Veggie of the Month- Sweet Potatoes

SEASONALITY: Sweet Potatoes are available year-round, but in our region, they are harvested at the end of September. Before hitting the shelves of our stores and farm stands they are stored and cured at varying temperatures to increase longevity. Properly cured and stored, they will keep for months

STORAGE: Store your sweet potatoes in a dry, unrefrigerated bin. Do not refrigerate sweet potatoes! If they are kept below 55 degrees F they develop a hard core and an undesirable taste when cooked.

COOKING METHODS: Sweet potatoes are traditionally cooked by baking, roasting, or microwaving. They can also be cut into small pieces and pan cooked to make a hash, shredded and made into tater-tots, cut and fried to make sweet potato fries, or boiled as a part of soups, stews, or to be turned into mash.

TIPS FOR USE: Sweet potatoes are excellent for many different recipes and can be substituted for normal potatoes to get extra vitamin A from the beta carotene, vitamin C, and fiber. They can be a great addition to any meal from a sweet potato breakfast hash, a side of sweet potato fries, a loaded potato boat dinner, and they can even be made into a desert because they are naturally sweet and pair well with a little brown sugar.

Loaded Sweet Potato Boats   

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• ½ cup fat free Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp olive oil + additional to coat potato
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• ½ red onion, diced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• Pinch of salt
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• ½ cup salsa
• ½ cup reduced fat Mexican cheese blend
• 1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Poke holes in sweet potato, coat lightly with olive oil, and wrap in baking foil.
2. Bake sweet potato for 45-60 minutes or until the potato is easily pierced with a fork.
3. In a medium pot over medium heat, heat oil
4. Add peppers, red onions, chili powder, paprika, cumin and salt; cook about 5 minutes, until the onions have softened and begin to brown at the edges.
5.  Add the rinsed black beans, stir to combine, and heat through for at least 5 minutes.
6.  After removing from the oven, cut the baked sweet potatoes and load each with 1/3 cup of the black bean mixture, 2 tbsp Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp shredded cheese, and 2 tbsp salsa.
7. Garnish with chopped cilantro and enjoy!

Nutritional Info for Serving (1 potato): Calories 307 cal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 5g, Sodium: 312 mg, Fiber: 10.5 g

Recipe adapted from: www.skinnytaste.com/loaded-baked-sweet-potato/

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Contact Elizabeth Marshall, NP, CBN, CSOWM, and professionals at Cayuga Center for Healthy Living to help you improve your health through successful, meaningful changes. If you want to lose weight, become more active, or learn to manage stress, we can help you reach your goal. Lifestyle changes can help you feel better and improve your overall health!  Call (607) 252-3590 today.