spicy sweet potato coins

Let’s hop in the way-back machine. Where are we going? How about back to a time when I blogged about the food that I cooked and took pictures of actual dishes. Remember that? Me too.

I’ve been doing a lot of writing for other projects lately, especially my coaching events, and by the time my to-do list has a dent, I never want to look at the computer again.

What I do want to do is eat sweet potatoes.

You should, too. Sweet potatoes have a much lower glycemic index than white potatoes so they’re starchy and sweet without spiking your blood sugar. Bright-colored foods like sweet potatoes are also high in anti-oxidants, and leaving the skin on means ample fiber and protein (the protein is all in the skin, did you know?).

Adding more sugar to something so naturally sweet seems wrong; I prefer a savory preparation to balance the starchy sweetness. A little kick of spice balances out the flavors for a simple, straight-forward dish. Sometimes I dice the sweet potatoes, but it’s so quick to cut plain slices instead.

As a side benefit, they’re delicious. This is my favorite lazy way to eat them, cut into thick slices, tossed with a slick of oil, salt, earthy cumin, and bright spicy chili powder. A little crunch on the edges, a tender center, and that contrast of sweet and savory with some depth and kick from the spices make for a well-rounded dish. The ridiculously easy prep makes up for the hands-off cook time being a bit longer.

With a green salad to start, this has been a common lunch lately, and I’m happy with it. How do you like your sweet potatoes?

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spicy sweet potato coins

by Stacy Spensley November-11-2011

Less work than cutting up fries, more delicious than anything else you ate today.

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Instructions

1.) Preheat the oven (I use my toaster oven) to 425F.2.) Scrub the sweet potato well. Slice into 1/2″ wide circles. Toss with olive oil, salt, and spices. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheet.3.) Bake at 425F for about 30 minutes (time will depend on the width of your potato, so check earlier if you’re worried), turning once. Sweet potatoes are done when they’re uniformly soft all the way through and golden brown and crisp outside. Serve with ketchup, if desired.

Details

Prep time: 2 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 42 mins Yield: 1 serving

Tagged as: sweet potatoes