Mashed Sweet Potato with Orange (by Becca Dilley)

Becca Dilley and Jim Norton from the Heavy Table website www.heavytable.com have a tradition of inviting friends over post holiday for a thanksgiving like celebration called Feb Giving. Its a great idea!


For thanksgiving, we like to add these oranges for their show stopping look. Being served in the orange not only makes them look amazing, but it also adds a refreshing element to the otherwise heavy meal. If you make it without butter, it is very healthy and also vegan. This is based off of a cuban dish of roasted root vegetables with orange juice.


Mashed Sweet Potato with Orange (by Becca Dilley)
Serves 8


8 navel oranges (or other smaller sized orange)
3lb sweet potato
2 Tbls butter (optional)
1tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp cloves
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp nutmeg
small amount of vegetable oil for roasting
small amount of sugar for top (optional)


Cut sweet potatoes in half and rub with vegetable oil, then place cut side down on baking sheet in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until easily poked with a knife.


Next, prepare oranges. With knife, cut small amount off of bottom of orange (non-navel side) so that it will stand upright without rolling. Next, place knife at 45 degree angle in orange and work around top half of orange, so that you are left with a orange cup. Reserve removed orange pieces for juice. Repeat with remaining oranges. Place oranges on baking sheet and put aside.


When sweet potatoes are done, remove from oven and loosly tent with tin foil for 10 minutes. Working quickly, remove peel from sweet potatoes (should remove easily) and discard peels.


Place sweet potatoes in mixing bowl. Add butter and spices to taste and mix like mashed potatoes.


Take discarded orange pieces and squeeze orange juice into the sweet potato mixture to taste.


Using spoon, scoop sweet potato mixture into oranges. If desired, you can put mixture into pastry bag and pipe into oranges for added visual appeal. This can be set in refrigerator the day before and finished just before serving.


To serve, sprinkle with small amount of sugar and broil until sugar starts to brown or sweet potato mixture starts to brown around edges (approximately 2 minutes). Serve immediately.