Steamed Sweet Potatoes

For years, I dreaded "the sweet potatoes," and kept it to myself. Then, I watched Alton Brown on the Food Network, "Good Eats: Potatoes, My Sweet," and I am forever changed.

Alton Brown made mashed sweet potatoes with chipotle and adobo sauce, but I didn't have that, so I steamed the sweet potatoes, according to Alton Brown, and added margarine, and mashed with a hand held potato masher.

These sweet potatoes are so light and fluffy, I felt like I was "eating a cloud." What a difference steaming fresh sweet potatoes make:

Directions

Put a pot of water with about 1/2 to 1 inch of water on the stovetop, put in the steamer basket, and put a lid on it. According to Alton Brown, make sure the steamer basket is at least 2 inches above the water level. Bring the water to a boil, then turn it down, or off, while you,

Peel and dice (about 1/2 to 1 inch) enough sweet potatoes to fill the steamer basket. While cutting the sweet potatoes, lift the lid, and put them in the basket. Continuing until the basket is full, or you've run out of sweet potato. Cover with a lid, and turn the heat up to steam the water (about a simmer), and steam the sweet potatoes for about 20 minutes--until fork tender.

Remove the sweet potatoes, putting them into a bowl, add margarine, and hand mash with a potato masher.

This is a "master recipe" and all kinds of additions can be added; like brown sugar, or cinnamon, coconut, etc., although the sweet potatoes are just plain old good on their own with margarine.

Through the years, I have made, and avoided sweet potatoes, but with Alton Brown's simple steamed sweet potato recipe, my husband actually asked me to make it again and again. There are so many things we can do with the recipe. I'm thinking of trying to make a sweet potato cake, instead of just sweet potato pie.

Source: Alton Brown's "Good Eats: Potato, My Sweet."

By Carol Rodriguez from South Bend, IN