Eating Lean and Clean 2013 - Recipe #1

Spicy Roasted Sweet Potatoes 

Candied Sweet Potatoes is a family recipe that I needed to make healthier.  I took away the sugar and butter that made up the heavy syrup and substituted with Agave Nectar and Olive Oil.  When you roast the sweet potatoes in the oven lightly coated with olive oil and agave nectar with a little chili powder you will get caramelized potatoes with a little hit of spice.  You can also add fresh herbs that will take it to another level. 

Serving Size : 4 - 6            Prep Time:  15              Cook Time: 40 - 45 minutes

Ingredients

·       2 ½  pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into chunks

·       2      tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

·       2      tablespoons agave nectar ( substitute for agave nectar is “Pure Maple Syrup”)

·       1      tablespoon of fresh squeeze lime juice

·       4     cloves garlic (minced)

·       1      tablespoon fresh grated ginger

·       1      teaspoon cinnamon

·       1      teaspoon chili powder

·       1      teaspoon nutmeg

·       ½     teaspoon all spice

·       ½    cup fresh scallions (chopped for garnish)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray cooking spray lightly on a large foil-line baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, agave nectar, lime juice, garlic fresh ginger and spices. Then add sweet potatoes; toss and coat well.
3. Place season sweet potatoes on to baking pan and spread them out into a single layer, so that they can roast evenly. 
4. Roast sweet potatoes in oven, stirring occasionally, for about  40 - 45 minutes or until they are golden brown, tender, and caramelized.  Remove from oven and season with a little salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Then place in serving dish and granish with fresh  scallions.
   

Note about agave nectar

Use ½ to 2/3 cup Agave Nectar = 1 cup of regular sugar. 

Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Blue Agave is a natural sweetener extracted from the core of the Blue Agave plant.

• Sweet, mild nectar is 25% sweeter than sugar (so more is less!)
• A perfect multi-purpose sweetener for beverages, fresh fruit and general table-top use
• Glycemic index of 39 or less; Natural sweetness without the blood sugar spike
• Blue Agave is non-crystallizing and quick dissolving. 

Blue Agave has a bright sweetness that quickly dissipates, perfect in baked goods, fresh fruit and smoothies, salad dressings and savory sauces. 


Cooking tips:

• Use as a one-for-one replacement for sugar, then adjusts to your own personal taste. Some chefs prefer to use 75% as much Blue Agave nectar as they would sugar in a recipe, but others prefer a straight 1:1 replacement.
• Reduce the other liquids in a recipe by up to 30%.
• Cook lower and slower: reduce your baking temperature by about 25 degrees and bake for a little longer.