one potato, two potato......

.....sweet potato that is.

unless you call these yams?
but I don't.

I love everything about sweet potatoes--you really can't go wrong with how you cook them--I think they taste great any way. And of of course, they are ridiculously good for you....

Nutritional Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

-almost 2x the fiber of regular potatoes

-rich in B6 and potassium

-all the beta-carotene you need in one day (read more about it HERE)

-vitamins E and C (good for healthy skin and hair)

-manganese--a trace mineral that is helpful in maintaining a good blood sugar level and cholesterol (more about manganese HERE)

But really......they just taste good.

One of the easiest ways to prepare them is to simply peel, dice, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at around 400° until they are tender. The perfect side dish.

And here is the easiest meal you can make with a sweet potato.

Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes

Pierce potato with fork all over and bake at 450° until tender--about 40-50 minutes.

top with:

-smoked gouda

-black beans

-salsa

-sour cream

-cilantro

so good.

For an even heartier meal, saute some ground beef with onions, garlic, and chili flakes and add it to your potato.

Here is a favorite soup (blogged two years ago) that we just had last night.
    

Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

1 butternut squash, quartered and cleaned

1 large sweet potato, peeled and halved

4 garlic cloves

1 onion, halved

2 apples, halved

1 shallot, halved

1 tsp dried sage

pinch of cayenne pepper

pinch of nutmeg

1 TBS apple cider vinegar

4-6 cups chicken broth

olive oil

salt and pepper

Heat oven to 425°
Brush veggies with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Roast veggies until fork tender (around 30 minutes for the smaller, and 45-60 for the larger)
Remove veggies from oven. Squash will easily remove from peel.
In a few batches, puree veggies in food processor or blender until smooth (you may need to add a little broth if puree is thick)
Add puree to large pot and stir in chicken broth until you reach a consistency you like ( I used about 5 cups of broth). Stir in sage, cayenne, nutmeg and apple cider vinegar. Simmer for at least 30 minutes......or if you're like me, maybe you like your soup to simmer on low all afternoon.
Top with crumbled bacon and gorgonzola cheese.

We ate our soup with grilled cheese sandwiches--a mixture of extra sharp cheddar and smoked gouda.
.....yum! 

Another favorite from the blog:

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos (click for recipe)

Sweet Potatoes Around the Web

Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges from Smitten Kitchen

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad with Soft Boiled Eggs by Naturally Ella

Thai Green Curry and Sweet Potato Noodle Bowl from A House in the Hills

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Maple Sour Cream from Martha Stewart

What's your favorite way to eat a sweet potato?

Happy Weekend!
(let's see your #howweweekend !)