Cooking Corner: Sweet potato pie

Helen Taylor Smith

Cooking Corner

Here in the United States, we call sweet potatoes yams. But the sweet, tuber-shaped potato with its orange-colored flesh is not related to the yam at all; they are found in the tropics and seldom seen in American supermarkets.

Yams, which are native to Africa, are close relatives of grasses and lilies. They can be found in some ethnic markets. But they do not resemble sweet potatoes in taste, and they are very large in size.

“Yams” displayed in our local supermarkets are actually sweet potatoes that originated in South American and Central America. They are classed with the morning glory family.

Beauregards, jewels and garnets are deep orange to red in color, with the garnet having the darkest orange flesh and the highest beta carotene content.

Other nutrients in these powerhouse potatoes are vitamin C, B6, potassium, iron, copper and manganese. They all help to protect the heart, neutralize free radicals and produce energy, as well as provide various other important cellular aids to the body.

Sweet potatoes contain a good supply of fiber to help keep the colon healthy, too.

All this for about 200 calories, depending on the serving.

Diabetics can benefit, too. Some studies have shown sweet potatoes help stabilize blood sugar levels; more research is ongoing.

Just keep the potato simple and serve it plain for good insulin control.

With the holiday season beginning and meal planning in mind, here is a delicious recipe for fresh sweet potato pie that is as good as pumpkin pie; and to some, even better.

This delicious, spicy recipe is low sweet, cholesterol-free, and it can also be made dairy-free.

Soy or rice milk can be substituted for fat-free milk.

Organic evaporated cane juice crystals or Agave syrup can be found in the natural foods section at Fred Meyer.

Use your favorite pie crust recipe.

To make two pies, double the ingredients. Garnet sweet potatoes are used in this case.

Ingredients (one 9-inch pie)

1 9-inch unbaked pie crust

1/2 cup egg whites

1/3 cup evaporated cane crystals or organic Agave syrup

2 cups fresh-cooked, whipped garnet sweet potatoes

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 3/4 cups fat-free milk or soy milk

Technique

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Have your pie crust prepared and set aside.

In a 2 quart mixing bowl, pour the egg product and your sweetener of choice, and whisk it to blend.

Whisk or stir in the whipped garnet sweet potatoes until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in all the spices until they’re well-blended. Slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture is smooth.

Place the pie crust pan on a parchment-lined cookie sheet to prevent spillovers onto the oven. Carefully pour in the filling.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 35 to 40 minutes, or until a thin-bladed knife can be inserted near the center and pull out clean.

Cool the pie and refrigerate. Serve just above room temperature for best flavor.

Yield — Eight slices.

Cooking Corner columnist Helen Smith, “The Healthy Cook,” can be reached by e-mail at thecook@thehealthycook.com. This recipe is supplemental to and property of “Cooking Healthier with the Healthy Cook” by Helen Taylor Smith. Permission is granted for personal use only. No commercial use permitted without explicit written contract with the author.