eHow Video: "How to Make Southern Candied Yams"

     Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you what may be the greatest side dish of all time!
     The first time I made this dish I ended up completely ignoring the main course and instead consumed all the yams.
     By myself.
     It was glorious.
     I will most definitely be making this dish for Thanksgiving this year and then again when we go down South to visit my in-laws over Christmas.
     Also, just to be totally honest here, when I say "yams" I actually mean "sweet potatoes." Don't be mad though, because when you say "yams" what you probably mean is "sweet potatoes" too. What we commonly refer to as a "yam" in the U.S. is actually a "sweet potato." Even in grocery stores, what are labeled "yams" are usually "sweet potatoes." The USDA has tried to crack down on this crazy scandal by requiring that sweet potatoes labeled "yams" include "sweet potatoes" in the label as well. That's why you'll often see "sweet potato yams." Both yams and sweet potatoes are nutritionally similar but sweet potatoes have a nutritional edge because they have much higher levels of vitamin A, vitamin B6, and vitamin C.
     While I usually don't cook with oil because it is a processed food without any fiber, sweet potatoes (aforementioned "yams") are one of those foods that benefits from being eaten with a small amount of fat. (Keyword here is "small," folks! I'm talking 1-2 tablespoons for an entire recipe.) The fat allows us to better absorb the beta carotene, an antioxidant that is critical for eye health, bone health, and reproductive health.

     Sweet potatoes really are a nutritional superstar, and they taste like a dessert. If that's not a win-win, then I don't know what is!

   

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs garnet yams or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon tamari (I prefer reduced-sodium)

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon white miso paste

2 tablespoons lemon juice

6 tablespoons water

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil.
3. Spread the sweet potatoes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 25 minutes. Flip, and roast for another 25 minutes.
4. Place the cinnamon stick at the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish, and add the sweet potatoes in layers. Set aside.
5. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the remaining six ingredients plus the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil and pour over the sweet potatoes.
6. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.