Sweet, Savory, Scrumptious

Baked, mashed or fried, versatile sweet potatoes yield mighty pleasing eats morning, noon or night. 1. Tater tots with candied jalapeños Inspired by chef Nick Zotos’ sweet potato fries with candied jalapeño rings at Mike Shannon’s Steaks and Seafood, we added the sweet heat of candied jalapeño to tots. First, make the candied jalapeños: Slice 1 pound jalapeño peppers into rings and remove seeds. Place in a bowl and set aside. Bring 2 cups water and 1 cup sugar to a boil and reduce to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon freshly ground cumin and cook 10 minutes or until mixture coats a spoon. Pour syrup over the jalapeños, submerging them. Weigh down with a plate. Next, make the tots: Peel 2 pounds of sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks. Heat 2 quarts vegetable oil to 350 degrees in a fryer. Fry the potatoes until light golden brown and tender, about 4 minutes. Remove, drain and let cool. Working in batches, pulse potatoes into ¼-inch pieces in a food processor. Transfer potatoes to a mixing bowl and add 2 teaspoons salt, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon sugar, black pepper to taste and 3 tablespoons minced candied jalapeño, or to taste. Stir to combine, then shape the mixture into 1-inch tater tots. Fry tots and serve with chipotle ketchup. 2. Sweet pots ‘n’ guac Bake a couple sweet potatoes for 30 to 45 minutes, or until fork tender, in a 350-degree oven. Slash open and dust the flesh with a sweet-‘n-spicy blend of ground cayenne, brown sugar, salt and black pepper. Top with fresh guacamole. 3. Enchiladas For 8 servings, peel and dice 2 sweet potatoes, toss lightly with olive oil and roast 20 minutes in a 400-degree oven. Heat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon oil. Add 1 clove garlic and 1 small green chile pepper. Cook about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add 1 15-ounce can black beans (drained and rinsed), 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, 1 tablespoon chile powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the roasted sweet potatoes to the mixture and simmer 5 minutes. Spread a thin layer of salsa on the bottom of a baking dish. Spoon a portion of the sweet potato mixture into a tortilla and roll it up. Place the filled enchilada, seam side down, in a baking dish. Repeat with 7 tortillas. Top with salsa and cheddar cheese. Cover and bake until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. 4. Sweet potato skins Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, and bake cut-side up for 30 to 40 minutes in 400-degree oven. Let cool. Scoop out the flesh, and brush the skins with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake, skin-side up, for 10 minutes. Brush insides with oil and bake, skin-side down, for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with cheddar and cooked, crumbled bacon. Bake for 2 to 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Garnish with green onions and sour cream. 5. Sweet potato and white bean “polenta” Peel 2 pounds sweet potatoes, cut into chunks and bake in 350-degree oven until tender. Combine 2 pounds cooked and salted white beans and sweet potatoes and mash until smooth. Spoon the mixture into a loaf pan, smooth top with a spatula, and refrigerate at least 2 hours, until firm. Cut into 8 slices and fry each slice in a skillet with heated oil. Serve with tomato sauce and grated Parmesan. 6. Doughnuts Dissolve ¾ teaspoons of dry yeast in 1/8 cup warm water. Mix in a large bowl: ½ cup hot whole milk, ½ cup cooked and mashed sweet potato, ¼ cup softened butter and ¼ cup granulated sugar. Let cool to lukewarm then add the yeast mixture, plus ¾ cup all-purpose flour. Mix, then let stand for 20 minutes. Add 1 beaten egg and ½ teaspoon salt. Slowly add 2 cups flour. Turn out the dough on a floured board and knead until satiny. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours. Roll out dough, and cut out 12 doughnuts and 12 doughnut holes. Place on a baking sheet and let rise until nearly doubled, about 90 minutes. Deep-fry doughnuts in hot oil, then shake in a small paper bag filled with cinnamon and sugar.