This one is a forever favorite. I might need to buy a second spiralizer to officially call the potato curling a family pastime. It’s that good.
Sweet Potatoes are friendly on SO many different “diets” – paleo, gluten free, lectin free, lactose free, vegan, vegetarian, (etc) – it seems only fitting to design a delicious, family friendly, fancy side out of these nuggets. We’ve done just that.
$ – SAVVY: Sweet Potatoes are a weekly staple food for us — from a nutritional and cost perspective — it earns an A+. Organic sweet potatoes earn a B from a cost-per-Calorie basis, but fear not – I talk more about this below.
These taters are an rich source of vitamins A, pantothenic acid, B6, plus manganese, copper, biotin, potassium and fiber.
For the vegan, this is a solid source of B vitamins, including B12 with the addition of the nutritional yeast. If you prefer a stronger “salty” savory flavor, feel free to add more than the recipe calls for. Note: too much and you’ll overpower the taters.
Let’s talk briefly about cost. We try to buy organic produce where possible and when the budget permits. The easy “inorganic” buys are listed on the EWG’s “clean-15” list. The trickier produce to navigate are those not listed on the dirty dozen. Sweet potatoes are technically not listed on the 2019 dirty dozen.
As you can see, “potatoes” are listed in the 2019 dirty dozen, but not “sweet potatoes”. A quick Google search of the “clean 15″ list from 2015 will show you our favorite – the sweet potato – is included as a clean veggie. In 2015 I would more readily buy inorganic sweet potatoes than in 2019.
That said, it seems to be a mixed bag, from a pesticide perspective, of whether or not to only buy these organic in 2019. If you’re feeding littles, I recommend buying organic. The best deal we’ve found is a 3, 6, or 10 lb bag at Costco for about $1.30 to $1.60 per pound (when they carry them). Otherwise, try to shop local sales.
This is a fun dish to prepare while sipping a good wine and talking about life with your favorite people. Make it a BYOS party and get everyone in on the spiralizing!
Programming Note: Some recipes recommend a “julienne” approach as an alternative to spiralizing.
Let me tell you now – DON’T DO IT.
I tried this alternative approach (pictured here) so I could know the difference and you guys – it took me an HOUR to just julienne those taters! My hand cramps were off the chart.
Invest in a spiralizer on Amazon or your favorite kitchen store. It’s worth it. And you can snatch a really good one for less than 25 bucks. Your end product will turn out crispier and crunchier too.
Favorite Pairings: Black Bean Burgers, Wild n’ Naked Beef, The Slaw Salad, Tangy Beet Salad, grilled or roasted veggies or protein. As a “main” dish with goat cheese on top.
Crispy Spirally Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
- Spiralizer, peeler, knife, cutting board, large bowl, measuring spoons, baking sheets, oven
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Sweet Potatoes ideally organic
- 2 tbsp Bob's Red Mill Large Flake Nutritional Yeast
- 2 tbsp Bob's Red Mill Arrowroot Starch/Flour
- 1 tbsp Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (we love California Olive Ranch)
- 2 tbsp Coconut Oil ideally extra virgin
- 1 tsp Black Pepper ground
- 1.5 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Curry Powder
- 2 tsp 21 Seasoning Salute Trader Joe's
Instructions
- Preheat oven to regular bake at 375°F.
- Wash and peel the sweet potatoes and set up your spiralizer.
- Spiralize prepped potatoes and place into a large bowl.
- In separate bowl, combine other ingredients and add these to the potatoes. Toss well so that the sweet potato spirals are fully coated.
- Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper (or use non-stick baking sheets).
- Place the sweet potatoes on the baking sheets – but spread them out. Try to prevent overlapping or piles as they won’t cook as well. Generally, the more spread out the potatoes, the crispier they’ll be.
- Flipping: I flip mine once because I don’t have time to babysit them. I prefer crispier spirals so I use 3 large baking sheets. I cook 2 sheets at a time, and when I flip the spirals (with a giant spatula), I also rotate the trays (top one goes to the lower slot, and visa versa).
- Timing: every oven is unique and rack placement also changes cook time — it’s difficult to predict how long your’s will take. With two trays in the oven, I begin checking at about 20 minutes. Mine typically take around 20-25 to bake. I suppose they could take as little as 12-15 minutes depending on your oven or if you wanted softer spirals.
Notes
Nutrition
Here’s a table with external links for each recipe ingredient (plus a few alternate ingredient ideas). As previously mentioned, prices vary per region, season, city, store and personal preference for brand or specific type of food item.
| Sweet Potato | Extra Virgin Olive Oil (organic) | Black Peppercorn |
| Nutritional Yeast | Coconut Oil (extra virgin) | Garlic Powder (organic) |
| Arrowroot Starch/ Flour | Avocado Oil or Costco (bulk for less) | Chopped Garlic |
| Apple Cider Vinegar | Curry Powder (organic) | Turmeric (organic) |
| Goat Cheese (Costco) | 21 Seasoning Salute (TJ’s) or THIS (organic) | Smoked Paprika (TJ’s) |
TJ’s = Trader Joe’s
