Arctic Blast Sweet Potato Smash

I loved those little potato smashes so much, I wanted to find a way to make them even healthier.
Sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse compared to regular white potatoes. Actually sweet potatoes are a member of the morning glory family and not potatoes at all. They come in orange flesh and white fleshed varieties. Sweet potatoes are high in fiber, loaded with vitamin A and potassium & they are a rich source of antioxidants in the carotenoid family.

I chose the smallest organic sweet potato I could find for this mornings breakfast. The squishing process is a little less pretty than with the whole little potatoes, but the taste is amazing! The sweet potatoes will brown faster than a white potato so keep your eye on them.

Ingredients-

1 small sweet potato- washed and any hard bits cut off (leave skin on)
a generous drizzle of olive oil
course salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste


Directions:

1. Cut your washed sweet potato into quarters (or new potato sized pieces) Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the sweet potaoes, boil until fork tender. While they are boiling, pre-heat the oven to 450 with the rack on the top.

2. Generously drizzle a sturdy cookie sheet with olive oil, After draining your cooked sweet potatoes, place them on the oiled cookie sheet with space in between. Score the sweet potatoes lightly with a knife to make little cube-like protrusions. Use a potato masher to gently squish the sweet potatoes. (it works best to squish each on a little, turn the masher a quarter turn and then squish them a little more). Be gentle, you want your sweet potatoes to look about cookie shape at this point. Brush some olive oil onto the squished potatoes, add some salt and fresh ground black pepper.

3. Place the cookie sheet with the squished sweet potatoes on the top rack of your pre- heated oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are nicely browned and crispy. Enjoy them on a cold morning.