Sweet Potato and Pecan Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 2 TB. olive oil
• ½ – 1 cup orange juice
• ¼ cp. brown rice syrup, honey, or molasses
• One TB. maple syrup
• ¼ tsp. ginger powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 TB. vegan butter, coconut oil, or ghee
• 1/8 tsp. unrefined sea salt
• ¼ – ½ cup roasted, unsalted pecans
• One bunch of fresh kale or other greens.

Directions

1. Cut sweet potatoes into two inch chunks.  Toss them with olive oil.  Place in a casserole dish, drizzle with orange juice, cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
2. Combine brown rice syrup, honey, or molasses, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, vegan butter or coconut oil and sea salt in a saucepan.
3. Remove cover and pour sauce over potatoes.  Bake 10-15 more minutes to allow flavors to blend.
4. Roast pecans on a cookie sheet at 325 for 10-14 minutes.  Do not use oil.  You can do this ahead of time.  Coarsely chop and sprinkle over the vegetables.
5. Wash and chop one bunch of kale.  Steam 8-10 minutes.  Arrange kale on a serving platter and spoon the sweet potatoes on top of the greens.  Sprinkle with roasted pecans.

Tips 

You can substitute yams for sweet potatoes. Sweet Potatoes have more health benefits and are my preference

If you are not vegan you can use ghee or organic butter

Unsalted, organic nuts are best.

You can add a sprinkle of coconut

Use any hard, dark, leafy green if you don’t have kale.

You can also simmer this dish on top of the stove in a heavy skillet, covered.  Add sauce last 5 minutes.

Sweet Potato Therapeutic Properties based on TCM

• Nourish the large intestines, spleen, stomach, and pancreas
• Moistens dry conditions
• Removes toxins
• Builds yin fluid of kidneys
• High in Vitamin A which is useful for night blindness
• Eating too much sweet potato can cause indigestion and bloating
• Sweet potatoes are native to South America and are not related to the potato or yams.