Tuesday, September 19, 2006

"Sweet Potatoes" Appears 6 Times, Looks Wrong Every Time

Dinner will have to be abbreviated tonight, so of course I have food on the brain like a madwoman. We're picking up our second Galant desk courtesy of CraigsList, and there's just no time for much of one. Oh, well. Let's just think about food, shall we?

What I Wish I Were Making: Lime Cilantro Sweet Potatoes, a recipe from Epicurious.com

Ingredients:
2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Procedure:

1. Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. [Not strictly necessary, but okay.]

2. Toss sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow baking pan. Arrange potatoes in 1 layer and roast, stirring halfway through roasting, until tender, about 25 minutes total. Stir together cayenne, zest, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Whisk together lime juice and remaining tablespoon oil in a medium bowl, then add potatoes. Sprinkle with cayenne mixture and cilantro, stirring gently to combine.

Makes 4 servings.
Gourmet
May 2004

It's really that simple. Having fresh cilantro on hand makes it TEN TIMES better. So delicious you'll HAVE to finish all the potatoes. Trust. Also, if you use dried cilantro, it'll still be tasty, and the sweet potatoes will still have a lower glycemic index than white potatoes so they'll be healthier. DELISH without the guilt. Although eating the whole pan might be counter-produtive. Hmmmmm . . . Oh, I know MAKE LESS. (I'm such a problem solver, no?)

I originally found these while trying to make your classic sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving with the loads of sugar (the direct route to make up for the healthy glycemic index). I wasn't brave enough to actually try them for a while, fearing that the sweet potatoes would rot, uneaten in the cupboard. Still, a VERY tasty alternative to the admittedly-yummy-but-still-unhealthy sugary variety. Don't fear the cayenne, either, because the sweet potato counteracts the heat nicely. Now, on to the Thyme-Roasted Sweet Potatoes.

*Hat-tip to JO, who first turned me on to this Epicurious business. It's brought me so much mirth (and possibly some girth), and for that, I thank you. Also, way to help me overdose on the sweet kid pics. LOVE!

4 comments:

Mair said...

we often do sweet potato "fries" (in actuality, "baked"). They are quite good. Rosemary, crushed red pepper, black pepper and salt. An interesting and delightful combo. If you are interested, I will email you directions.

Don't forget that bright orange vegetables (tubers and roots!) are good for your eyesight! :o)

GAO said...

Glad you like Epicurious. Its a constant late afternoon companion as I try to throw some sort of meal together. BTW I am in the old stomping grounds as I type. Mom and Dad have sold and I am sifting through swamps of HS pics and illegally passed notes. Thought of you constantly and the good olds.

Yax said...

I'm not sure what I wish more: that I had the ingredients on hand to make that recipe or that I had the brilliance to make a website called Epicurious.

E.A.P said...

Mair - Send that sweet potato fries recipe along with the pizza dough one you used while we visited. So tasty!

GAO - Oh, wish I could have been there. It's been a while since we were all together, poring over notes and pics and laughing. Wonder when that will happen next . . .

Yax - I know, best site name ever, right? That's what I thought! At least it wasn't wasted on crappy content, though.