Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Yogurt

This simple recipe can be served as a healthy appetizer or meal.  It includes sweet (sweet potato), spicy (chipotle peppers) and cool (Greek yogurt) flavors that make a perfect taste combination.   I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients for Baked Potato Fries:

Sweet Potatoes, cut lengthwise

Oil, to coat

Smoked chipotle peppers, dried and ground (smoked paprika would work too)

Sea Salt

Ingredients for topping:

Plain Greek yogurt

Roasted pepitas "sunflower seeds"

Directions:

Wash and slice sweet potato length wise.

Coat with oil.

Sprinkle on the sea salt and ground chipotle peppers.

On a baking sheet, roast sliced potatoes with skin at 400 degrees.

Turn slices around ever 5 minutes or so until browned on all sides.

Garnish with yogurt and pepitas "sunflower seeds."

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Yogurt

This simple recipe can be served as a healthy appetizer or meal.  It includes sweet (sweet potato), spicy (chipotle peppers) and cool (Greek yogurt) flavors that make a perfect taste combination.   I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients for Baked Potato Fries:

Sweet Potatoes, cut lengthwise

Oil, to coat

Smoked chipotle peppers, dried and ground

Sea Salt

Ingredients for topping:

Plain Greek yogurt

Roasted pepitas "sunflower seeds"

Directions:

Wash and slice sweet potato length wise.

Coat with oil.

Sprinkle on the sea salt and ground chipotle peppers.

On a baking sheet, roast sliced potatoes with skin at 400 degrees.

Turn slices around ever 5 minutes or so until browned on all sides.

Garnish with yogurt and pepitas "sunflower seeds."

White Sweet Potatoes "Batatas"

Mashed Batatas, White Sweet Potato

The white sweet potato, referred to as the "Batata" in my neighborhood, can be found at most Caribbean and Asian markets.  Here is a recipe that is unique and simple to prepare.

Mashed Batatas

Ingredients:

2 medium sized sweet potatoes, white variety

1/4 of coconut or low fat milk

1 Lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon of lemon rind

1 teaspoon cardamon (optional)

Directions:

1.  Cook whole potatoes in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes or cut up into pieces and boil until soft.

2.  Peel skin off with your hands while rinsing with cold water.

3.  Place in a mixing bowl.

3.  Add the coconut or milk, lemon juice, lemon rind, and cardamon to the bowl.

4.  With a hand held blender, mix all of the ingredients together, until fluffy.

5.  Serve

Sweet Potatoes in a Variety of Colors

Here is a picture of capturing the sweet potato and their range of colors.  As they are similar in their tapered shape and texture, they vary dramatically in color and  slightly in flavor.

Red/White, Brown/Purple and Orange Colored  Sweet Potatoes

Yellow/Brown Sweet Potato from Farmers Market

Sweet Potato Soup with Ginger and Peanuts

Ginger's sharp spicy flavor turns the heat up on a fall recipe.

Here is a simple soup that combines ginger with peanuts for unique and satisfying flavor.  This recipe is based on a peanut African soup recipe I once found surfing the internet.

Ingredients:

3 sweet potatoes

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

3 cups of water or broth

1 cup tomatoes, chopped

3 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoons of cumin powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons coriander powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons chunky peanut butter

1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

Directions:

1.  Peel and slice sweet potatoes, then place in a large pot of boiling water or broth until sweet potatoes are soft. 

2.  Add coconut milk, chopped tomato, and peanut butter and simmer.

3.  In a skillet, saute in oil the chopped onion, coriander, cumin, ginger, garlic, salt and chili powder on medium heat for around 10 minutes.  Stir

4.  Add the skillet mixture to the soup pot and simmer for 45 minutes.

5.  Puree ingredients with blender or hand blender. 

6.  Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts.