monounsaturated); Carbohydrates: 26 g; Protein: 2 g; Fiber: 3.9 g; Sodium: 122 mg
Reprinted with permission from The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery. Copyright © 2009 by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson, Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or unrefined virgin coconut oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 cup peeled and finely diced sweet potato or garnet yam
1⁄8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄4 cup Magic Mineral Broth or water
3 cups cleaned, stemmed,
and chopped dinosaur kale,
in bite-size pieces
1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1⁄4 teaspoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons ground pecans, for garnish