[1] The beautiful sweet potato, bursting with flavor—and beta carotene (photo © Umami Information Center | Facebook).

[2] Chili Butter Sweet Potatoes are just one of the delicious sweet potato recipes below (photo © Gelson’s).

[3] Black beans become crispy and crunchy in this recipe (photo © Bush’s Beans).

[6] Until they are ground,cumin seeds resemble caraway seeds. They have a savory, nutty flavor that becomes earthy and aromatic when used as an ingredient in cooking (photo © The Spice House).

[7] Coriander is the name for its dried seeds of the cilantro plant, but it tastes nothing like the herb. It has a deep, nutty flavor and a slight, citrus aroma (photo © Savory Spice Shop).

[8] Honey is mixed with butter and hot sauce to create the chili butter (photo © National Honey Board | Facebook).

[9] Sliced red chiles are one of the garnishes (photo of cayenne © Good Eggs).

February is National Sweet Potato Month, celebrating a tuber that’s delicious baked, fried, French-fried, mashed, roasted, turned into chips and pasta (gnocchi, ravioli), made into pies, muffins, and other baked goods.

February 22nd is National Sweet Potato Day. September is National Fruits & Veggies Month.

Delicious recipes follow. But first, from the Foundation For Fresh Produce:
 
 
10 WAYS TO SERVE SWEET POTATOES

1. Bake, Roast, or Steam ’em. Pick a cooking method and enjoy! Use whole, unpeeled sweet potatoes as a side dish to any meal.

2. Mash ’em. Steam peeled sweet-potato chunks for about 10 minutes until tender, and mash with a dash of orange juice.

3. Top Your Salad. Make a salad topping from diced sweet potatoes, pineapple, apples, and celery, plus cashews. Serve over salad greens.

4. Sweet Potato Fries. Quarter sweet potatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 400°F for 40-60 minutes. For a spicy twist, add a dash of cayenne pepper.

5. Grill ’em. Slice sweet potatoes into ½ inch rounds and grill until lightly browned. Drizzle with lime juice.

6. Sweet Potato Salad. Substitute sweet potatoes for regular spuds in your favorite potato salad recipe.

7a. Sweet Potato Pancakes. Make sweet potato pancakes by simply adding mashed sweet potatoes to regular pancake batter.

7b. Sweet Potato Latkes. These savory sweet potato pancakes are a modern adaptation of the classic. Here’s a recipe.

8. Add A Twist To Sandwiches. Cut thin slices of cold cooked sweet potatoes and add to your favorite sandwich or wrap instead of tomatoes.

9. A Sweet Side Or Snack. Dice cooked, peeled sweet potatoes and drizzle with maple syrup for a side dish that’s sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

10. Sweet Potato Chips. Use a mandoline to thinly slice large sweet potatoes and brush lightly with olive oil. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.

> The history of sweet potatoes.

> The difference between sweet potatoes and yams.

> Chile, chili, chilli: What’s the difference?
 
 
RECIPE: CHILI BUTTER SWEET POTATOES WITH CRISPY BLACK BEANS

In this recipe, black beans are roasted with garlic, cumin, and coriander so they get spicy and super crispy. They crunch like potato chips!

You may want to make subsequent batches of the beans as a garnish for other recipes, or for snacking with a beer.

The butter sauce with Cholula and honey is also a keeper.

The result, with garnishes of chiles and cilantro, is crunchy-soft, spicy-sweet, sprightly, and rich.

Thanks to Gelson’s Markets for this recipe. Find many more wonderful recipes on Gelson’s website.
 
Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PLACE two oven racks in the lower third and upper third of the oven. Place one rimmed sheet pan on the lower oven rack and preheat the oven to 425°F. On a second rimmed sheet pan…

2. TOSS the black beans and garlic with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the cumin and coriander. Season with salt and spread evenly. Roast until crispy, stirring halfway through, 25 to 30 minutes.

3. TOSS the sweet potatoes in a large bowl with ¼ cup of the olive oil to coat. Season with salt. Place the sweet potatoes cut sides down on the preheated sheet pan, and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until fork tender and caramelized.

4. MAKE the chili butter: In a large bowl, mash together the butter and honey until smooth. Add the hot sauce, 1 tablespoonful at a time, blending well after each addition. Season with salt.

5. REMOVE the sweet potatoes from the oven and brush them with the chili butter.

6. PLATE the potatoes. Arrange the sweet potatoes on a large platter and drizzle with the excess honey butter. Garnish with the crispy black beans, chiles, and cilantro. Serve hot with lime wedges.

Leftover potatoes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
 
 
MORE SWEET POTATO RECIPES

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