Sweet Sticky and Healthy?

Yams. Just think about it for a minute, besides candied yams at the holiday times, when was the last time you just baked up a yam, sprinkled a little kosher salt and pepper on it and ate it? Not recently? No well, go do it now. Tonight. As soon as possible.


Growing up I always thought I was eating sweet potatoes, well that what we called them, but they were yams, a better flavor, color and taste than sweet potatoes. I loved them. It was one of those things that I would always eat. My mom would tell you growing up I was not the easiest of kids to feed, but one thing I loved was anything sweet: candy, chocolate and YAMS!

This week while taking a trip to the supermarket to restock everything I passed by the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yam section and realized it had been forever since I had made a yam, and instantly picked up a good size one and was on my way. Last night I wasn't sure what I wanted to eat and started snacking once I had gotten through the candy and the crackers and other snacks, I thought I should complete this snack filled dinner with a healthy snack. We all have those nights where it just feels better to snack all night than to make a full meal. Well add a yam to this, and it makes snacking for dinner nutritious as well. Yams are also a good substitute for a regular potato side dish. It just adds that extra something special to a boring chicken and potato meal, and makes a sticky sweet side to any meal.

Baked Yam

1 Yam (or however many for the number of people you need to feed)
kosher salt
pepper

Make sure you wash your yam and dry it to try and get off as much dirt as possible. Bake the Yam in a 375 to 400 degree oven, just like you would a baked potato. Depending on the size of the yam...they do tend to be a bit bigger than potatoes, let it bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Keep an eye on it. It should be very soft to touch when cooked fully. Once cooked slice in half sprinkle with kosher salt and a dusting of pepper (you can omit the pepper if you want the full taste of the yam to come through.) And eat! Yams are so good and they don't need anything to dress them up or show them up, turn them into something else. They are perfectly gooey and sweet and yummy all on their own.


So try this out, plain and simple, baked yams.