Thursday, June 26, 2008
Sweet Potatoes & Yams
Selecting: Sweet potatoes range in skin color from light yellow to orange to copper, and in flesh color from light yallow to red-orange. In this country. Yam is used interchangeably with sweet potato and refers particullarly to a sweet potato variet with copper skin and orange flesh.
Uniform shape,uniform skin color,and firmnes are characteristics to look for when selecting sweet potatoes. Dont choose decayed, soft, or shriveled vegetables. store sweet potatoes in a cool (about 55*), dry place rather than in the refrigarator,and plan to use them within a few days.
Preparing: Scrub sweet potatoes; remove ends and woody portions. Peel sweet potatoes before or after cooking ,depending on their use.
Cooking: Bake whole sweet potatoes at 375* for 40 to 45 minutes; allow a little less time for thickly sliced sweet potatoes. Or, in covered pan cook whole sweet potatoes in enough boiling salted water to covered till tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
Serving: baked , mashed ,or candied-sweet potatoes are a holiday tradition.Marmalows are the perfect topping for a sweet potatocasserole. Sweet potato pie,bread,and biscuits are aloso favorates, particulary in the south.
Sweet Potto - Cashew Bake
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup broken cashews
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes (5 or 6 medium),cooked,peeled,and cut crosswise into thick pieces.
- 1 8-ounce can peach slices well drained.
- 3 tablespoons butter or marmagarine
Combine brown sugar, cashews,salt and ginger. in 10×6x2-inch baking dish layer half the sweet potaoes, half the peach slices , and half the brown sugar mixture.repeat layers. Do with butter or margarine.
Bake, covered at 350* for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake mixture about 10 minutes longer. Spoon brown sugar syrup over before serving. Make 6 to 8 servings.
