How Sweet It Is...Sweet Potatoes Two Ways

Mmmmm. Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite side dishes. Not only are they delicious, but, in the grand choice of starchy sides, they are one of the healthier options out there. I like them pretty much any way, but here are two of my favorites:

Roasted Caramelized Sweet Potato Rounds with Pecans

The Ingredients

Two large sweeet potatoes, peeled

Pecan halves and slices

Light brown sugar

Honey

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

The Method

Slice the sweet potatoes into rounds, each approximately 1/8 inch thick. Slicing a small bit off of the bottom of the potatoes make them a little sturdier and reduce the risk of slicing off your finger (trust me on this one).

  

Toss your rounds in olive oil to coat, salt and pepper, then lay on a sil-pat (or parchment) lined baking sheet and drizzle with honey. Honey does burn so use it sparingly here. Then sprinkle on a small bit of brown sugar, keeping the same principle in mind. Lastly, add your pecans.

Toss the pan into a 450 degree oven for approximately half an hour, flipping the rounds halfway through. Just watch it carefully as it can burn easily. These come out slightly chewy, crunchy and super sweet! 

Whole Sliced Roasted Sweet Potatoes

The Ingredients

2 Whole Sweet Potatoes (unpeeled)

Salt and Pepper

2 Tablespoons melted butter

Sprinkling of light brown sugar

The Method

Slice your sweet potatos ALMOST all the way through, as if you were going to make the rounds as above.This can be tricky. The best way I have found is to use a large chefs knife and push it downwards through the potato until it's almost through. It takes some practice. 

Once sliced, place in a shallow roasting pan and pour over your melted butter. seasons he potatoes with salt and pepper and sprinkle with a bit of brown sugar. 

Place the potatoes in a 450 degree oven for 40 minutes, or until they are tender. These make a perfect side for a nice steak and some crispy kale chips! Enjoy!

World's Easiest Banana Bread

Thats right. This banana bread is so easy its almost a joke to call this a recipe. This comes out moist and nutty and tastes delicious warm with some butter. And its so quick that you can mix it up any time.  We happened to have some overripe bananas at home (why do I always forget to eat the bananas before we go away for a weekend?) so heres what I did.

The Ingredients

3/4 cup melted butter*

2 large overripe bananas 

3/4 cup of sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans (or nut of choice)

The Method

Prehead your oven to 350 degrees and liberally grease your bread pan. In a bowl mash up the overripe bananas with the melted butter. How mushy you make the mix will determine the texture of your bread. I like chunks of banana in mine so I didn't completely break down the bananas but you can make it as chunky or smooth as you like.

 Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add a pinch of salt and then stir in the flour and finally fold in the nuts. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and bake in the oven for 1 hour.

Allow the bread to cool, in the pan, on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then, flip the pan and extract your delicious loaf of goodness. Slice and enjoy!

*This bread was for my son, who is allerrgic to diary. For this particular recipe pictured, I used Earth Balance instead