So let's get cooking with The 99 Cent Chef. My summertime stop motion video features Grilled Sweet Potato.
This Frugal Forager gets them from the local Latin grocery store. I picked up a couple of bright orange/red ones, as they are the sweetest. You can use my recipe with tan hued yams or regular potatoes. Sometimes grocery stores call the orange/red tubers yams (at least here in the U.S.) You can read about the difference between a yam and sweet potato by clicking on the names. I just go by color these days, bright orange/red equals sweet.
I cook this tuber simply, just rub or brush on some olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then grill them about 3 minutes on each side.
I have a cheap gas grill, so it's easy to keep track of how long it takes. If you have a charcoal or wood burning grill the cooking time will vary according to how intense the fire is, and you will have to watch things closely. What you are looking for is a a slight char or burn. When the Sweet Potato is soft to the touch then it is done.
I slice the tubers thickly, about a half inch. I also leave the skin on. It's up to you how you like to prepare them.
The Grilled Sweet Potato will continue to steam and soften after removal from the fire. And you can easily peel off the most blackened skin parts if you like. Me, I like some of that charred flavor.
You can adapt this recipe for indoors cooking too. I like broiling them in the oven. Just check on them every minute or so. Some of the smokiness is lost, but the sweetness and char flavors still come through. You could even roast the Sweet Potato in the oven, especially if you are baking a chicken; it takes about 30 minutes of baking, so add the slices a little over half way through baking.
And be sure to cook plenty. Grilled Sweet Potato makes a low calorie side dish and can be easily reheated anytime. Pull the Grilled Sweet Potato slices out of storage from the refrigerator and zap them in the microwave for a minute or so.
When I'm grilling protein, Sweet Potatoes are a lighter contrast to typical heavy sides like potato salad or french fries.
In my stop motion recipe video I go overboard with the olive oil, but that's just for show -- you can lightly brush on a minimal amount or use your favorite oil spray.
My Grilled Sweet Potato recipe works with almost any other crisp veggie like: corn, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, yellow neck squash, onions and asparagus. Cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of veggies.
If you've never put vegetables alongside that barbequing burger, hot dog or chicken leg, now is the time to start. And you can't do better or easier than Grilled Sweet Potato.
Grilled Sweet Potato- VIDEO
Play it here, video runs 1 minute, 19 seconds.
My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.
Ingredients (about 2 servings)
- 1 large sweet potato - about 1/2 thick slices
- 1 to 2 tablespoons oil - I used olive oil, but okay to use any favorite oil.
- Salt and pepper to taste - Okay to use any favorite seasoned salt.
Directions
Get your barbecue grill going. Okay to do this recipe indoors too - in a broiler oven.
Scrub and clean sweet potato if necessary. Slice sweet potato into thick slices, about 1/2 each slice. I left the potato skin on, but you can peel potatoes if you like.
Drizzle on oil. Salt and pepper sweet potato slices.
When grill is hot add sweet potato slices. Since sweet potato has a high sugar content, they may burn some. That's okay since it's easy to scrape off some of the burnt bits. Hey, char is part of the barbecue taste.
Your cooking time will vary depending on the grill heat. I used a gas grill and it took about 3 minutes for each side of sweet potato to cook through.
You want the sweet potato to be soft on the inside when done. I noticed that even if the middle is slightly hard, the sweet potato will continue to cook and tenderize, even when removed from the fire. So don't worry if all the cooked slices are not uniform in doneness, they will continue to cook.
You can cook sweet potatoes ahead of time and reheat in the microwave or an oven.
This recipe will work with any potatoes you like, including: red, white, russet and yam.
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