In my New Start kitchen, baked potatoes are often on the menu. I think of them as my energy foods. I know some people think of them as fattening, but gram for gram, they contain fewer than half the calories of fat. What really gives them a bad name is the toppings we put on top. So let’s skip the butter and the gravy and enjoy the potato. Even every day.
And don’t forget the sweet potato. This vegetable isn’t just for Thanksgiving. You’ll find it on my table several days each week. And there’s nothing I love more than a baked sweet potato. It is so incredibly sweet just by itself. But once in awhile, I like to crank it up and turn this colorful vegetable into a main dish. Enter the Baked Potato Supreme!
Sweet Potato Supreme
I start off by baking several sweet potatoes. Quite often, I will bake them in a hot oven for 40-60 minutes. But lately, I’ve been using my slow cooker. I know that many of us have used our slow cookers for soups and stews, but they are also an easy way to bake potatoes. And so easy! All you have to do is wash them up and let the machine do all the work. Lay them on the bottom of your slow cooker then bake them on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3.5 to 4! They come out so soft and sweet, just as if you’d baked them in a hot 400 degree oven. So depending on how busy your day is, you can enjoy a hot sweet potato two different ways!
Once I have my sweet potatoes, it’s time to load them up. I like to start off with some brown rice or quinoa. I cook it up according to the package directions. In our New Start kitchen, we often cook rice overnight using the delayed timing feature of our electric rice cooker. Nothing better than waking up to the nutty aroma of Jasmine or Basmati rice in the morning!
I will then saute’Â 2-3 cloves of minced garlic in a pan over medium heat. After cooking for a few minutes, I will add 3 cups of roughly chopped baby spinach, cooking it just until wilted. Then add 3 more cups of the spinach will go in, cooking again til wilted. This takes about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups of cooked brown rice or quinoa along with 1/4 cup ground pecans or walnuts, 1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon basil.
Now how about those sweet potatoes? Test them with a fork or small knife. When they feel soft and tender, remove them from the oven or slow cooker and let them cool slightly. Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Then with a small spoon, gently press down the center to create a small indentation that is the length of the sweet potato. Spoon the quinoa or rice stuffing evenly over the sweet potatoes and serve.
Sweet Potato Supreme is so colorful and sweet, your family or guests won’t be able to pass it up. And I hope you’ll want more sweet potatoes on your table this year.
Sweet Potato Supreme
Ingredients
- 4 sweet potatoes
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice
- 2-3 cloves minced garlic
- 6 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/4 cup walnuts or pecans
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
- 1/2 to 1 tsp salt and basil
Instructions
- Bake sweet potatoes in a 400 degree oven for 40-60 minutes. Or you can bake them in a slow cooker (6-7 hours on low or 3.5 to 4 hours on high).
- Cook brown rice or quinoa according to package directions.
- Saute' garlic in a little bit of water or vegetable broth for several minutes over medium heat.
- Add 3 cups of roughly chopped baby spinach; cook until wilted.
- Add 3 more cups of chopped baby spinach; cook again til wilted.This takes about 4 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Add the rice to the spinach along with the remaining ingredients.
- When the sweet potatoes are soft and tender, remove from the oven or slow cooker. Let them cool slightly, then slice them in half lengthwise.
- With a small spoon, press down the center to create a cavity for filling up your sweet potato.
- Fill with your rice-spinach stuffing and serve.
