Baked Sweet Potatoes with Orange-Raisin Sauce
Sharon Palmer, R.D.

 

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Orange-Raisin Sauce

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You can add the sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) to the list of native American foods discovered by Columbus and his crew. This root vegetable called "batatas" by the natives was taken back to Spain around 1500, where other varieties, including red, purple and white, were then cultivated. Sweet potatoes were also brought to the Pacific and Far East, where it became an important food source. Cultivated in the U.S. as early as 1648, it culminated into a favorite food in Southern cuisine. In Colonial times, American doctors recommended sweet potatoes for children to help prevent childhood nutritional diseases.

Sweet potatoes are part of the morning glory family, yet they are often confused with the yam, which comes from the African word "nyami" referring to the starchy root from a different genus of plants. Yams sold at the supermarket are actually sweet potatoes with a moist texture and orange flesh. Sweet potatoes are very high in vitamin A and are a good source of vitamins E and C, B vitamins, manganese, potassium and dietary fiber. Because of their rich nutrition cache of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, sweet potatoes have been considered as an ideal crop for feeding the world's hungry.

The deep orange color of sweet potatoes is a calling card for its stash of antioxidants called carotenoids--the major one being beta-carotene, which can be turned into vitamin A in your body. Sweet potatoes also contain unique root storage proteins with antioxidant properties that protect the plant from disease, pests and stress. Epidemiological studies suggest that diets high in carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables are linked with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers, but beta-carotene supplements do not show the same benefits. Recently, Swedish researchers discovered that eating three or more servings a week of carotenoid-rich vegetables, such as green leafy vegetables or root vegetables, could reduce the risk of stomach cancer by between 35 and 57 percent.

Look for firm sweet potatoes that show no signs of bruising. Store them in a dry, unrefrigerated bin, as refrigeration can alter texture and taste. Simply scrub sweet potatoes, trim off any woody portions, and bake, boil, roast or microwave them. The rich flavor of sweet potatoes pairs well with fruit flavors such as citrus and apricots and nuts like pecans and walnuts.

Notable Nutrients

1 cup, baked, with skin

Calories: 180

Vitamin A: 38,433 International Units

(769 percent DV)

Vitamin C: 39.2 milligrams (65 percent DV)

Manganese: 1 milligram (50 percent DV)

Vitamin B6: .6 milligrams (29 percent DV)

Potassium: 950 milligrams (27 percent DV)

Dietary Fiber: 6.6 grams (26 percent DV)

DV = Daily Value

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Orange-Raisin Sauce

Serves 8.

8 small sweet potatoes

1 1/2 cups orange juice

1 8 ounce can pineapple chunks in unsweetened juice (reserving juice)

1/2 cup raisins

3 tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons water

Shredded coconut (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Wash, scrub and pierce sweet potatoes. Bake for 45 minutes.

Combine orange and reserved pineapple juice in a saucepan. Halve pineapple chunks and add to juices, along with raisins and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer.

Mix cornstarch with water and add to sauce. Stir until sauce thickens.

To serve, cut each sweet potato open, fluff with fork, and top with sauce. Top with coconut, if desired.

Nutritional information per serving:

232 calories, 56 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 1 gram fat, 21 milligrams sodium, 5 grams fiber, 26,788 International Units vitamin A

Recipe courtesy of North Carolina SweetPotato Commission.

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Baked Sweet Potatoes with Orange-Raisin Sauce

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