Jamie Oliver's Easy Sweet Potatoes
This is a really good recipe I got from watching Jamie Olivers Meals in Minutes. I've never been a fan of sweet potatoes because they were covered in too much sugar for my tastes. However, after watching this recipe, I thought I would give them a try. It is SUPER easy to make and a great side dish.
This is a really good recipe I got from watching Jamie Olivers Meals in Minutes. I've never been a fan of sweet potatoes because they were covered in too much sugar for my tastes. However, after watching this recipe, I thought I would give them a try. It is SUPER easy to make and a great side dish.
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 medium white potato cut in 1/2
- 2 sweet potatoes cut in 1/2
- 1/2-1 hungarian chili sliced
- 1-2 cups fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 1 package low fat or regular feta cheese get a block of feta, the pre-crumbled kind does not retain it's natural moisture
- 1-3 tbsp good olive oil
- course sea salt add to taste
- Carbohydrate 15.7061166666667 g
- Cholesterol 10.08 mg
- Fat 8.62341666666667 g
- Fiber 2.68700001478195 g
- Protein 7.50593333333333 g
- Saturated Fat 2.644175 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (129g)
- Sodium 444.087 mg
- Sugar 13.0191166518847 g
- Trans Fat 2.16721666666667 g
- Calories 165 calories
Step-by-step
- Wash the potato and sweet potatoes and halve lengthways. Put them into a large microwave-safe bowl with ½ a lemon in the center (make sure the lemon and the potatoes skin side down). Cover with plastic wrap and put into the microwave on full power for 15 minutes.
- On a cutting board, finely chop most of the cilantro and slice the chili.
- Check to see if the potatoes are cooked through. Then, place them on the cutting board. Crumble the feta cheese straight from the package right over potatoes. With a large knife start cutting into the feta and potatoes with large sloppy chops using the knife to turn mixture over, as well. Continue chopping and add the chili and cilantro. Start pouring olive oil over the mixture. Add sea salt to taste. Chop, turn and mix until you get the desired consistency.
- You can serve on the chopping board or transfer to a serving plate. Put remaining cilantro on the top as a garnish
The ingredient list does not tell you why steam pressure beneath plastic wrap is the most efficient thermal conductor for root vegetables, bypassing the lengthy preheating phase of a traditional oven while rendering starches gelatinized in a fraction of the time. Microwaves agitate water molecules directly inside the flesh, cooking the dense root from the inside out while the halved lemon in the center releases aromatic citric acid vapor to permeate the bowl. Mastering this technique requires understanding how moisture distribution dictates texture, transforming what could be a dry or mealy root into a tender base ready for chopping and dressing.
Judging Doneness Without a Thermometer
Testing root vegetables without a probe relies entirely on tactile feedback and visual cues. Insert a paring knife or a metal skewer into the thickest part of the sweet potato; if the blade slides through the center with zero structural resistance and encounters no firm core, the starches have fully hydrated and softened. Overcooking causes the cell walls to collapse entirely, turning the potato into a watery purée, so check the texture precisely at the fifteen-minute mark by piercing the flesh near the skin where density is highest.Balancing Salt and Fat in Cooperative Textures
Feta cheese and olive oil interact directly with the hot potato starches to create a cohesive emulsion. Purchase blocks of feta packed in brine rather than pre-crumbled varieties, because industrial anti-caking agents prevent the cheese from melting into the rough chop and binding the oil properly. For dietary adaptations, substitute the dairy cheese with a firm salted tofu block at a one-to-one ratio while maintaining the acid and chili additions to preserve the intended flavor profile.
