Sweet Potatoes are one of my favorite vegetables. Nutritional powerhouses, packed with vitamins B6, A and C as well as potassium and even fiber, they are bright and cheerful, sweet but with a hearty, earthy savor.
Sweet potatoes have so many associations they are almost bound to tell a story at the table. Serving sweet potatoes will send some to the warmth and comfort of a holiday dinner while for others it will take them to the tropics. What other vegetable is such a notable traveler, traversing the seasons and the globe with such strong associations?
Since Spring has arrived I wanted these sweet potatoes to whisper of warm climates and soft breezes without getting too fussy. I baked them, dressed them simply with banana and coconut as well a hint of ginger and brown sugar, then topped them with macadamia nuts before putting them back in the oven to brown. The result is an easy side dish with a sweet hint of paradise.
Tropical Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
6 Tablespoons lite coconut milk
1 cup mashed banana
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 Tablespoons chopped macadamia nuts
2 Tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
Pierce the sweet potatoes and rub the skin with a few drops of olive oil. Place them in the oven and bake at 350 degrees until tender, approximately 45 minutes though this will vary according to the size of the potato. Remove from oven when they are easily pierced with a fork. Place on a wire rack to cool.
When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut a slice from the top of each potato and scoop out the insides of the potato into a small bowl leaving a shell 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick around the outside of the potato next to the skin. Set aside.
Mash the removed sweet potato pulp with a fork or potato masher. Add the coconut milk, banana, ginger and brown sugar to the mashed sweet potatoes until well blended. Spoon the mixture back into the reserved sweet potato shells mounding a little so that the filling is evenly distributed.
Arrange the stuffed sweet potatoes on a small baking sheet. Sprinkle the macadamia nuts and shredded coconut over the tops of the potatoes. Place them in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for another 30 minutes or so, until the nuts and coconut begin to brown.
Remove from the oven and serve warm.
Enjoy!
You had me until the banana part.
I love every ingredient! These are a must. I love sweet potatoes!
Is this legal? I mean, can you really eat this as part of the main course at a meal without getting arrested? It looks FAR too sinfully delectable to me! YUUUUUMMMMMM.
Leave it to you, Lisa, to create unusual and flavor packed recipes. Sweet potatoes are a favorite of mine and I've never thought to twice bake them. This is a must try recipe.
Like you, I adore sweet potatoes! This sounds almost like a dessert to me, or maybe a delicious breakfast. Yum!
lisa! this is unique and COMPLETELY scrumptious! i love a loaded sweet potater, and you just so happen to have loaded yours with all kinds of my favorite ingredients. this is tremendous.
What a great idea! I love sweet potatoes, and this looks delicious.
Mmmmm…. Nummy!
Those look so very yummy.:-)
that sounds amazing! I will have to try this one for sure! Also a food movie you are missing is Big Night. It is with Stanley Tucci and about Italian food. Really great movie! I really like your site alot!!!
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I had sweet potato fries last night…good…but they were not as good as these!!!