If you’ve been reading my blog on a regular basis, you know that I have a love/hate relationship with bread.
Love: It’s my most favorite thing in the world.
Hate: It adds “bulge” to areas of my body that I would prefer remain “no bulge regions.”
So I’m always trying to find healthy alternatives. The other day I found a rogue sweet potato in my vegetable bowl that I hadn’t had any plans for (I’m a little rigid with my meal planning). Usually everything in my kitchen has a purpose. Mostly because when you live in New York City you really don’t want to have to walk 10 blocks home from the grocery store carrying six bags, when you could have gotten away with only five. It’s also equally as obnoxious to then get home and realize you’ve forgotten something, only to have to turn around and make the voyage back. This unaccounted for sweet potato was not going to waste—NOT ON MY WATCH!
Sweet potatoes are relatively similar to bread in fat, calorie, and carb content. The health benefit comes in with the vitamins and minerals sweet potatoes provide. Namely vitamins A and C which are extremely important for vision and your immune system. Okay-enough of the nutritional jargon. Why do I really use them instead of burger buns? These puppies are delicious! The sweet taste they produce complements most meals. But beware–it can overshadow some burgers because they do have a ton of flavor. So be choosy with what type of burger you pair with these buns.
Yields: variable depending on sweet potato size
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
1 tbsp olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Wash sweet potatoes and cut into slices 1/2 to 1 inch thick.
3. Toss with olive oil.
4. Bake X ~35 minutes or until you can stick a fork in and meet a little resistance.
The Cook’s 2 cents:
· When choosing a sweet potato, make sure you pick the roundest one you can find. When you slice them, you’ll want the bun big enough to fit the size of a burger.. That is, unless you’re shooting for sliders.
· Make sure to do the “fork test” while it’s baking. Depending on the size of the slices, the baking time may vary. If you pierce the potato with a fork and it goes in easily—it will fall apart in your hands. You want it to be able to pierce the potato, but to also meet a little resistance.
Nutrition Facts:
*Approximation*
Servings per recipe: varies depending on the size of the potato (sorry!) Serving size: 2 slices
Calories: 38 Fat: 0g Sodium: 24mg Carbs: 9g Fiber: 1g Sugars: 2g Protein: 1g
