Sweet Potatoes Four Different Ways

It's for good reasons that the sweet potato is the darling of the vegetable kingdom right now. Rich in fiber, it promotes gut health; test tube studies indicate it may be beneficial in fighting against several kinds of cancer. It has abundant antioxidants that decrease inflammation in the brain and elsewhere. Where the sweet potato really stands out is its supply of beta-carotene (which gives it the deep orange coloring) and which the body converts to Vitamin A. A cup of sweet potato cubes supplies an astounding 213 percent of the daily value of Vitamin A, a deficiency of which can lead to blindness. 

Just before the year-end holidays, I bought a 3-pound bag of sweet potatoes and wondered how I'd use them up. It turned out to be a no-brainer, as I found easy recipes in pages from the New York Times to my newest cookbook Make it Japanese. Here are a few different ways to cook sweet potatoes now which I've gathered just for you. Unlike eggs, they remain widely available in stores at reasonable prices. Enjoy!

Sweet Potatoes in a Soup

The popular Japanese American chef Rie MeClenny published her debut cookbook Make it Japanese in 2023 and rave reviews are still coming in. She includes a recipe for Dango Miso Soup with sweet potato in the book. On her web site is a recipe for Cream Stew, and sweet potato can be used instead of russets. Here's the link to that recipe. 

The cookbook's recipe is more complex, starting with mochi-like rice flour dumplings. It also uses a dashi and miso stock instead of a milk and chicken broth stock for the cream stew. But both of them feature vegetables, including potato, carrot, onion, and greens that come from the Western world. That is why many of her creations fall into the realm of Yōshoku, or Western-influenced Japanese cooking. 

Ube Mochi: Sweet Potato Pancakes! 

When it was first offered at Trader Joe's, Ube Mochi Pancake and Waffle Mix flew off the shelves. The Filipino-inspired recipe uses dehydrated purple yam powder which is not only a delightful hue but is nutritious and tasty. It makes a delicious breakfast pancake that is distinctively fluffy. And the mochi flour is made of rice, so it's gluten-free. Around the Lunar New Year, I made these savory pancakes with scallion (green onion) slices and a ponzu syrup with lime wedges. Another time, a sweeter version can be made with blueberries, topped with elderberry syrup. A third version uses the pancakes as a base with poached baby scallops in a sauce made with Alsatian white wine (that's an Alice Waters recipe). If you don't want to shell out about $35 for the TJ mix, there's a copy-cat recipe on the Kat Can Cook site, but it's not gluten-free. 

Sheet Pan Crispy Tofu and Sweet Potatoes

Here's a filling and meatless recipe from the New York Times. They really seem to love sheet-pan dinners, and this one actually uses two sheet pans! I streamlined things by putting the tofu and sweet potatoes side-by-side on one. This link takes you to the recipe without having to subscribe:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019575-sheet-pan-crisp-tofu-and-sweet-potatoes?unlocked_article_code=1.2E4.r3ui.2rZhOroZ2ZHI&smid=share-url

Sweet Potatoes with Miso-Ginger Sauce

Deborah Madison is a renowned vegetarian chef, author, and teacher. I've adapted her recipe which is so easy and makes a great presentation.  You don't even need to peel the potatoes! Just scrub them well, halve them, and steam them in a pot with a steamer basket over 2 inches of water for about 30 minutes. 

While the tubers are steaming, make the sauce. Mix a tablespoon of garlic paste with an equal amount of ginger paste. Mix in 2 tsp. sugar or mirin, and 1 tablespoon each of unseasoned rice vinegar, light sesame oil, and toasted sesame oil. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of miso and 1 tablespoon water until blended and add to the sauce, blending until smooth. 

Remove the sweet potatoes from the steamer and pat dry. Make a crisscross pattern on the cut sides. Heat a heavy skillet and then add a swirl of light sesame or other neutral oil. Place the potatoes cut-side down and let them cook for about three minutes until golden brown around the edges. Remove to serving bowls, swirling on the sauce and topping with black sesame seeds, scallion slices, or both. As you can see from the photo, I accompanied them with steamed soba (buckwheat) noodles, which are also topped with the sauce. Other side dishes could be spicy Asian greens or bok-choi and rice.