I'm all about that sweet potato! I could (and sometimes do) eat sweet potatoes three or four times a day... I'm not kidding! I started eating them probably when I was about 20 years old. My husband and I had fallen on hard times and it was actually less expensive for us to shop at our local farmer's market for food. I had made friends with a farmer who would trade me produce for my products! One day, he gave me a 1/2 bushel of sweet potatoes for my birthday!
I smiled politely and thanked him and took this big ole bag of sweet potatoes home, the entire time wishing he would have given me carrots or beets (Yes at that time in my life I was a miserable, ungrateful little girl!). I gave some to my grandmother, who insisted I just eat them with brown sugar and butter, but I decided to make mashed sweet potatoes with our dinner that night. To my surprise, I loved them! They were what I had been missing my entire life! Funny thing is, I absolutely hated sweet potatoes as a child! It's funny how your palate changes as you age-- so mamas of picky eaters.. don't fret!
With the rise of the paleo diet and other low carb diets, people are talking about sweet potatoes more. Go to the grocery store and you will find sweet potato noodles, sweet potato fries, sweet potato everything! I personally prefer to bake my sweet potatoes and top them will all sorts of fun toppings. Some of my favorite? Avocado and bacon, almond butter, fresh homemade triple berry jam-- just to name a few!
I've recently been sharing some snap shots of my favorite sweet potato dishes on social media. By the way, are you following me on instagram and facebook? Some people have asked about some more savory sweet potato dishes.
There is a common misconception about the sweet potato. Just because the work "sweet" is in the name does not mean that it needs to be a SWEET dish! It is all about the spices and the foods you cook with it! One of my favorite savory sweet potato dishes is my savory sweet potato hash browns. These are paleo and whole 30 friendly for those of you wondering!
Pssst.. you see that picture to the left?? That recipe is in my cookbook, have you gotten your copy yet??
1) Roughly chop sweet potato and put it in a food processor or blender. I personally use the Ninja blender and it gives the potatoes a great "shred". Set shredded potatoes aside and then shred the zucchini the same way.
2) Place the shredded zucchini in a towel or cheese cloth and press out as much of the water as possible.
3) In a large skillet, (I love this one) heat 2 Tbsp of Oil over medium heat.
4) Sautee onions and garlic together for about 2-3 minutes. Add in sweet potato and zucchini. Mix well to be sure the oil lightly coats everything. Add in seasoning.
5) Bring heat to medium- high, allowing the ingredients to brown. Flipping every 3-4 minutes. I prefer my hash browns to be a bit crispy, so I usually lean closer to 4 or 5 minutes.
6) When the hash browns are browned to your liking, place them on a plate. Top with fresh thyme or over easy eggs for a delightful breakfast!
Do you love sweet potatoes? Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think!