Sweet Potato Smash

I thought of  this idea for rosemary smashed sweet potatoes because last week I made crispy crunchy hot smashed rosemary hot white potatoes. The white potatoes were really fabulous, but I tend to want to limit my potato consumption because of the high starch and sugar content.  Did you know that sweet potatoes are not really a potato ( is a tuber) ?  Sweet potatoes are roots and are loaded with dietary fiber that helps regulate blood sugar levels even in diabetics.

                                       

Sweet Potatoes are actually low in Sugar and High in Nutrients
Unlike most starchy vegetables, sweet potatoes are actually low in sugar. In addition, sweet potatoes are one of the best sources for beta carotene which raises our levels of Vitamin A, a great source of potassium which helps prevent muscle cramps and is needed for a healthy heart. The benefits of sweet potatoes are impressive including that they are very high in health protecting antioxidants, they are anti-inflammatory, and loaded with vitamins and minerals. Most athletic trainers will include sweet potatoes in their daily diet. The darker the variety of sweet potato, the greater the benefit.

Looking for a fast side dish that kids will eat? 
This is a vegetable that kids will eat because sweet potatoes taste sweet. Adding this real food to your kids diet could be extremely beneficial to adding some healthy nutrients. Isn't that what we want? Want kids with better moods, kids who can concentrate in school, and kids that have great immune systems? They need real food to see real results ( real food are foods from farms that have not been previously cooked for you) like fruit and vegetables that you bring home and eat and cook. Try Sweet potato chili or  Sweet Potato Fries

 Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

The best and fastest way to cook and eat sweet potatoes:

Already steamed sweet potatoes laid out on a cookie sheet

Research has shown that simply steaming this vegetable brings out its greatest nutritional benefits.

place in any large pot

I use a little steamer basket which I  place in a large pot and add enough water to slightly cover the steamer. I them scrub the potatoes well, place them in the steamer basket, cover the pot and allow to boil for about 10 - 20 minutes.( They may not lay straight, but that's ok - important thing is to cover the pot so steam is created)  The sweet potatoes will be soft, tender, and delicious. As with most vegetables, a little fat is needed to absorb the fat soluble vitamins, so mash with a little oil, butter, or avocado or sprinkle with nuts!

How to choose and store sweet potatoes
Choose sweet potatoes that are firm and not wrinkled and keep away from any potatoes that have some green discoloration ( which is toxins) Do not store sweet potatoes in the refrigerator. Sweet potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark, open space and not in plastic bags. They can keep for about 10 days.

smashed sweet potatoes 

Sweet Potato Smash Recipe ( Yum) 
Now I'm getting back to the Smashed Rosemary Potatoes I made last week. So I started to think how much we loved them and I wondered how they would taste if I substituted sweet potatoes. Well, I tried it and it was awesome. In my excitement to serve them, I forgot to take pictures but you can follow the same steps and pics that I showed for the smashed potatoes from last week. or just follow the easy directions.

These taste every bit as good and sweet as candied yams that we eat on Thanksgiving but without any sweetener.

Ingredients: 

8-10 medium deep orange sweet potatoes, steamed in their skin ( or any amount you want 1 per person)
1/ 4 cup Rosemary ( fresh or dried)
Olive oil
Covered cookie sheet

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet  with parchment paper and spray with olive oil spray. Lay steamed sweet potatoes out on the baking tray. Smash each one with a slotted spoon ( the top layer of skin will come off , so remove it. Drizzle with olive oil ( or olive oil spray) rosemary. Bake for 25-35 minutes.
The sweet potatoes skin will get crunchy and the sweet potato will get drier and sweeter. The taste is amazing. My company raved about them.

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