Food has been my lifelong passion. Baking is my favorite, but I enjoy cooking in general. As a single women, however, upon arriving home after a full day’s work, after dealing with clients and answering phones and typing till my fingers were numb and trying to placate my boss, I wasn’t always motivated to whip up a gourmet meal on ordinary weeknight. A dinner of a hot dog or a Lean Cuisine or takeout was a fairly regular occurrence.
However, now that I’m married, I feel a renewed desire to be in the kitchen. When I make dinner, I'm not just serving myself but the person I love most in the world, and cooking is one of the main ways in which I express love for people. I try to maintain a balance between cooking food that will make my husband happy and food that will keep him healthy, convincing him to consume as many phytonutrients as possible by making them as palatable as possible.
However, now that I’m married, I feel a renewed desire to be in the kitchen. When I make dinner, I'm not just serving myself but the person I love most in the world, and cooking is one of the main ways in which I express love for people. I try to maintain a balance between cooking food that will make my husband happy and food that will keep him healthy, convincing him to consume as many phytonutrients as possible by making them as palatable as possible.
I also have to take into consideration Paul's allergy to mushrooms and my IBS, which rules out dairy, food with a high fat content, some vegetables, articifical sweeteners, and any fried foods. (Basically, anything that makes life worth living is out.) Entrees are usually easier for me to decide upon than side dishes. If anyone has any favorite recipes, by all means, please share! As for me, I decided to share with you my favorite easy, non-dairy, healthy side dish: Whipped Yams.
A note on yams: Remember, sweet potato flesh is yellow, paler, and dry in texture. Yam's flesh is darker and closer to an orange hue, and naturally sweeter and moister than sweet potatoes. Yams aren’t the famous superfood that sweet potatoes are, but they are still rich in vitamin A and contain more Omega-3 fatty acids than sweet potatoes. If you’d like to substitute sweet potatoes for yams, you may, but you will probably need to add more brown sugar and liquid to achieve the desired flavor. You may also need to use a hand mixer to achieve the smooth texture.
Stacy’s Whipped Yams (serves 2):
Take 2 small yams, or one large, halved yam, wash and pat dry.
Bake at 400F for about an hour, or until the flesh becomes soft to the touch. (This will make it easy to whip by hand.)
In a medium bowl, place ½ T. Butter, 1 T. Brown sugar, and a dash of cinnamon.
Slice open yams and scoop out flesh into the bowl. Using a fork, whip together until smooth, adding 1-2 T. Vanilla soymilk, rice milk, or almond milk to add moisture. (This imparts a delicious vanilla flavor and aroma.) Excellent served with ham or pork!
A note on yams: Remember, sweet potato flesh is yellow, paler, and dry in texture. Yam's flesh is darker and closer to an orange hue, and naturally sweeter and moister than sweet potatoes. Yams aren’t the famous superfood that sweet potatoes are, but they are still rich in vitamin A and contain more Omega-3 fatty acids than sweet potatoes. If you’d like to substitute sweet potatoes for yams, you may, but you will probably need to add more brown sugar and liquid to achieve the desired flavor. You may also need to use a hand mixer to achieve the smooth texture.
Stacy’s Whipped Yams (serves 2):
Take 2 small yams, or one large, halved yam, wash and pat dry.
Bake at 400F for about an hour, or until the flesh becomes soft to the touch. (This will make it easy to whip by hand.)
In a medium bowl, place ½ T. Butter, 1 T. Brown sugar, and a dash of cinnamon.
Slice open yams and scoop out flesh into the bowl. Using a fork, whip together until smooth, adding 1-2 T. Vanilla soymilk, rice milk, or almond milk to add moisture. (This imparts a delicious vanilla flavor and aroma.) Excellent served with ham or pork!
I love roasting yams or better yet deep frying them in tempura batter. Sooo good!
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