Friday, September 3, 2010

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon

Sweet potatoes are actually really good for you. Unlike the carbo filled regular potatoes, sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A, B6, C, fiber, manganese, potassium and iron. It is said to also have healing properties as an antioxidant food. That's due to the high beta-carotene and vitamin C content. We are trying to cut off regular potatoes from our diet and replace them with sweet potatoes instead. Of course we still do indulge in the occasion baked potato or fries when we are eating out, but I try to avoid regular potatoes whenever I am cooking at home.
Out of all the sweet potato recipes that I have tried, this is probably one of my favorites. I make this a lot, probably at least once a week. It makes a great side dish as well as a snack. It's really simple to whip up and super yummy to eat. Start off by washing and peeling one large sweet potato. Depending on the size of the potato, you can use two or even three if it's really small.
Next, cut it up into bite size cubes. Try to cut them into a uniformed size, to that it will cook evenly.
Once you are done cutting up the sweet potatoes, place them in a large bowl. Drizzle in some olive oil. If you do not have any olive oil, you can just use regular vegetable oil instead.
Then, sprinkle in some cinnamon. Cinnamon is also another food that has a lot of health benefits. Studies show that cinnamon can lower bad cholesterol, regulate your blood sugar, significantly relief arthritis as well as boosts cognitive function and memory. Mix the cinnamon with the sweet potatoes and oil. Make sure that all of the sweet potato pieces are nicely coated.
At this point, you can choose to add in some brown sugar if you like. If I am making this as a side dish, I would omit adding in the brown sugar. I feel that the natural sweetness of the sweet potato is sufficient. However, if you are making this as a sweet snack, just sprinkle in some brown sugar and mix it with the rest of the ingredients.
Next, place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet that has been covered with aluminum foil. You can lightly spray on some non stick oil on the foil if you like. This is to prevent the potatoes from sticking to the foil. However, it is not really necessary because the potatoes have already been coated with oil. Pop it into a preheated 375F oven for about half an hour or until the potatoes are tender.
After roasting the potatoes for about half an hour, remove the tray from the oven. Use a fork to test the tenderness of the potatoes. It should just slide all the way in, without any problems. Then we know that the sweet potatoes are done! Let me tell you, our whole apartment smells just like the holidays whenever I make this dish. Such a lovely smell, reminds me of Christmas every time I make it. Not only does it smell great and is simple to make but it taste awesome too! Try it, it's goooood!

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