Recipe: Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges

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I love sweet potatoes.  And I mean LOVE sweet potatoes.  How can one not love something that tastes so good and has so many health benefits?  Here are just a few:

  • Great source of key anti-oxidants like beta-carotene (among many more), which may play a protective role against certain types of cancer
  • Rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients
  • Able to potentially improve blood sugar regulation
  • A great source of vitamin and minerals, such as:
    • Vitamin B6
    • Vitamin C (among many things, helps your immune system)
    • Vitamin D
    • Iron (which can help promote fertility when consumed from plant based sources)
    • Magnesium
    • Potassium (which helps with blood pressure)

There are many, many ways to cook sweet potatoes.  This is the simplest and one of the healthies ways I know how.  It makes a great dinner or lunch side for a wonderful protein and a salad or veggies. 

Ingredients

I love cilantro, so I always use it whenever possible!

I love cilantro, so I always use it whenever possible!

  • 2lbs of sweet potato
  • Olive oil
  • ¾ teaspoon of salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of your favorite ground spice
  • Your favorite herb, parsley or cilantro, to sprinkle on top

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Rinse the sweet potatoes, but there is no need to peel them (Yes to saving time!).  You want to cut each sweet potato lengthwise, so that in the end you end up with 8 long pieces (almost like fingers).  So cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise.  Then take that half and cut it in half lengthwise again. Then take that half and cut it again lengthwise.  Take the other half of the sweet potato and do the same thing.  You are left with 8 pieces per sweet potato, which have been cut lengthwise.  Do this for all of the sweet potatoes you have.

Take a roasting sheet pan and line it with your favorite liner so that there is easy cleaning afterwards (parchment paper, aluminum foil, etc.). Spread the sweet potato wedges and drizzle with olive oil.  You want to make sure each piece is nicely covered with the oil, so you might want to brush the oil on, or just use your hands to move things around. 

Combine the salt with your favorite ground spice.  Here, pick a spice that you truly enjoy.  Do you like heat?  How about 1 ½ teaspoons of Chili pepper or cayenne pepper? I believe All Spice could be a good option, as it will accentuate the sweetness of the sweet potato.  One of my favorites? Coriander.  I love the lemony properties that it brings to the sweet potato…it tastes so fresh! Once you have sprinkled 1 ½ teaspoons of your favorite spice, roast in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender inside (use a tooth pick to check!) and golden brown.

When done, remove from the oven and sprinkle with your favorite herb, cilantro or parsley.  I LOVE cilantro, so I use it whenever possible.  Also it goes well with coriander, which is the spice I would choose.  Feel free to sprinkle some red chili flakes to give the sweet potatoes a kick if you would like. 

My sweet potatoes with roasted chicken.  This meal was SO good!

My sweet potatoes with roasted chicken.  This meal was SO good!

I truly hope you enjoy this recipe and that it helps you live a healthier life.  I would absolutely love to hear from you, so please leave a comment below and let me know what you think.  If you enjoyed this post, share it with your friends and family!

Lots of love,

Judith