Sweet Potato Muffins

Here's a recipe I pulled from Runner's World in 2011. Tried them for the first time this morning! My reaction is mixed. First of all, I had to change some ingredients based on what I had in the house, and of course I always add a personal touch. Be that good or bad. So as I mentioned, my reaction is mixed, but I will definitely make these again and try to follow the recipe exactly. OK, except maybe for the vegetable oil. The texture of the muffins is great, but there's not tons of taste. Knowing these muffins are packed with nutrients though makes it even more appealing for me. The mild taste makes them very versatile; I could eat them for breakfast (and I did), eat them post-exercise (which I might in a little while) or they'd be great in my son's lunch or easy to eat on a road trip. Filling and good and healthy!

 

"These are the lightest, fluffiest, easiest whole-grain muffins—ever," promises Bittman. Using sweet potato adds moisture and nutrients, such as beta-carotene.

Sweet Potato Muffins
2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour (preferably pastry flour)
3/4 cup sugar (I tried mostly honey and some brown sugar, still didn't equal 3/4 cup)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used applesauce)
1 cup pureed or mashed cooked sweet potato
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used coconut milk mixed with a little Greek yogurt)

Our batch was very dry so we added extra applesauce and milk at the end.

• Heat oven to 375° F. Grease 12 muffin cups or add paper liners.
• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, and salt.
• In a bowl, whisk butter, oil, sweet potato, egg, and buttermilk. Fold wet mixture into the dry; stir until just combined.
• Fill muffin cups three-quarters full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Banana Nut Variation Reduce sugar to 1/2 cup. Replace sweet potato with 1 cup mashed, very ripe banana; add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the batter.

Pumpkin Coconut Variation Replace sweet potato with 1 cup canned pumpkin; add 1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut to the batter.

CALORIES PER MUFFIN: 248

CARBS: 37 G

FIBER: 3 G

PROTEIN: 4 G

FAT: 9 G

MARK BITTMAN may not be sure which marathon he's running next (he'll either tackle November's Philadelphia Marathon or December's Palm Beaches Marathon Festival), but he is sure about one thing: his training. "I'm doing a long run, speedwork, and tempo run every week," says Bittman, author of The Food Matters Cookbook. "And I'm following hard weeks with easier ones." For more, go to markbittman.com

 

Sweet Potato Chowder

Here's another yummy and kid-approved recipe. I don't remember where I got this one; it was cut out of a magazine long ago. Some of you in the COLD parts of the country right now may especially enjoy it!

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound lean ham, cubed (about 1 1/3 cups)
• 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 ribs celery, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
• 2 medium white potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2.5 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup fat-free half and half

Heat oil in a 3-quart soup pot. Add ham, onion and celery. Saute until vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes). Add diced potatoes and garlic. Saute briefly. Add seasonings and chicken broth, and stir well. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Partially puree soup with a potato masher. Stir in fat-free half and half. Taste, and correct seasonings if required.

Makes 8 (one-cup) servings
Preparation time: one hour


My comments: Be sure you look for low-sodium chicken or veggie broth. I haven't tried, but I think next time I will try with half broth and half water when I am also using ham. I think there is enough taste without the extra broth. Try it without ham, and maybe add lentils for more protein? Also, not sure why you couldn't use more sweet potatoes and less white potatoes? It may change the texture? Any comments or ideas?

This is one of my favorite recipes especially in cooler weather. My son gobbles it up too. Always good with a salad or a grilled cheese to go with it! If there are leftovers, they are delicious as well.


Action item: Try this recipe while it's cold outside!

For further reading: And look what I ran across while searching for a picture of sweet potatoes - Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas.