Sweet Potato

Angrish101
Angrish101 Posts: 14 Member
in Recipes
Hi, I’m trying to introduce more sweet potatoes into my diet however I just can’t bring myself to enjoy them! The soft texture and taste just aren’t a patch on regular spuds. What recipes or cooking methods can you recommend to make them crunchy/crisp and tastier🤔

Replies

  • TheresaM787
    TheresaM787 Posts: 751 Member
    Have you tried turning them into potato chips?
    https://www.aspicyperspective.com/baked-sweet-potato-chips/
  • mamainthekitchen
    mamainthekitchen Posts: 929 Member
    Ok this is what I do...
    Wash & stab several times with knife, then wrap in wet paper towel and cook in micro ( I have a cook potato button) next... carefully remove to cutting board and slice 1/4 inch slices... then cook slices in non stick pan with some pepper and very little becel butter and fry until crispy brown!!! Awesome!
  • goal06082021
    goal06082021 Posts: 2,130 Member
    How are you preparing them now?

    I wouldn't consider sweet potato a replacement for regular potato, they're wholly different vegetables. Regular potatoes do also have considerable nutrition, don't feel like you can't eat them as part of a healthful diet. Leave the skin on and don't go nuts with the added fats, and you're golden.

    I like to dice up sweet potatoes and roast them in the oven. If they're particularly big or hard to break down, I'll parcook them in boiling water for just a few minutes to start them softening, then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, coat with some olive oil and herbs, and bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes. They also work very well in the microwave for a quick "baked" potato - prick all over with a fork, wrap in a damp paper towel, nuke for about 3-4 minutes depending on size, flip, nuke another 3-4 minutes. (This also works with regular potatoes; works better with starchy potatoes, but will also work with waxy ones.)
  • LisaGetsMoving
    LisaGetsMoving Posts: 664 Member
    These are not crispy or crunchy but maybe helpful.

    My DIL makes a veggie chili that has sweet potatoes in it that is pretty tasty, but it might not fit within calorie guidelines because it had a dollop of sour cream on top, a couple slices of avocado and a serving of tortilla chips on the side. I don't know the recipe, but from memory it had sweet potatoes, onion, celery, tomatoes, sliced black olives, canned black beans and spices, chili, cumin, garlic and salt. It may have had more veggies in it, you could experiment if interested.

    Sweet potato pie is delicious, similar to pumpkin pie. You can make something like a souffle, custard or pudding with cooked sweet potato, and you can swap out the sugar for stevia. I've done it with pumpkin and it's good, like a crustless pumpkin pie. Not as good as the recipe my mom taught me with a flour crust and insides full of cane sugar, but good enough to satisfy an itch. Eggs/egg white, cream or milk, sweetener, cinnamon (nutmeg and ginger optional).

    You could try making something crispy in an air fryer. Slice as thin as possible. Sprinkle with the flavor combinations you like. You already have the sweet, do you want sweet and salty, or maybe sweet and spicy. I have done this in a regular oven and again have found something passable to satisfy an itch. But it's not the same as good old fashioned fried potato chips.

    I like sweet potatoes and regular white, yellow or purple (fun, but very starchy) potatoes, but they are not interchangeable in my mind. I worked for a potato farm for ten years. The potato is an important nutritious food that allowed mankind to flourish. It got a bad rap when humans decided to blame it for the obesity epidemic, even though people ate potatoes for centuries before that. Truth is, humans got it wrong again. Potatoes are an excellent choice in the diet. It's not the potato, it's what we do with it.

  • Fit_Happens_2021
    Fit_Happens_2021 Posts: 303 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Angrish101 wrote: »
    Hi, I’m trying to introduce more sweet potatoes into my diet however I just can’t bring myself to enjoy them! The soft texture and taste just aren’t a patch on regular spuds. What recipes or cooking methods can you recommend to make them crunchy/crisp and tastier🤔

    I don't care for sweet potatoes and don't eat them. I eat plenty of regular old potatoes...look at the nutritional information of a sweet potato and russet potato side by side...the nutritional profiles really aren't all that different. Biggest difference is that a sweet potato has a higher vitamin A content and a russet has a higher vitamin C content...otherwise, the nutritional differences are fairly negligible and I don't see one as being more "healthy" than the other. For whatever reason, the sweet potato has been given some kind of magical super food status while the regular old potato has been vilified...which makes zero sense when you actually compare the nutritional profile of each. They both have really good nutritional profiles...I just don't particularly like the texture or taste of sweet potatoes.

    This is exactly what I think about sweet potatoes. I have been completely baffled by the way they have been elevated to be regarded as some sort of super alternative in recent years.
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,069 Member
    I embrace the sweetness and never try to turn them into anything resembling a regular potato. One of my fave ways to eat them is sliced along with an apple, drizzled with a bit of honey, cinnamon, grated ginger root, dash of salt and orange juice (combined and melted together) and oven baked in a oven-safe deep dish.

    It makes a sweet side dish or can be added to oatmeal or warmed and topped with yogurt for a dessert-y vibe.

