Sweet potatoes and yams are plentiful and cheap this month. Many people do not realize that they are much healthier for you than potatoes. I found this recipe several years ago in my company’s monthly safety and health magazine at work. It is super low fat (16 g for the whole recipe). Brett made these tonight and they were so delicious. It’s a great substitute for high fat, high carb French fries. Baked on the high heat, they were very crispy on the outside. The seasonings bring out their special flavor – no need to add salt.
The nutritional numbers for a sweet potato speak for themselves: almost twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, 42 percent of the recommendation for vitamin C, four times the RDA for beta carotene, and, when eaten with the skin, sweet potatoes have more fiber than oatmeal. All these benefits with only about 130 to 160 calories!
3 medium-large sweet potatoes
1 TBS olive or canola oil
1 TBS red wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
Preheat oven to 475°. Peel and cut potatoes length-wise into wedges 1-2 inches wide. Blend remaining ingredients and pour over potatoes, tossing well to coat. Place wedges on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 10 minutes; turn wedges over and bake another 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender and starting to brown.