Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Oranges & Honey

Sweet potatos are ideal fare for the health – conscious food consumer. With the ever-growing interest in health and natural foods, the sweet potato is quickly finding its place in the family weekly diet the year around. The sweet potato blends with herbs, spices and flavorings producing delicious dishes of all types. From processed baby foods to the main dishes, casseroles, salads, breads and desserts, sweet potatoes add valuable, appetizing nutrients and color to any meal.

As a main dish or prepared as a dessert, the sweet potato is a nutritious and economical food. One baked sweet potato (3 1/2 ounce serving) provides over 8,800 IU of vitamin A or about twice the recommended daily allowance, yet it contains only 141 calories making it valuable for the weight watcher. This nutritious vegetable provides 42 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C, 6 percent of the RDA for calcium, 10 percent of the RDA for iron, and 8 percent of the RDA for thiamine for healthy adults. It is low in sodium and is a good source of fiber and other important vitamins and minerals. A complex carbohydrate food source, it provides beta carotene which may be a factor in reducing the risk of certain cancers.

Following is a delicious and easy-to-make side dish. Before serving, drizzle sweet potatoes with honey. You could also serve this with orange slices on the side.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons honey

¼ cup orange juice

1/4-teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, halved crosswise and quartered lengthwise

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400˚F. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the honey, orange juice and cayenne pepper.  Place the sweet potatoes in a lightly buttered 9×13-inch baking pan. Pour the honey mixture over the sweet potatoes and toss well to coat them thoroughly. Arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer, season with salt and pepper. Roast until the sweet potatoes are browned and tender and liquid is thick and bubbly, 45 to 55 minutes. To ensure even roasting, stir and baste the sweet potatoes with the pan juices several times, especially toward the end of roasting time. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Submitted by Tracy Owens.

Tracy Owens, MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN, is a registered dietitian and owner of Triangle Nutrition Therapy.  She is also a Board certified sports dietitian, and provides sports specific nutrition consultations for athletes, teams, sports performance centers, gyms and clubs.   http://www.trianglediet.com/.  Since 2006, she has provided nutritional expertise and programs to athletes age 10 and up at the Athletic Performance Center (APC).   Services are available to the many recreational and professional athletes who utilize the APC for all their training needs.