Dear readers…winter is getting closer and closer. And as the freezing winds of the season sweep over us what should appear on street corners across Asia but the wonderful street vendors selling roasted sweet potatoes. Oh my, that smells like roasted sweet potatoes! So good! That warm, plump sweet potato is exactly the thing to hold in your cold hands. Not to mention the first delicious bite of the creamy, sweet flesh of the hot potato. Just the thing to warm you up and put you back together inside and out!
And if, poor dears, you don’t have a friendly sweet potato street vendor in your neighborhood, don’t worry, we’re here to save the day! Because, guess what, you can easily make superb baked sweet potatoes at home that taste just as good as the ones you can get from a street vendor.
Baked sweet potatoes 烤番薯 are very simple to prepare. It’s really delicious to eat: warm, sweet and creamy. It just warms the old heart, it does.
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| Hong Kong Roasted Sweet Potato Street Vendor…Yummy!! |
For starters, know that there are many types of sweet potatoes! Definitely a wonderful gift from Mother Nature. They come in so many forms. Beige leather, purple leather, red leather. The interiors range from creamy yellow to orange to purple.
Sweet potatoes are sweet and starchy, like nature’s candy. Not only are they delicious but, did you know, they are considered a superfood. Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins (especially vitamin A) and minerals.
Whatever sweet potato you end up with, just rub the skin well, pat it dry, and then give it a whack or two with a fork. This will prevent the potatoes from exploding while cooking.
We decided not to go naked.
Here are our “dressed” sweet potatoes, all seasoned and ready to eat. Our sweet potatoes were really small, can you tell?
An hour in the oven and your sweet potatoes will be ready to be enjoyed. No fuss, no fuss, it really is a great way to make a healthy, heart-warming snack. Freshly baked sweet potatoes are a real treat! Get ready to crack one open and enjoy the sweet, creamy chestnut flavor of the baked sweet potato! We hope you enjoy this sweet winter snack as much as we do!
Roasted sweet potatoes
(Serves 4) Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
Scrub the skin of the sweet potato with a brush under running water. Let dry. Use a fork to poke a hole or two in the sweet potato.
Wrap each sweet potato in aluminum foil (or not, see the post above for more info) and arrange on a baking sheet.
Do not preheat the oven. Place the pan in the oven and set the temperature to 190°C (375°F). Bake for 50 minutes or until a knife easily pierces the largest sweet potato.
Serve hot and delicious. Unwrap the foil and cut it in half. To eat, use a spoon to scoop out the pulp. You can also eat the skin.
If you can’t eat them all at once, let them cool to room temperature and then store them covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven (180°C for 10-15 minutes). To store it longer, zip it up and store it in the freezer for up to a month. Allow to thaw completely and then reheat in the oven.
