RECIPE: Stuffed Sweet Potatoes For November, December & The New Year
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Here’s a recipe that adds to the festivities during the holiday months of November and December, and cheers up the gray months of January, February and March. If you’ll be focusing on healthier eating in the new year, note the healthful ingredients in the recipe. The recipe was contributed to the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission by The Endless Meal. Ingredients For 4 Servings 1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Prick the sweet potatoes 5-6 times each with a fork then set them on a baking sheet. Place them into the oven and bake or 45-60 minutes, or until they are soft. Remove them from the oven and set them aside to cool slightly. 2. PREPARE the topping while the potatoes are baking. First toast the walnuts; then place the walnuts, mint, parsley and pomegranate in a medium-sized bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to combine. 3. WHISK the tahini with the lemon juice, garlic and salt to taste, in a small bowl. Add enough water so that it is the consistency of honey and set aside. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle… 4. CUT through the tops of the skins in a T shape. Gently mash the insides, then pile the walnuts and herbs on top and drizzle with some tahini sauce. Contrary to popular belief, sweet potatoes are not actually potatoes, but are only distantly related to them. Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are a member of the Morning Glory Family (Convolvulaceae). When then plant is in flower, its blooms resemble morning glories (photo #3). Sweet potatoes are starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots—a.k.a., root vegetables. They were grown by Native Americans and subsequently cultivated in the southern U.S. since Colonial times. Sweet potatoes have long been ranked high in nutritional value, and provide a good source of dietary fiber, which helps to provide feelings of fullness and satiety to control food intake. |
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They’re low in fat, and a rich source of potassium, vitamins A and E, antioxidants and beta-carotene. And, a medium sweet potato has about 100 calories when baked in the skin, making sweet potatoes an ideal food for weight management. Unlike white potatoes, which have a high glycemic index and can cause a spike and ultimate drop in blood sugar, sweet potatoes have a low glycemic index. This is beneficial for diabetics and others wanting to avoid glucose highs and lows. Wild sweet potatoes were first domesticated in either Central or South America. Domesticated sweet potatoes have been dated to at least 5,000 at locations between the Yucatán Peninsula and Venezuela. Yams are not the same as sweet potatoes: Check out the difference between sweet potatoes and yams. North Carolina has been the number-one sweet potato-producing state in the U.S., since 1971. The North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission is a nonprofit corporation made up of more than 400 sweet potato growers, along with the packers, processors and business associates that support them. The sole purpose of the Commission is to increase sweet potato consumption. Their mission is to entice consumers’ taste buds and push for healthy eating lifestyles. The recipe above is one of many developed by leading chefs and nutritionists. Check out the recipes. We can’t wait to try the Sweet Potato & Spinach Lasagna.
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