How to make roasted sweet potatoes and apples

SUPER FOOD

Ranked as one of the more nutritious vegetables, sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamins A, E and C, plus several powerful phytochemicals (lignans, carotenoids and phytosterols). And these deep-orange root vegetables are virtually fat-free, low in sodium and a good source of fiber — all of which helps to protect against heart disease and a variety of cancers.

Yield: 8 servings ( cup each) | Prep: 20 minutes | Ready In: 1 hour

Why we love it:

Aunt Sue's marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole makes the list of not-so-good-for-you holiday recipes with its high fat and sugar content. But wait - sweet potatoes can easily win a spot on the good-for-you food list! Remember, it is what you add to the sweet potato that increases the fat, sugar and caloric content.

For a healthier sweet potato dish:

- Serve baked sweet potatoes;

- Eliminate the fat in recipes since sweet potatoes are already very moist;

- Use orange or apple juice concentrate, unsweetened orange juice, or orange rind to flavor;

- Make a casserole using sweet potatoes, pineapple or apples, cinnamon and just a tad of brown sugar (or sweetener);

- Add any one of a variety of spice mixtures (1-2 tablespoons) to cubed sweet potatoes drizzled with canola oil and toss in a zip-top bag, then follow the baking instructions given in this recipe.

Baking tip: Before baking, rub the potato skin with a small amount of oil for easy peeling.

What you need:

3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled

2 large Granny Smith or honeycrisp apples, peeled

4 tablespoons butter, melted (or canola oil)

4 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoons orange rind, grated (rind from one large orange)

- teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)

- teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground (or to taste)

Optional: teaspoon of cinnamon and/or nutmeg

What you do:

1. Cut peeled sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Cut peeled apples into -inch-thick slices.

2. Stir together melted butter, brown sugar and orange rind.

3. Add cubed sweet potatoes, sliced apples and butter mixture to a large zip-top plastic bag. Toss to coat.

4. Place potato mixture on a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined 15-by-10-inch jelly roll pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes and apples are tender, stirring mixture once halfway through cooking time.

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