Putting the sweet in sweet potatoes with this recipe for Maple Rosemary Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Sweet, salty and crunchy, this is a perfect fall/autumn dish or Thanksgiving side. But since sweet potatoes are available year round you can enjoy this dish 365.
For this recipe I like to use garnet or jewel sweets (both are the orange hued variety). But you can also use the Japanese, which are my favorite for plain roasting or sweet potato fries.
Garnet sweets have a deeper orange hue than jewel and taste like pumpkin. The jewel is a good all around potato for baking and casseroles. The Japanese sweet potato (aka oriental sweet potato) has magenta-colored skin and white chestnut-flavored flesh.
These are popular in Japan and sold as street snacks. And in my opinion the Japanese variety makes the BEST sweet potato fries, due to their lower moisture content compared to the other varieties.
Sweet potatoes vs. yams, what’s the deal?
The fact that the word yams and sweet potatoes are used interchangeably is a misnomer. Yams are an entirely different root veg ~ they have a rugged brown exterior and more closely resemble yucca in appearance and taste. Yams are used in West African and Caribbean cuisine.
Bottom sweet potato is garnet, top is Japanese
Whichever variety you use, this recipe couldn’t be easier. It’s a one-pan deal, unless you decide to add these Smoky Maple Rosemary Toasted Cashews, which go on top for crunch.
I highly recommend never peeling your potatoes. The skins not only have nutrients but add depth and texture to roasted or french fried potatoes. Just give ‘em a good scrub.
My top roasting tips for these (and all other veg) are to use high heat in the oven, use parchment paper, and don’t crowd the pan. If a pan is too crowded the vegetables will steam and not roast and you may not achieve that awesome browning color and flavor.
I toss the potatoes with avocado oil, a little salt & pepper, then roast til nearly tender. Then I add the maple the last few minutes, then garnish with fresh rosemary and some flaky Maldon sea salt.
And of course add the cashews just before serving for that crunch factor!
Try this recipe with other vegetables:
- butternut squash
- acorn squash
- delicata squash
- brussels sprouts
- carrots
- parsnips
- beets
And you can try it with other nuts or seeds:
- walnuts
- pecans
- almonds
- pumpkin seeds
Tip: add flaky salt at the end
You can try this recipe with other veg
These cashews are the best part of this recipe!
This dish is the perfect holiday side!
Let me know if you make this recipe. And be sure to check out my Instagram for more recipe inspo!
Like to “veg” out? Don’t miss these recipes…
Maple Chili Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini
| Prep Time | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | 25 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
|
- 4 sweet potatoes skin scrubbed and unpeeled, cut into 2” chunks
- 1 tbsp extra virgin avocado or olive oil or more if needed
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup or more if needed
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary leaves stripped
- flaky sea salt
- 1 recipe Smoky Maple Rosemary Toasted Cashews see link in blog post
Ingredients
|
|
- heat oven to 450° and line a large sheet pan (or two) with parchment paper
- toss sweet potatoes with the oil and salt & pepper to taste
- roast sweet potatoes until tender (but not mushy), about 20 minutes; stir potatoes halfway through to ensure even cooking
- remove sweet potatoes from oven and drizzle with maple, give them a toss then return to oven for another 5 minutes
- to serve top with flake sea salt and fresh rosemary, and cashews if using (see blog post for Smoky Maple Rosemary Toasted Cashews
Original recipe created by Jerran Boyer
www.healthnutchefs.com