A Brief Guide To Cooking Yams
Most people in the US refer to sweet potatoes as yams. This is regardless of the fact that the sweet potato and the yam are very diverse tubers. Although these two are diverse, they are prepared in much the same way. Yams pack minerals like potassium, beta carotene, iron as well as fiber and vitamins An and C. You can decide to bake the yams, use the microwave or mash them up. Eating yams will enhance the typical American diet which is always lacking in yellow vegetables. Christopher Columbus is the guy who introduced yams to Europe as these tubers are natives of Africa, Asia, Central and South America. In southern Asia, Africa and south pacific, yams are widely grown as these areas have warm climates. If you want to get to know how to cook yams, there are several things that you will require to cook them successfully. These include: Knife, Butter, Cinnamon, Casserole dish, Nutmeg, Low fat milk, Potato masher, Nonstick spray, Olive oil.
One way to cook yams without hassles is to bake them. The following process outlines how to bake yams. the yams washed thoroughly with a vegetable brush. Using some sharp object like a knife or fork, stab the yams severally. This is a precautionary measure as tubers or yams may explode if they do not get a steam outlet. The oven should be preheated to a high temperature of 375 degrees Fahrenheit and the yams placed in the oven for a period of 40 minutes or so. After the 40 minutes, the yams will be ready and they will have a skin that is wrinkly. You can opt to sprinkle some cinnamon and spread some butter for an enhanced flavor as you serve the yams.
The following recipe is another interesting way to come up with baked yams. Get several yams maybe 4 or 5 and peel them. The size of the yams should be perfect for casserole cooking. Slice them thinly. Spray your casserole dish with some non stick spray. Into the casserole dish, place several slices of yam till you come up with a layer. Using butter or some other good spread, dot the yam layer. Get some walnuts that have been broken and sprinkle on top of the yams together with some cinnamons. Add some more yam layers and then take some honey and drizzle it on the top layer. Cover up the dish that you want to bake with and get the oven going at 375 degrees Fahrenheit and then bake your prepared yams for a period of 40 minutes. When the 40 minutes elapse, the yams will most certainly be tender after which you are advised to get rid of the lid of the casserole dish and take it to the broiler for some 5 minutes or so till the yams turn brown. After the yams brown up, they are ready for serving. You can have them with your favorite stew. Quite a simple recipe to prepare don't you think.
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This article touched the basics of the topic. I have 2 more resources related to the above. They are how to cook a yam and how to bake yams. Do consider reading them.