  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,464 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Angrish101 wrote: »
    Hi, I’m trying to introduce more sweet potatoes into my diet however I just can’t bring myself to enjoy them! The soft texture and taste just aren’t a patch on regular spuds. What recipes or cooking methods can you recommend to make them crunchy/crisp and tastier🤔

    I don't care for sweet potatoes and don't eat them. I eat plenty of regular old potatoes...look at the nutritional information of a sweet potato and russet potato side by side...the nutritional profiles really aren't all that different. Biggest difference is that a sweet potato has a higher vitamin A content and a russet has a higher vitamin C content...otherwise, the nutritional differences are fairly negligible and I don't see one as being more "healthy" than the other. For whatever reason, the sweet potato has been given some kind of magical super food status while the regular old potato has been vilified...which makes zero sense when you actually compare the nutritional profile of each. They both have really good nutritional profiles...I just don't particularly like the texture or taste of sweet potatoes.

    Based on your statement about vitamins and c, I should eat white potatoes, not sweet potatoes. But I love sweet potatoes, and while I definitely like white potatoes, I don’t love them. And for me, sweet potatoes are lower calorie. I like them baked with a sprinkle of pumpkin spice. On the other hand, I like white potatoes baked with a boatload of butter and/or sour cream added, or mashed with butter, cream cheese, either cheese melted over or gravy all over.
    @angrish101, eat what you like, not what someone else says is good. Figure out a way to make it fit. Be healthier AND happier! Life’s too short!
  • Angrish101
    Angrish101 Posts: 14 Member
    I had opted for Sweet potato as it’s higher fibre and a lower GI option than spuds, not because of hype. I don’t mind baked versions, though they definitely need to cut thin to add a bit of crunch and texture. Many thanks for the ideas, will give these a go👍
  • 963Nitro
    963Nitro Posts: 82 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Angrish101 wrote: »
    Hi, I’m trying to introduce more sweet potatoes into my diet however I just can’t bring myself to enjoy them! The soft texture and taste just aren’t a patch on regular spuds. What recipes or cooking methods can you recommend to make them crunchy/crisp and tastier🤔

    I don't care for sweet potatoes and don't eat them. I eat plenty of regular old potatoes...look at the nutritional information of a sweet potato and russet potato side by side...the nutritional profiles really aren't all that different. Biggest difference is that a sweet potato has a higher vitamin A content and a russet has a higher vitamin C content...otherwise, the nutritional differences are fairly negligible and I don't see one as being more "healthy" than the other. For whatever reason, the sweet potato has been given some kind of magical super food status while the regular old potato has been vilified...which makes zero sense when you actually compare the nutritional profile of each. They both have really good nutritional profiles...I just don't particularly like the texture or taste of sweet potatoes.

    Sweet potato being lower on the GI scale is why it's a popular sub for regular potatoes.

    In other words, better for people who have to watch their blood suger.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Angrish101 wrote: »
    I had opted for Sweet potato as it’s higher fibre and a lower GI option than spuds, not because of hype. I don’t mind baked versions, though they definitely need to cut thin to add a bit of crunch and texture. Many thanks for the ideas, will give these a go👍

    It's less than a gram of fiber difference per 100 grams of potato though and if you're eating protein and fat with the potato (which most of us are doing in a meal context), that will also factor into the GI.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,128 Member
    I don't particularly like them but did make a nice pie with some roasted along with some roasted beetroot and green lentils mixed with goats cheese in layers. Was nicer cold than warm.
    wiqd82widsia.png

    If it's for lower GI reasons, can you substitute carrot, parsnip, artichoke, cauliflower or butter beans instead? A few of those make decent mash and carrots & parnsips are possible alternative for roasted potatoes.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    lynx853 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Angrish101 wrote: »
    Hi, I’m trying to introduce more sweet potatoes into my diet however I just can’t bring myself to enjoy them! The soft texture and taste just aren’t a patch on regular spuds. What recipes or cooking methods can you recommend to make them crunchy/crisp and tastier🤔

    I don't care for sweet potatoes and don't eat them. I eat plenty of regular old potatoes...look at the nutritional information of a sweet potato and russet potato side by side...the nutritional profiles really aren't all that different. Biggest difference is that a sweet potato has a higher vitamin A content and a russet has a higher vitamin C content...otherwise, the nutritional differences are fairly negligible and I don't see one as being more "healthy" than the other. For whatever reason, the sweet potato has been given some kind of magical super food status while the regular old potato has been vilified...which makes zero sense when you actually compare the nutritional profile of each. They both have really good nutritional profiles...I just don't particularly like the texture or taste of sweet potatoes.

    Sweet potato being lower on the GI scale is why it's a popular sub for regular potatoes.

    In other words, better for people who have to watch their blood suger.

    Depends on how they're cooked. A boiled sweet potato has a low GI and GL...I don't know too many people eating boiled sweet potatoes though...that same sweet potato baked has a GI of 94 and GL of 42, which would be considered extremely high for someone who needed to watch their blood sugar.

