Great Way Weekly

In my family, holiday meals are a time to indulge in rich foods that we don’t usually eat, and to eat just too much food.  I know I’m supposed to say that this is bad for you, and you shouldn’t eat too much , yadda, yadda, yadda.  I believe that if you generally eat a healthy, balanced diet and get some exercise, you can and probably should indulge from time to time.  I think that occasional spurges into naughty foods can help keep you on the straight-and-narrow that rest of the time and keep you from feeling deprived.

That said, there’s nothing wrong with making healthy foods for celebrations, as long as they taste good.

Here’s a recipe from the New York Times online, and it sounds like one of those healthy and tasty foods that I’m always looking for.  Sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene, an important antioxidant, and have a low glycemic index (which always surprises me since they are so sweet).  Hungry for more health info about sweetpotatoes? Go here.

The apples in this recipe are also very good for you, as we all know.  I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I do have all the fixins at home, so I’ll probably give it a whirl.  I think that I will add some spices to it, though–some cinnamon and maybe some ginger.

Please also note that this recipe is gluten-free.

Martha Rose Shulman at the New York Times shows us how to make

Sweet Potato Puree With Apples

This dish is great for Thanksgiving and always goes over well. Once you’ve tried it you’ll never want those candied yams again.

2 pounds sweet potatoes, scrubbed

2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Braeburn

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (to taste)

1 tablespoon mild flavored honey, such as clover

Pinch of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Scrub sweet potatoes and pierce in several places with a sharp knife. Pierce the apples in a few places. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the potatoes and apples on top. Bake for 40 minutes and remove the apples. Continue to bake the sweet potatoes until thoroughly soft and beginning to ooze, 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the size. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until cool enough to handle.

2. Turn the oven down to 350ºF. Remove the skins from the potatoes. Peel and core the apples, scraping all the flesh from just inside the skins. Chop the potatoes and apples coarsely and place in a foot processor fitted with the steel blade. Puree until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and blend well. Transfer to a lightly buttered 2- or 3-quart baking dish.

3. Heat the puree in the 350ºF oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until steaming. Serve hot.

Yield: Serves 6

Advance preparation: This can be made through Step 2 a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Reheating will take 30 to 40 minutes.

–photo and recipe from the New York Times