It does not surprise me that my parents decided to retire in Tennessee, the Volunteer State, as they are two of the most selfless volunteers I know.
Since moving to the beautiful state of Tennessee they have become die hard Tennessee Volunteer sports fans. I have to admit, even though I’ve never lived in Tennessee, it’s hard not to catch their Tennessee football fever.
I channeled a little Tennessee Volunteer spirit to bring you two recipes using one of the worlds healthiest foods, the sweet potato! Let’s kick off with…
BIG ORANGE 
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- 1 medium sweet potato (NuVal score – 96)
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 T pecans (optional)
Scrub sweet potato and bake at 450 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, until tender. Remove at once and poke with a fork to let steam out. Cut the potato in quarters and mash with a fork or toss into your Magjc Bullet blender. Mix in Greek yogurt and top with pecans if you’re a sports nut. Note: You can remove the skin from the sweet potato before mashing or leave it on and benefit from the extra fiber!
Now for the second half…I love baked sweet potato fries prepared simply by spraying them with Pam Olive Oil and sprinkled with salt (and/or cinnamon). But last night, I decided to spice them up a little bit more. Remember when we made Fitness & Spice Pumpkin Nut Mix? Well, I decided to use the same seasoning to flavor these….
BIG ORANGE Sweet Potato Fries
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 1 egg white
- 1 T Splenda for Baking
- 1/2 t seasoning salt
- 1/2 t ground cinnamon
- 1/2 t cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice sweet potato into thin wedges. Beat the egg white until fluffy. Coat the sweet potato with the egg white. Place remaining ingredients into a small bowl and blend well with a fork. Add spice mixture to the sweet potatoes and stir to combine everything well. Spread mixture onto a baking sheet and bake until crispy for approximately 20-25 minutes, turning half way.
Sweet potatoes make a great addition to a post-workout meal. Speaking of which, I could use a workout partner today…any Volunteers?
Miz says:
November 6th 2009I VOLUNTEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Donna says:
November 6th 2009Yum, yum, and more yum. One thing I love as much as pumpkin is sweet potatoes. I love to make a big batch of fries. I like the sweet thing, but it rarely complements the rest of the meal. I use olive oil and kosher salt and that’s it. I love how they come out crispy on the outside buy soft on the inside. Have fun workin’ out!
Marisa (Trim The Fat) says:
November 6th 2009I would love to workout with you!!
Mmmm…I heart sweet potatoes!
Mom says:
November 6th 2009twn
Rachel says:
November 6th 2009Mmmm those mashed potatoes sound fantastic!! Can’t wait to try!
Yum Yucky says:
November 6th 2009Holy Sweet Potatoes! I just had the fries version for the first time ever this week. Now I’m gonna make my own! So so GOOD!!
Dawn says:
November 6th 2009i know what you’re bringing for Thanksgiving dinner :)
Brett says:
November 6th 2009Mmmm, those whipped potatoes with greek yogurt sound amazing! I just picked up a little Chobani yesterday.
Suzanne says:
November 6th 2009Not surprisingly Kerbey Lane also has awesome sweet potato fries, but these look pretty darn delicious. I can’t believe I’ve never made mashed sweet potatoes, I need to try them because I bet the wee one would love it!
Joanna Sutter says:
November 6th 2009Dawn…what! you want me to bring pumpkin hummus, nan’s yams, and baked sweet potato fries?!
P.A. says:
November 6th 2009Sweet!! And ORANGE too
GO VOLS!
Dawn says:
November 6th 2009Yes, all of the above and if there’s time, i really LOVED the Fitness & Spice pumpkin nut mix
Jennifer says:
November 6th 2009Dawn and Joanna- Yams, sweet potatoes are both orange, but so is CRAZY ORANGE SALAD.
Food Fascination says:
November 6th 2009YUM. I’m going to make the fries tonight. Have a great workout. Yoga for me today, then to the store to buy SWEET POTATOES!!!
carrie says:
November 6th 2009volunteer over here!!!!
Jess (Fit Chick in the City) says:
November 6th 2009I love sweet potatoes, but grew up a Vandy fan, so I can’t really support the Vols. ;)
Diane Fit to the Finish says:
November 6th 2009We are in Tennessee too, but just can’t wear the orange! That’s because we are Seminole fans at heart!
The Candid RD says:
November 6th 2009I’ll volunteer!
It’s so great that your family volunteers often. I need to do more myself, really. I used to volunteer all the time. Now I have to volunteer my time to my bf, and my family. That’s how busy I am! I know it’s not an excuse, but I just don’t have as much time anymore. I should make it though, especially around the holidays.
Thanks for your kind words on my blog. They really meant a lot. I hope you enjoyed your spaghetti squash, and I can’t wait to read about it!
april says:
November 7th 2009That sweet potato mash sounds so good! Was it sweet? I only like my sweet potatoes in a sweet way.. like with pb! :D And your frozen protein peanut butter cups sounds so good! How do you make them?
Joyce Cherrier says:
November 10th 2009You have the greatest recipes! This one sounds awesome. Another great one to try..and btw, would have love to have been your workout partner!