    I don't have any reason to watch my blood sugar or worry about the GI of any particular food...particularly as the GL of a particular food is also going to change depending on what you're eating it with. My dad was type II and potatoes, sweet or otherwise were pretty much a no go save for here and there...but definitely not a regular staple food in his diet.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited January 2021
    Angrish101 wrote: »
    I had opted for Sweet potato as it’s higher fibre and a lower GI option than spuds, not because of hype. I don’t mind baked versions, though they definitely need to cut thin to add a bit of crunch and texture. Many thanks for the ideas, will give these a go👍

    Keep in mind that a baked sweet potato is going to have a much higher GI than any other cooking option...a boiled sweet potato has a GI of 44 which would be acceptable for a diabetic in moderation...a baked sweet potato has a GI of 94...which would be considerably high for a diabetic.

    If you actually need to watch your blood sugar because you're diabetic, it is simply not a good option. Also, the difference in fiber between the two kinds of spuds are about 1 gram.
  • 963Nitro
    963Nitro Posts: 82 Member
    [/quote]

    Depends on how they're cooked. A boiled sweet potato has a low GI and GL...I don't know too many people eating boiled sweet potatoes though...
    [/quote]

    Boiled and mashed is my fav, with some Greek yogurt. Just because you don't know people that do, just means you don't know enough people!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited January 2021
    Boiled and mashed is my fav, with some Greek yogurt. Just because you don't know people that do, just means you don't know enough people!

    LMFAO...ok...Just because your favorite is boiled and mashed doesn't mean that's how most people do it either. Even then, it's border line...if you're diabetic and need to watch your blood sugar levels, neither a regular potato or a sweet potato is a very good option on any kind of regular basis...Also...I know a lot of people.

    If you took a poll, I'd wager that most people like their sweet potatoes baked or roasted. Hell, you can get on pinterest and that's what most of the recipes are.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    I love sweet potatoes! Curried sweet potato soup, baked sweet potato crisps, sweet potato pie, roasted sweet potato, whole sweet potatoes roasted in the coals of a BBQ fire, then split open and eaten right out of the skin with a squeeze of lime juice and a healthy dash of chili powder

    White potatoes? Meh.
  • yayamom3
    yayamom3 Posts: 939 Member
    The way I finally convinced my taste buds to enjoy sweet potatoes was 1. roasting them in the oven , and 2. enjoying them in Mexican food. This recipe is now a staple in my diet and it freezes really well if you're meal prepping.

    https://cookieandkate.com/black-bean-sweet-potato-enchiladas/
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,943 Member
    Aargh. I hate them. Even deep fried, which says a lot.
  • LazyBlondeChef
    LazyBlondeChef Posts: 2,809 Member
    edited January 2021
    I've always found sweet potatoes too sweet so I add some combination of onions, garlic, sage, cumin and/or coriander which helps. Yesterday I had Stokes Purple® sweet potato mashed with onion, cumin, coriander & butter. As it turns out they're not as sweet as regular sweet potatoes. It has a strange texture though. I've never put cheese on them but I like the idea of adding feta.
  • BEVERLYSTEEN
    BEVERLYSTEEN Posts: 106 Member
    edited January 2021
    Wash and cut off the ends (don’t dry). Put on a paper plate and cover with another paper plate and microwave for 5-6 minutes depending on size.

    You can then cut them in slices and add to your meat in a frying pan adding onions and seasoned salt.

    I don’t like eating them alone, I stab a piece of meat and sweet potato then eat them together! Yummie.

  • B23_Kate
    B23_Kate Posts: 24 Member
    A great way to prepare sweet potatoes, is to boil them (in their skins), and after they are cooked (and slightly cooled , peel them, mash them and make mashed sweet potatoes. After they are mashed (with a potato masher) then you add some orange juice (fresh). The orange juice cuts the sweetness of the sweet potatoes by introducing some acidity. I also like to add some freshly graded nutmeg. It makes a great side dish for roasted pork or chicken.
  • gigius72
    gigius72 Posts: 183 Member
    I simply cook them in a pan with cinnamon and vanilla extract.
    Or sautee them with mushroom, bell pepper and zucchini.
  • dechowj
    dechowj Posts: 148 Member
    I grate them with a cheese grater, heat some coconut oil up in a skillet, cook the sweet potato until it is tender and add cinnamon.

    I also cut the sweet potato into cubes and roast them in the oven with cauliflower, onion, Brussel sprouts, carrots, and beets. Mix it all with a cup of prepared quinoa and season with soy sauce.

    For a sweet side dish, I cut up 4 large sweet potatoes and an apple. Toss them in a crock pot with 2 TBSP of butter, 2 TBSP brown sugar and some cinnamon and nutmeg. After it has cooked on high for 4 hours I add a half a cup of milk and use a stick blender to make it a mashed potato consistency and top it with a little honey.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    I just cube them and roast in the oven with olive oil salt and pepper. I love sweet potatoes though. I've been eating them in my salads the last few weeks for lunch.
  • Chubby_Shawty
    Chubby_Shawty Posts: 3 Member
    My husband and I aren’t big sweet potato fans either, but we both like this recipe....

    https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Roasted-Sweet-Potatoes-2651894?prm-v1

Categories