Sweet Potatoes and Pears
One of my favorite things about going to my grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving was the sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows. I loved the sweet potatoes, but mostly I loved the marshmallow.
I may have had a bit of a sugar problem. Or more than a bit. Let me put it this way, if I had been in the Ghostbusters movie, I would have been standing on the street with a wheelbarrow of chocolate ice-cream and a giant spoon when they blasted the StayPuff Marshmallow man. Yum. Me.
But since I’ve eliminated processed sugar from my diet, and limited the amount of any other kind of sugar, I’ve had to bid farewell to things like marshmallows.
Moment of silence, please.
This dish, then, is my healthier take on the old marshmallow topped sweet potatoes.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 cup of pear, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1 Tablespoon vegan butter
Directions:
-
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- Toss the potatoes with the oil, syrup and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and put on a lined baking sheet (I use a silpat). Bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toss the pears with the cinnamon and syrup if using (if the pears are sweet, you may not need the syrup). Add them to the potatoes after the 15 minutes and put the pan back into the oven for 10 more minutes.
- While the pears and potatoes are roasting, heat the pan over medium/medium high heat, and when it is hot, add the pecans and toast, stirring or shaking almost constantly, until lightly brown and fragrant. Turn the heat down to low or even off, and add the butter. As soon as the butter melts, add the potatoes and pears and toss to combine.
- Serve immediately.
** You can make the sweet potatoes and pears in advance, bring them to room temperature, then add them to the pecans and butter and warm them gently over low heat.
- Enjoy!
