The weather was damp and chilly for much of this past weekend in New York, and I craved homey, comforting food all weekend. The clouds left me feeling particularly lazy, so I didn’t feel like putting in much effort, either. The sweet potatoes in my pantry caught my eye at lunchtime. Mashed sweet potatoes could certainly satisfy my yen for comfort food! And cooked in the microwave, they wouldn’t take more than five or ten minutes to prepare from start to finish. Perfect!
I’ll admit that sweet potatoes cooked whole in the microwave leave something to be desired by way of texture. Here, we use the microwave to steam the cubed sweet potato briefly — it’s really no different than steaming or boiling the sweet potato on the stove. The softened cubes mash easily with a fork without becoming gummy. The method is quick and convenient, and if you mash the sweet potatoes in the bowl, you safe yourself from dirtying a pot!
I dressed up my sweet potato with the zest of a Meyer lemon and a drizzle of maple syrup. The lemon zest brightens the flavors nicely, and the wee bit of maple syrup lends some sweetness without an overpowering maple flavor. A pat of butter adds richness and a smooth mouth feel.
These potatoes would be great with leftover chicken or pork, especially with a side of greens.
Easy Microwave Sweet Potatoes for One
Ingredients:
Directions:
Clacked by Molly B.
on Mar 31, 2009 @ 10:06 EST5EDT
I definitely want to try this, although I’ll have to sub regular lemon as I don’t have access to Meyer lemon. This recipe will work well for me because sadly, sweet potatoes are one food that my daughters still turn their noses up at – whether I cook them in sweet fashion or savory fashion. I’m determined to keep trying to convert them though. I managed to get them to like regular potatoes. They used say “no way” to those to and now they love them!
Darlene W.