The Nutritious and Delicious Sweet Potato!

Beautiful, voluptuous sweet potato, oh how I love thee! How your color dazzles my eyes and your taste tantalizes my tongue with sweet bliss... OK I am getting a bit carried away huh? Seriously though, I have always loved the sweet potato but never incorporated it into my diet. I seem to only eat it during the holidays when I save it for last, or on the rare occasion when a restaurant may serve it as an appetizer. Crazy to think how much I enjoy this root and how little I actually eat it. Well, that is going to change as of now! I was reunited with the sweet potato during a nutrition and cooking class that I volunteered for to educate teens on healthy cooking and eating habits. The kids made Cajun spiced sweet potato and russet potato "fries" which were dipped in a garlic yogurt sauce. Oh, yea baby! The kids did such a great job and it tasted so yummy that I went home and made them myself. But, I used only sweet potatoes for the "fries" and I made a few changes to the dip and they came out as equally delish! Check out the recipe below and also my first ever cooking video on how to make this beautiful, sassy recipe.

A little background on the sweet potato: it is a member of the Morning Glory family and not the potato family; and the orange sweet potatoes here in the U.S. are sometimes called yams, but are actually not true yams. Sweet potatoes come in a variety of lovely colors such as orange, yellow, red, white and even a vibrant purple. They have antioxidant capacities and are an excellent source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, B6, iron, manganese, copper, potassium and fiber. Other nutrients found in good amounts are B1, B2, B3, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, pantothenic acid, folate, and amino acids. I also read that they may actually help stabilize blood sugar levels and improve the body's response to the hormone insulin. Not bad for a cheap, scrumptious, sweet, and easy to prepare food.

When shopping for sweet potatoes look for ones that are firm and have little bruising or discoloration. The darker the orange the higher the beta-carotene content, but the purple ones are known to have higher antioxidants. Store these roots in a cool, dark, well ventilated place for up to 10 days, but do NOT refrigerate or buy ones that have been refrigerated. To prepare simply rinse, peel if desired, and bake, boil, fry, broil, microwave, can or freeze them. There are tons of recipes available online for sweet potatoes used in desserts, baked goods, stir-fries, casseroles, etc. Use your imagination and try to incorporate the nutritious and delicious sweet potato into your standard diet for health and happiness. Now let's start cooking!

Cajun Spiced Sweet Potato Fries - makes about 2-3 servings
*you can alter the spice amounts to your tastes*
2 medium peeled sweet potatoes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the peeled sweet potatoes into thick strips. Place strips in a bowl and coat with olive oil. Mix the seasonings together and sprinkle on the strips to coat evenly. Do not touch your eyes, as the cayenne is hot! Place them on a baking sheet and bake for about 20-25 minutes turning them half way through baking. They are done when tender and lightly browned. Prepare dip while potatoes are baking.

Garlic & Herb Yogurt Dip - serves about 3
*again you can alter the seasonings to your taste and likes*
1 large clove of garlic
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh green onions
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup thick Middle Eastern Lebneh or Greek style plain yogurt.

Finely mince the garlic. Sprinkle the salt over the garlic and mash with the flat end of chef's knife to form a paste. Add garlic salt paste, parsley, green onions, and lemon juice to yogurt and blend well. Taste and adjust seasonings to your likes. Serve with Cajun Spiced Sweet Potato Fries and enjoy.

Please watch the premier of the Fascinated By Food cooking show on www.youtube.com to see how easy this recipe is to make.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TAiBOq8V4Q