Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes

I've been debating whether to post this recipe now or save it till next autumn, since sweet potatoes are usually associated with fall dishes. But it's a winter veggie and a recipe that we're still enjoying, and here in Wyoming and across much of the rest of North America, there is plenty of winter left. Besides, there are no guarantees in life, so why wait? 

Am I therefore going to post it now? I yam indeed. 

For those of you who groaned aloud, let me assure you that my punny little bon mot actually serves as a useful introduction to the often confusing topic of yams vs. sweet potatoes. Most Americans (me included until a few years ago) think they're much the same and use the terms interchangeably. This is understandable, given USDA labeling requirements that insist the word "yam" be accompanied by the term "sweet potato." While far from the most egregious or confounding thing the USDA does, this requirement - created to resolve the confusion over these two distinctly different plants and veggies - has only served to further befuddle. Sweet potatoes are what are grown in the US (and in South America where they originated, but they're not imported due to concerns over diseases and insects). Yams are not grown in the mainland US (US yams are only grown in Hawaii) so the vast majority are imported, and unless you're specifically looking for yams at a specialty foods/import/ethnic foods market, what you're undoubtedly getting in the US when you buy a "yam" is a soft-fleshed variety of sweet potato, the kind usually called "yams" here. To add to the confusion, sweet potatoes, which are the tubers (or bulbs) of a tropical vine in the Morning Glory family, aren't potatoes - root vegetables in the nightshade family - at all! 

So, clear as a summer sky now? :-)

Here are a few of the differences between yams and sweet potatoes:

Sweet Potatoes:

Tubers (Morning Glory family)

Smooth skin
Sweet, moist flesh
Originated in tropical South America
Grown domestically (mostly in FL and CA)
Very high in Vitamin A (containing more than carrots), Vitamin C, Beta-Carotene and other nutrients

Yams:
Roots
Rough, scaly skin
Dry, starchy flesh
Originated in Africa ("yam" is thought to come from the West African word nyami, "to eat") and Asia
Imported to the US and Canada 
Very low in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Beta-Carotene and other nutrients

So the good news is that sweet potatoes are easy to find, deliciously high in health-promoting, disease-fighting nutrients, and now you won't get confused when I tell you that we use organic Garnet "yams" in this yummy Sweet Potatoes recipe. :-)

I've had this recipe for so long I don't remember where I first got it, but I've seen it (or close variations of it) on a few online recipe sites. (The No-oil Oil recipe comes via FatFree Vegan, since we never cook with added fats). My only experience with sweet potatoes till this recipe was my paternal grandmother's candied "yams" (see, there we go again!) at Thanksgiving, which I thought were vile. I was a veggie-loving kid and not at all a fussy eater, but found them too cloyingly sweet and much preferred my mother's mashed potatoes, butternut squash, and mashed rutabaga. It wasn't until trying this recipe about a decade ago that I was won over by sweet potatoes, and now also enjoy them just baked and eaten plain (BW even likes them cold that way). I say this in case any of you think you don't like sweet potatoes - I'd encourage you to try these. Especially if, like me, your dislike came from childhood and/or a dislike for candied "yams!"

ROASTED SPICED SWEET POTATOES

~ 1 tsp coriander seeds
~ 1/2 tsp fennel seeds*
~ 1/2 tsp dried oregano
~ 1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
~ 1 tsp sea salt
~ 2 lbs medium sweet potatoes
~ 3 TBSP "No-Oil" Oil (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 425º F.

Coarsely grind coriander, fennel, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt in an electric coffee/spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.

Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1-inch wedges.

Toss wedges with "no-oil" oil and spices in a large roasting pan or glass baking dish and roast in middle of oven for 20 minutes. Turn wedges over with a spatula and roast until tender and slightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.

NOTE: Grinding the spices yields more potent flavor, since the seeds retain flavorful oils that are lost in pre-ground spices. (You also get a wonderful dose of delicious aromatherapy!)

