Simply sweet potato its best. Try this with a garnet yam (which is really a sweet potato!), my personal favorite. The only difficult part of the this recipe is waiting for the sweet potato to bake, but rest assured it is well worth it. After the wait is over, all you have to do is mix the sweet potato flesh with a few other tasty ingredients and bake again for just 10 minutes. The applesauce adds a nice little tang but it can easily be left out. Love it extra sweet? Add a touch more maple syrup, or try a sprinkle of brown sugar on top. Definitely do splurge and a the vegan butter as it adds just that little bit of richness. Let's also not forget about the wonderful health benefits of the sweet potato, that bright orange flesh is a sure indicator of all the beta-carotene packed in this tuber. They also deliver a nice dose of vitamin C, vitamin B and iron, so eat up!
Confused about the difference between a sweet potato and yam? It's really just because sweet potatoes are often mislabeled as yams. Check out this article for more clarification.
Ingredients
1 medium sweet potato, washed
2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp maple syrup
1-2 tsp Earth Balance vegan butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch ground ginger
Pinch salt
Chopped pecans for garnish
Method
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Pierce sweet potato a couple times with a fork. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 50-60 minutes.
Remove from oven, cut a slit down the center of the sweet potato, and scoop out flesh into a bowl. Add remaining ingredients except pecans, a mix thoroughly and until creamy. Make any adjustments to taste.
Spoon back into the sweet potato skin, sprinkle with pecans, return to baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
