For many years, our Thanksgiving meals did not include turkey. My vegetarian phase during the ‘80s and ‘90s inspired us to create imaginative and (usually) delicious “turkeys” crafted from tofu, seitan, or sometimes a hubbard squash! In recent years I’ve purchased organic, pastured turkeys but because Maia still won’t touch it, I make sure to have lots of vegetables—at a minimum this means Brussels sprouts, green beans, and yams.
Yams and sweet potatoes are among my favorite vegetables. They provide plenty of sweet taste all on their own, but for a special dish on a holiday I make them even sweeter and richer. This maple yams recipe is my healthier adaptation of the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch Thanksgiving dish of candied sweet potatoes–a classic where I grew up in Lancaster.
Healthier Maple Yams Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 medium sweet potatoes
- Pinch of sea salt
- About ¼ cup of butter or your choice of fat (olive oil or coconut oil or whatever you enjoy)
- About ¼ cup of maple syrup or maple sugar or to taste (the classic Amish recipe calls for ¾ a cup of brown sugar!)
Directions
1. Cut any bad spots out of the potatoes, and slice them into quarters.
2. Cook the yams by covering with water and simmering at a medium temperature.
3. Once cool enough to touch, remove the peels and slice the yams to your preferred size.
4. Heat the butter or oil in a skillet or frying pan. Add maple syrup and stir. Add ½ to cup of water and bring to a boil.
5. Lay yam slices in syrup and cook slowly, using a metal spatula to turn so both sides brown evenly.
I hope you try these healthier maple yams and love them as much as we do! I am wishing you a healthy, happy Thanksgiving filled with good food and gratitude.
To your health,