"NO-OIL" OIL

~ 1 cup water
~ 1 TBSP cornstarch
~ 1/2 tsp salt
~ 1 TBSP dried basil

Whiz in blender** the water, cornstarch and salt. Pour into saucepan, stir in basil. Heat to a boil. Cool. This will have the shine and consistency of oil to use in place of oil for those certain recipes. Great for glazing breads (like focaccia) before baking, or for coating veggies or potatoes so seasonings stick to them (like the roasted sweet 'taters above!) Store leftover "oil" in a lidded glass container in the refrigerator.

*I'm aware that a few of my regular visitors are card-carrying members of the "Fennel Loathers Club," there will be no convincing you to try this, and you are likely to leave disparaging remarks about fennel in the comments. What can I say except, "Can't please everybody!" :-)

**Don't literally whiz in your blender, please. That's nasty. ;-)

SkyWatch Friday: Frosty Daybreak & Festive Delight...

Our week began with frigid 5ºF temps and this golden sunrise, made eerie by the freezing fog...

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After Monday's frozen sunrise, we wanted a warm and festive treat. So I made these yummy muffins...

Cranberry-Orange Muffins from FatFree Vegan Kitchen

(©Susan Voisin & reprinted with permission; my changes in red italics)

Ingredients

~ 2/3 cup unsweetened dried cranberries* (if using sweetened, omit agave nectar & reduce sugar to 1/2 cup)

~ 1/2 cup hot water

~ 1 TBSP agave nectar (omit if using sweetened dried cranberries)

~ 1 cup whole wheat flour

~ 1 cup unbleached white flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour)

~ 1 TBSP ground flax seeds

~ 3/4 cup sugar (I use 1/2 cup of sucanat)

~ 1/2 TBSP egg replacer powder (Ener-G brand or homemade)

~ 1 teaspoon baking powder (I use reduced sodium)

~ 1 teaspoon baking soda

~ 1/2 teaspoon salt (I reduce to 1/4 tsp)

~ 1/2 cup orange juice (I use juice of zested orange + 2-3 mandarins)

~ 1/2 cup soy or rice milk (I use plain, unsweetened organic soy milk)

~ 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

~ 1 teaspoon vanilla

~ 1 teaspoon grated orange zest

~ 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional) (I use 'em!)

* I've also used regular frozen cranberries, thawed - halving the larger ones and soaking them in the hot water. They work just as well though you'll probably want to use the agave or increase the sugar.

Instructions

1. Put the cranberries in a bowl and pour the hot water and agave nectar over them. Stir and set aside for at least 15 minutes to allow the cranberries to plump up. 

2. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray the muffin pan with non-stick spray or use a silicone muffin pan or silicone muffin liners (which is what I do).

3. In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients: flours, flax seeds, sugar, egg replacer, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, stir together orange juice, plant-milk, applesauce, vanilla, and orange zest. Strain the liquid from the cranberries into the liquid ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add liquid. Stir just until all flour is moistened; don't over-stir. Gently fold in cranberries and nuts.

4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups (at least 3/4 full). Sprinkle tops with a little Demerara sugar, if desired. Bake for 12-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one muffin comes out clean. 

5. Remove muffin pan to a wire rack. Cool for 5-10 minutes before carefully removing muffins from cups. Makes about 14-16 regular-sized muffins. 

As with most fat-free baked goods, the texture of these will benefit from being allowed to sit awhile. Overnight is in a covered (more or less!) container is best.

Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes

Number of servings: 14-16

Nutritional information for the original recipe is posted on Susan's blog

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Muffins this festive deserve a festive beverage to accompany them... 

So I enjoy my muffins with a delicious cup of hot hibiscus tea... whose beautiful red color goes so nicely with the cranberries (as well as with my silicone muffin cups and holiday dishes), but whose beauty is more than skin deep...

Happy SkyWatching and bon appétit! :-)