*From http://www.foodsubs.com/Sweetpotatoes.html
Yes it IS real! Pretty nifty, huh? Well, I, at least have never heard of them. That’s why a few days ago, while on my billionth trip to Whole Foods for the week (for shame!), I snatched a bag of these buggers up the second I saw them. And they were from a local farm, too! What more could you ask for?
Per foodsubs.com, the white sweet potato is slightly less sweet but considerably more fluffy than the more traditional, commonly found yams. Because of this, I decided to experiment with this new veggie by cooking it two different ways. The first being my usual favorite with the yams: Dicing and roasting with crispy kale. As you may have read, I am crazy about this delicious, albeit simple, dish- it truly is my go-to dinner. Can the White sweet pots compare???
Second, I wanted to see if I could create a mashed potato, a white sweet potato puree, if you will. Would it be a taste similar to mashed baked potatoes or more like yam puree? Let’s find out!!
**SPOILER: Only one of these ways turns out yummy…but which one??**
I only had 4 of these guys, so I diced and baked 2 and baked and pureed 2. I don’t know, it just sounded fair. I started just peeling them and cutting out the eyes. Normally I like skin, but this time I thought it might be better to start with a skinless potato.
I then took the two potatoes I was going to puree, wrapped them in wet paper towels and placed them in the microwave…yes, the microwave. I am very tired today and didn’t have time for the purity of baking. Honestly, they turned out just fine so just go with whichever way moves you. I cooked them on 100% for 8 minutes. Again, this can depend on your microwave so adjust accordingly.
After the potatoes are done cooking, remove them from microwave and place into high speed blender or bowl. I, again, was lazy and used my blender, but these guys are so tender you could just mush them right up with a potato masher.
I then added approximately 1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk, cracked black pepper and celtic sea salt to taste. Then I pureed again to mix well. I didn’t obliterate the thing, but definitely made sure everything was properly combined. I then prepared myself a nice ramekin full of mashed white sweet pots, with a little pat of earth balance of course, and the result…..
WIN – WIN – WIN!!
(Please excuse this continued reference to The Office if you are not a fan…but if you do “get it” then… you are awesome)
This is buttery (even without the EB!), fluffy, smooth and yes a little sweet. It is absolutely delicious! A winner! I would make this again! A perfect combo of comforting, yummy, buttery mashed potatoes with the sweetness and added depth in flavor of sweet potatoes. YUM!
Part 2
Well, maybe it is obvious now that, surprisingly, the roasted white sweet potatoes did NOT turn out well for me. I baked them exactly as I bake my traditional yams (see recipe)….but they did NOT turn out well. I am now wondering if I did something wrong? But how could anyone roast potatoes, of any color, WRONG? It’s usually pretty straightforward. It was odd… while baking, they developed several small black spots all over them. These black spots were definitely not there before baking. My husband thinks they may be oxidation spots…? Any other opinions would be appreciated. I tasted one of the spot-free cubes, and it was O…K… Certainly nothing to write home about. So I decided NOT to waste my precious kale on this batch *sniff*
So there you have it! Go forth and enjoy some Mashed Batatas!