OH YEAH? WELL I NEVER HAD A SWEET POTATO UNTIL THREE YEARS AGO!
That’s my fantasy retort to my children’s frequent occasional protests that they have nothing cool, we never do anything fun, and that they are Sorely and Unfairly Deprived When Compared To Their Friends. I haven’t used it yet, but I’m not above pulling it out one of these days. Because it proves that I am the most deprived person around, and perhaps in the universe.
Sweet potatoes are proof that God enjoys good food. They’re chock-full-of-nutrients good for you, they’re low in calories, they’re easy to grow and thus plentiful all year long, they store forever (so even my Soviet supermarket can’t mess them up like the other produce in the store), and they live up to their names. They are sweet.
Sweet makes me happy. Sweet in a little nutrient bomb that you can cook a trillion ways is just about my idea of heaven on a plate. And since trying my first one a few years ago (blame my parents…always blame the parents), I have been all-out addicted. We always have them in the house and I am forever messing around with them.
I tried something new with chicken last night (we’ll talk about that later this week–I promise) and needed a veggie with a bit of a southwestern flare to go with it. The tubers called to me from their basket under the stove, and a very simple dish was born.
I loved it.
My daughter loved it. My son declared it too spicy, but then ate it. And my husband declared that he “probably won’t like this,” but downed his too. That, my friends, is a vegetable success by any meausure.
This is so simple that I’m almost embarrassed to present it as a recipe. But you should try it. At least once. Even if you probably won’t like it. Because I suspect you will. You know that sweet/salty thing we’re all nuts about right now? Sweet/spicy rocks its world, and this is that.
You’ll need:
Three sweet potatoes
About a teaspoon of chili powder
Olive oil spray, either canned or from a Misto, which is one of the best kitchen toys ever and where I get mine.
Cover a heavy baking sheet with foil and spray it with olive oil. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into about 1.5 inch cubes–slightly bigger than comfortable bite size. Put them into a large bowl.
Spray the top layer of spuds with oil (lightly) and toss them. Do that a few times until all the ‘taters have a little oil coating them. Then sprinkle in the chili powder, a bit at a time, stirring after each addition, until they’re lightly coated with that.
Pour the potatoes onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Roast about 30 minutes, stirring after 15, or until they’re fork-tender. Let them cool for a minute and enjoy.
Have you entered to win our giveaway yet?
There’s a new button over there on the right (you’ll have to click through if you’re on email subscription, Kindle, or a blog reader–sorry!)? That’s for Playing With My Dinner’s brand-spanking new Facebook page, where our readers are already chatting, sharing ideas, and getting the inside scoop on the blog.
To celebrate its launch, I’m giving away a copy of Aviva Goldfarb’s newest cookbook, “SOS! The Six O’ Clock Scramble To The Rescue.” It’s all about making healthy, Earth-friendly meals your kids will love, and you’re going to love it.
One lucky reader will find a copy in his or her mailbox, and all you have to do to enter is “like” the blog over on Facebook before February 5. I’ll use a random number generator to pick our winner.
So c’mon over! Visit the page, hit that “like” button, and join in the conversation on the wall. See you there!!
Kim, these sound awesome!!!!