Hello everyone! This is Alex from Spoonful of Sugar Free! Here is a simple side dish that is elegant enough to serve at a dinner party, but easy enough to eat any day of the week.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Wild Rice
This dish is extremely easy to make, but it is very delicious. I make it a lot for Thanksgiving, or for a quick lunch. Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, and, of course, sugar-free!
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 medium-sized sweet potatoes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup fresh rosemary, or 2 Tablespoons dried
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup wild rice
optional: spinach, lemon juice
I don't really measure when I make this dish, but I simply drizzle as much olive oil as I need, chop as many sweet potatoes I need, and sprinkle as many herbs as I need. However, here are the measurements if you need them.
Preheat oven to 450*. Scrub the sweet potatoes' skins until clean, and keep the skins on. The skin gives the potatoes a nice chewy edge when roasted, not to mention a good amount of healthy fiber. Chop into bite-sized pieces, and lay them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil on the potatoes and sprinkle the herbs. Lightly stir so they are evenly coated. Bake for 40 minutes or until they are slightly browned.
In the meantime, cook the wild rice. In a large saucepan, boil 1 1/2 cups water. Add the rice, and turn down the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes. For this dish, I like the wild rice a bit crunchier than usual, and not completely cooked.
When the rice and sweet potatoes are done, toss them together until evenly mixed. Either serve plain or on top of a bed of spinach drizzled with lemon juice.
Health Benefits
Sweet Potatoes: Click HERE for a post about the benefits of sweet potatoes.
Wild Rice: This rich, nutty short grain rice has 5x more flavonoids than regular white rice, and is a great source of anthocyanin antioxidants. It is also an anti-aging agent, and has 7g protein and 3g fiber per cup.
Rosemary: Rosemary is rich in calcium, magnesium and potassium. It has good amount of phosphorus, sodium and iron with small amount of zinc, copper, manganese and selenium. It is also useful in increasing blood circulation, improving concentration and digestion. It stimulates the immune system, reduces the severity of asthma attacks and helps prevent breast cancer.
Olive Oil: Full of monounsaturated fats and antioxidant, olive oil can protect against heart disease by controlling LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels while raising HDL (the “good” cholesterol) levels. Make sure you buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil because it is least processed. Also, don't keep your oil too long because it can go bad quickly, and keep it in a cool, dark place.
http://www.healthyandfitmagazine.com/2011/03/sugarfree-alex-roasted-sweet-potatoes-with-wild-rice/
