Caramalised Sweet Potatoes

Not only are sweet potatoes readily available and delicious, they are also extremely rich in vitamins, iron and potassium and so provide excellent nutritional value. 

Sweet potato is said to be one of the oldest vegetables known to mankind. It has bulk to keep your tummy full for hours, which is great news for someone like me who seems to get peckish quite soon after eating! Moreover, the nutritional value of a sweet potato makes the calories sooo worth eating, especially since they are in fact fat free! - Yep!! You read correctly! The fiber alone in the sweet potato is enough to make worth eating! 

Sweet potatoes taste amazing and make a great change to ordinary potatoes, what's more? They're also the healthier option! Like ordinary potatoes, they are versatile and can be cooked in so many ways. 

The below recipe adds a bit of a twist to the taste which I find absolutely delicious! It's a great alternative especially when hosting dinner parties. 

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Ingredients: 

- 450g sweet potatoes, washed
- 55g butter, plus extra for greasing 
- 55g brown sugar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey 
- 2 tbsp orange juice 
- 55g pineapple pieces (optional)
- pinch of ground cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg 
- salt

Method: 

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the sweet potatoes to the water and bring to the boil. Cook for about 20 minutes or until tender. Remove from the heart and drain well. Leave to cool slightly, then peel. (Alternatively, you could peel before if you wish to, this way the potatoes will cook a little bit quicker). 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Grease an oven proof dish. Thickly slice the sweet potatoes and arrange in a single overlapping layer in the dish. Cut the butter into cubes and place on top of the potatoes. 

Sprinkle with the sugar and orange juice. Add the pineapple pieces (if using) and spices. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, basting occasionally until golden brown. 

Remove from the oven and serve hot, straight from the dish.