Garlic Sweet Potatoes

Root vegetables are some of the most healthy foods we can eat as human beings, though they are not always themselves packed with obvious nutrition or thought to be nutritious. The benefit of eating root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, yams, or yuca (also called cassava) is that in addition to large amounts of glucose to fuel the metabolic rate, they also have unique carbohydrates which promote healthy gut microbiome populations and activity. Consuming these carbohydrates, these microbes in turn produce ample quantities of short chain fatty acids, B vitamins, and help control toxic metabolic byproducts produced by unhelpful or pathogenic microbes. Because of the short chain fatty acids especially, these foods are much more filling and satiating than might be expected.

But sweet potatoes can sometimes be too rich, especially when they are only ever made in with sweet preparations. This mouthwatering garlic recipe also uses cheese and spices to turn sweet potatoes into something very savory and indulgent to successfully offset the sweetness and thus make you more likely to return to this recipe often.

GARLIC SWEET POTATOES

2 large or 3-4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced or cubed
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt
4-6 oz of sharp cheese such as good cheddar or parmesan (or a mix), finely shredded
1 tsp thyme or marjoram
1 tsp rosemary, finely chopped or ground
2-3 tbsp chopped parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 400˚ F (205˚ C). Give the garlic heads one pass of chopping, then cover them with 1 tsp of salt and continue to mince. This method of creating garlic salt causes the salt to soak up the garlic juices and help spread them more evenly through the dish. Add this to a large bowl along with the melted butter and coconut oil, the other tsp of salt, the cheese, and the thyme (or marjoram) and rosemary. Mix until combined, then add the sliced or cubed sweet potato and toss well. Add everything to a 13 x 9 casserole dish, then cover with a sheet of parchment paper and bake for 1 hour or until the potatoes are soft and not overly browned. When it comes out of the oven, top with chopped parsley as a garnish.