When I was a little kid, I remember my mom not allowing me to leave the table until I finished my vegetables. This didn't happen often because she was busy, but when it did, it was torture. I'd sit in front of that mix of lima beans, carrots, corn and peas as it got cold, stubbornly refusing to give in. She'd reheat it in the microwave a few times and set the plate in front of me again, as if nuking the overcooked veggies would help. Eventually, I'd win.
The older I get, the more I love vegetables and the more willing I am to try foods that used to make me gag as a child. I actually see it as sort of an adventure now, as a way of taking my pallet to new places.
Yesterday, I introduced myself to sweet potatoes. I've been coming across a lot of articles about the nutritional perks of the food, all the while thinking, "I wish I liked sweet potatoes." Now, I do.
I went to Taste of B-more, a new soul food restaurant in York, for my upcoming Cheap Eats column. For one of my sides, I ordered the veggie. The taste was so flavorful, with herbs, spices and a hint of brown sugar. The combination of flavors tasted more like a dessert.
I'll cut back on the sugar when I make them on my own. Cook Rachelle Williamson shared some of her secrets with me: thyme, garlic, onion, pumpkin spice and all spice. I can't wait to experiment.
Here are some of the health benefits according to whfoods.com:
-- Sweet potato contain unique root storage proteins that have been observed to have significant antioxidant capacities.
-- As an excellent source of vitamin A and a good source of vitamin C, sweet potatoes have healing properties as an antioxidant food. Both beta-carotene and vitamin C are very powerful antioxidants that work in the body to eliminate free radicals. Free radicals are chemicals that damage cells and cell membranes and are associated with the development of conditions like atherosclerosis, diabetic heart disease, and colon cancer.
Because these nutrients are also anti-inflammatory, they can be helpful in reducing the severity of conditions where inflammation plays a role, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
-- They also contain manganese, copper, fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron.
All this nutritional goodness in just 95 calories and no fat.
Here are a couple of recipes:
--Healthy mashed sweet potatoes
Have you introduced yourself to sweet potato fries yet? There are several brands in the frozen foods section of supermarkets and they are to die for. I love s. p. baked, served with unsweetened apple sauce on the top, sometimes with a little cinnamon. Or baked and served with a small pat of butter. I bake mine in the toaster oven instead of heating up a big oven. Any way they are prepared--sans sweeteners like sugar--I'll eat them.
No, I haven't. They sound delicious, especially with the apple sauce and cinnamon. I'll have to give it a try!