Food

Tony Tantillo: Sweet Potatoes

(CBS) Well this week's tip is going to be with sweet potatoes, although they're marketed yams, they're truly sweet potatoes.

Yams are grown in tropical countries and they're about 4 to 5 times the size of these, but these sweet potatoes are loaded with flavor and did you know they are a super food? There are so many nutriments in sweet potatoes I could spend the next five minutes talking about the benefits to our health. Loaded with nutritional value, a super food; they truly are. Popular this time of year, but they should be in your diet all year long.

Sweet potatoes are great because there are two varieties right now, the Jewel, and the Garnet; both loaded with flavor and less starch then other varieties, and more sweetness.

When you buy them, you want to make sure they all have beautiful color to them no matter what variety. The colors have to be fairly bright and free from any shriveling whatsoever. Check the tips…a lot of time the shriveling will start right here, so make sure you look at that very carefully.

Now when you bring sweet potatoes home, what you want to do simply is store them in a cool dry place, not in the refrigerator, and keep them away from moisture.

Sweet potatoes, in markets marketed under yams, but no matter what, they're still delicious and great for ya.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Serves 6

Sweet potatoes aren't just good at Thanksgiving. This delicious mash is a treat all year long! Try it with not so obvious meals such as duck or chicken. Orange juice, soy milk, and maple syrup more then make up for the butter and cream usually used in mash potatoes.

3 medium sweet potatoes (3 pounds), scrubbed
1/2 cup low-fat, vanilla soy milk
1/4 cup sun-dried cranberries
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (from about 1 orange)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon maple syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roast the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet for 1 1/2 hours. Turn the sweet potatoes once to ensure even cooking.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the soy milk, but do not boil. Add the cranberries, orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.

3. When the sweet potatoes are done, remove from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin. Pass the sweet potatoes through a food mill or mash in a bowl with heavy-duty wire whip. Be patient! The end result is worth the effort.

4. In a bowl, combine the soy milk mixture with the sweet potatoes and mix with a large spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Add the maple syrup and serve warm.

Cooking Tip

If you're using a food mill, you don't have to peel the cooked sweet potatoes. Just cut them in chunks and put them through the mill. The skin will stay behind.

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