Feb 17, 2017

Did you know February is National Sweet Potato Month?? 

I grew up eating garden red potatoes and Russet potatoes...although I'm sure when I was a baby my parents fed me sweet potatoes.   

In terms of what I can actually remember however, I didn't try sweet potatoes until I was in college and guess what..... they were sweet potato French fries!!  It blew my mind how sweet they were compared to regular French fries.

While I do love their naturally sweet flavor I also very much enjoy experimenting with new flavors.  Making sweet potatoes more savory by adding spices like chili powder and a squeeze of lime juice helps to balance out their super sweet flavor if you aren't a huge fan.

Sweet potatoes are not only an excellent source of Vitamin A, but they are full of potassium and fiber as well. 

Mashed sweet potatoes are one of my favorite side dishes to make because they are so easy to whip up!

The recipe below was sort of a happy accident one night when I made seared Sesame Ahi Tuna Steaks with sesame and almond green beans.

I didn't want to cook rice as a side and didn't have any rice noodles on hand to go with my Asian themed meal so what did I do.....I made Asian-style mashed sweet potatoes!!!   Enjoy.

Asian Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Prep/Cook Time: 30 minutes     Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar or white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons Sriracha
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Black pepper to taste
• Sesame seeds (optional, nice for texture)

Directions:

1. Fill a medium sized saucepan with water and cubed sweet potatoes and bring to a boil.
2. Cook sweet potatoes until fork tender (about 15-20 minutes) then drain well in a colander and set aside.
3. In a medium sized skillet, sauté the garlic & ginger in the sesame oil for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. 
4. Add the cooked sweet potatoes and mash with a potato masher or a fork until all large clumps are soft.
5. Next add in the vinegar, parmesan cheese, sriracha, and orange juice.  Continue to mix or mash until all ingredients are blended well.
6. Add black pepper and taste to adjust the level of spice or zing with more vinegar or orange juice or even a little more sesame oil if you like.
7. Finally add the chopped cilantro and optional sesame seeds and serve.

Nutrition Facts (per serving):

Calories: 134    Protein:   4gm    Total Carbohydrates:    23gm    Fiber:  4gm   

Total Fat:  3gm    Cholesterol:    3mg    Sodium:    163mg

Vitamin A: 108% of your DV    Vitamin C: 31% of your DV

Melanie Kluzek, Registered Dietitian for County Market

Add Pingback

Please add a comment

Archive

Category List

Tag List