Saturday Superfoods

Some people love ‘em, some people hate ‘em. But it just wouldn’t be Christmas if there weren’t a casserole dish with sweet potatoes on the dinner table. While my mom is a big fan, my husband would be happy to never see another sweet potato again (except for sweet potato fries perhaps).

Everybody has to love the nutrients packed into the sweet potato, however. Indeed they have a low calorie count and a reputation as one of the most densely nutritious foods on the market. One potato has nearly eight times an adult’s daily need of vitamin A, a vitamin that is deficient in many Americans. Vitamin A is fat-soluble rather than water-soluble so the body can actually store it for later use. Sweet potatoes also contain high amounts of calcium, iron, vitamin E, and a generous amount of protein.

Sweet potatoes are good for you—before you add all the butter, sugar, and marshmallows of course. Who would have ever thought that a campfire treat would make a good topper for a winter side dish anyway?

A few years ago I tried an alternate recipe (below) for sweet potatoes at Christmas. The result was very rewarding. In fact, it added such a zing to the meal that I received more compliments from my family than any dish I have ever contributed.

Sweet Potatoes and Raspberry Casserole

• 6 large sweet potatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup butter or non-hydrogenated margarine, softened
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries, thawed and undrained

Cook sweet potatoes in boiling salted water until tender (20 to 25 minutes). Drain and cool. Peel and cut into 1 inch cubes. Arrange sweet potatoes in a lightly greased 13 by 9 inch casserole dish.

Combine brown sugar and butter in a small bowl, mixing well. Spread brown sugar mixture over sweet potatoes. Top with half of the raspberries and juice.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, spooning remaining raspberries and juice over potatoes occasionally until they are gone. Serve and enjoy!