Monday, July 2, 2007

Lime and Chipotle Glazed Sweet Potatoes – Wham, Bam, it’s not a Yam??

OK, let’s clear up a bit of culinary confusion. In the produce department of your local grocery store, they sell both sweet potatoes and yams. The fact is they are all actually sweet potatoes. Some varieties of sweet potatoes, like Beauregard and Garnet, are often marketed as “yams.” So, in the clip when I say that you can use sweet potatoes or yams, what I’m really saying is you can use any variety of sweet potato available for this recipe. True yams are native to Africa and Asia and are rarely, if ever, seen in our markets.

This simple roasted sweet potato video recipe is a perfect side dish to all those great, grilled classics you’ll be cooking up this summer. I’m sure you already know how much better for you the good old sweet potato is than the regular russet. Not only are they much higher in fiber, complex carbohydrates, protein and vitamins, but they also taste good. It’s a win win. I hope you’ve got your silicon baking mat ready, as it makes this recipe a snap as you’ll see in the video. Of course, you can really spice these up with a bit more Chipotle than I used, but the tablespoon I put in gives it just the right kick, plus that wonderful, slightly smoky flavor. By the way, the lime Chipotle mixture we create to start the dish is actually an example of a Citronette, which we explored in another recipe clip. If you haven’t seen that one, I’ve linked it in so you can check it out. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
3 sweet potatoes
1 large juicy lime
1 tbl Chipotle chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
*Note: we baked for 30 min at 375F, then tossed in the remaining lime mixture, and then finished at 450F for another 10-15 minutes until tender and nicely glazed.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great clip. Your headlines are hilarious... I almost enjoy them as much as the clips! Of course you could have gone with "The great Yam scam!" ;-)

Chef John said...

Hey! I'll do the jokes! But, thanks. : )

Anonymous said...

looks yummy and the fresh lime sounds great with the chili pepper. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

i always get confused by US recipes that use yam and sweet potato interchangeably, as here we actually do have yams... :)

w said...

i just cant make the difference between sweet potatoes and carrots.
im not much of a cooker but in eastern europe i really havent heard much about sweet potatoes.

Chef John said...

they are much starchier and sweeter than carrots

Anonymous said...

Thanks for pointing out the difference between the two. Yams and sweet potatoes aren't even related; sweet potatoes are part of the Morning Glory family. In fact, sweet potatoes were domesticated in the New World, which is yet another reason to include them in your Thanksgiving feast along with turkey, corn, beans, and squash. How you deal with dogs (being another New World domesticate)is another matter, and I'm not too interested in a recipe.

Unknown said...

Where do I get a silicon mat like the one you use in this clip?

Chef John said...

its from Bed Bath and Beyond, but every kitchen supply store, or gourmet shop, or baking supply store will have them. Very common.

maitino said...

I love u chef John! You are my new best friend! Now I know how to cut them potatoes properly! Thanks a bunch!

Noach said...

I only have regular chili powder and not the chipotle chili powder. Is there a big difference? I couldn't find it in the local supermarket, what would be the most interchangeable?

Chef John said...

chipotle is hot and smoky, so no great sub. You can use cayenne for heat though.

Anonymous said...

Any suggestions for a side dip for these, if you wanted them more for a snack, rather than a side?? PS. Love your blog, made chicken parmesan bake the other night and it was a HUGE hit! =)

Unknown said...

Hi Chef John, I am your fan. You are such a good teacher for cooking and you are very funny, always make me laugh. Thank you for all the VDO you have made for your fans.

Unknown said...

Per http://homecooking.about.com/od/howtocookvegetables/a/sweetpotatodiff.htm, you're probably using sweet potatoes. Different colors are different cultivated varieties of sweet potato.

Lindsay said...

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE COMMENT ABOUT YAMS VS SWEET POTATOES!

I know it's a small thing but this has irritated me for years now. Our groceries stores in Canada used to call them sweet potatoes. Then Walmart came along and started calling everything 'yams'. And now I hear friends and colleagues calling them yams too. *sigh*