Scallion Sweet Potatoes

Clearly sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods and one of my favorite things to post about, but another one of my favorites is Scallions. Put these mild, bright onions on anything and I'll eat it. So, you can imagine how excited I was to discover the below recipe that really showcases Scallions! And even better the whole thing is only 5 ingredients w/ super easy cleanup!

Sweet Potato: Check out my in-depth comparison of Sweet Potatos vs. Yams to see all the amazing health benefits that come from this truly awesome root vegetable

Scallions: I was kind of shocked to see how nutritious this mild onion actually is. The green parts of the scallion contain Vitamin A & the white parts contain Vitamins B & C! Scallions are an onion and therefore belong to the allium family. Alliums have been shown to stimulate immune responses, battle cancer cells & viruses, as well as act as antioxidants in the body which protect cells from free-radical damage.
And, on top of all this, scallions also contain certain phytonutrients (allicin & quercetin) which help maintain a healthy heart & lower cholesterol levels- That's awesome!

With all these amazing health benefits and the fact that a medium sweet potato only contains about 115 calories, you can feel good about indulging in this hearty side dish :)


Scallion Sweet Potatoes
Preheat oven to 425 F. Combine 1 1/2 lbs chopped, peeled Sweet Potatoes, 1 bunch Scallions (cut into 2'' pieces), 6 crushed Garlic Cloves, & 1 tbsp fresh Thyme in a bowl. Drizzle with 1/4 c Olive Oil, and season w/ Salt & Pepper to taste. Toss. Place on a sheet of foil on top of a baking sheet and fold sides up. Bake in oven for 20-25 mins(Until Potatos are tender). Stir the Sweet Potatoes around mid-way through baking.


http://dietblurbs.com/leeks-and-scallions-green-onions-health-benefits-sources-of-vitamin-a-c-quercetin-and-allium/
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=45

Yams Vs. Sweet Potatos: What's the Difference?

A friend of mine just asked me a great question: what's the difference between a yam and a sweet potato- is one healthier than the other? Since i have a recipe for sweet potato fries on the blog, I thought maybe this is something I should have an idea about... So I searched across the internet for a consolidated comparison and here's what I was able to come up with.

Nutrition: I made a chart to compare the two side by side and the winner seems to be the Sweet Potato... here's the breakdown

• Looking solely at calories, Sweet Potatoes win w 95 cals in 1 cup vs 157 cals in a cup of Yams
  
• Looking at nutrients- there are two nutrients that Sweet Potatoes have that Yams do not. One is Vitamin A, the other is Iron. 1 medium Sweet Potato has over 250% of your daily value of Vit A and over 10% of your daily value of iron. That alone makes me want to eat 1 a week.
  
• Vit A- When you consume the sweet potato, your body converts the Beta-carotene in it into Vitamin A which helps keeps eye, skin, and mucous membranes moist. It also acts as an antioxidant that protects the cells in your body from free-radical damage.
• Iron- If you're like me and "bruise like a peach", it's possible it's due to insufficient iron levels in your body. Iron helps carry oxygen to cells to keep them healthy & functioning.

• Outside of those two, Yams & Sweet Potatoes have about the same %DV of Vitamin C (you know, what you want to get more of to help fight off the common cold) & Maganese (the mineral that helps metabolize carbohydrates)
• Each also contains between 10-15% of your daily value of Vitamin B6 which the body needs to break down an enzyme called homocysteine- This is great news since homocysteine is an enzyme that directly damages blood vessel walls- Yikes!

So there you have it, both have Vit C, Maganese, B6 and fiber; however, because the Sweet Potato also contains Vitamin A and Iron, I'm calling it the winner. So go check out my delicious Sweet Potato Fries Recipe and do your body some good!


Fun Facts: Granted, I mostly care about the nutrition, but still the biological differences are kinda cool and let's face it, random facts are fun.
The biggest difference seems to fall in their DNA. They're both flowering plants but they aren't related botanically. Kind of interesting since they look so similar. Yams come from Africa & Asia and tend to be starchier & drier than sweet potatoes. In supermarkets, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term 'yam' to also include the term 'sweet potato'. Actual yams are found for the most part in international super markets.



http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/sweetpotato.html
http://www.whfoods.com/

Healthy Indulgence: Sweet Potato Fries

Nothing is more fun to make than comfort-food that's secretly loaded with health benefits: that's why i love making home-made sweet potato fries!
A medium sized sweet potato is about 100 calories and has over 700% of your RDA of Vitamin A. Vitamin A contains antioxidant properties that help eliminate tissue-damaging free radicals in your body. Sweet potatoes also contain about 65% of your RDA of Vitamin C! [source:www.nutrition data.com]
Sweet potatoes also contain high levels of potassium & maganese which reduce the risk of high blood pressure and maintain bone health.
Not only are the health benefits of sweet potatoes numerous, but their flavor can be both sweet and savory! These fries are quick and easy to make and so delicious any picky eater(kids included) will find themselves happy to consume this vegetable!


Sweet Potato Fries

1 med sweet potato, peeled & cut into 1/4'' strips
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch cayenne pepper (Add more to increase heat)
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 420°F; Pour EVOO over sweet pot strips and toss to coat; sprinkle w cinnamon & cayanne pepper; Bake 12 minutes on each side; Take out of oven and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste. Let cool and serve.