Creamy, sweet, and crunchy all rolled into one, these potatoes can be made the day before and reheated without losing a bit of flavor. They go well with turkey, chicken, or pork. They pack a hefty antioxidant punch, supplying three times the minimum requirement for beta carotene, almost three-quarters of the daily requirement for vitamin E, and half the day’s need for vitamin C.
Ingredients:
4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
½ cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon butter
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/4 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
4 teaspoons brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash of ground nutmeg
salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil.
1) Pierce potatoes with a fork, place on cookie sheet, and bake for one hour, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Set aside until warm and easy to handle.
2) Place cranberries in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Set side for 10 minutes. Drain.
3) Melt butter in a medium, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples and saute until slightly soft and golden, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in cranberries, nuts, and 2 teaspoons brown sugar, and continue to saute for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to taste.
4) With a sharp knife, remove an oval of skin off the top of each potato, large enough to allow you to mash the pulp without disturbing the remaining skin. Sprinkle pulp with salt and 1 teaspoon brown sugar per potato. Gently mash the pulp with a fork until smooth and sugar is completely blended.
5) Divide the apple mixture evenly and mound on top of each potato. Serve immediately or cool and cover with plastic wrap, store in refrigerator, and reheat uncovered in oven at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, or until heated through. Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional Analysis per serving: 302 Calories; 23 percent fat (7.7 grams); 2.3 grams saturated fat; 5 percent protein; 72 percent carbohydrate; 6 grams fiber.
