Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Whipped Sweet Potatoes, Bananas and Honey

This recipe is one that I discovered while watching Tyler Florence on the Food Network. This was before I decided to follow a vegan diet.  I prepared it for my family's Thanksgiving meal, and did not spare the butter or the honey.  It was delicious and became a favorite among my family members.

Now that I've decided to eliminate animal products from my diet I am on a mission to convert my favorite recipes to vegan.  A task that is easier said than done!

Last Thanksgiving I made this dish with earth balance buttery spread and brown rice syrup. My family liked it, but I found that the brown rice syrup gave it a different flavor, and was not quite as sweet.  In hind sight I think that agave might have been a better choice, to suit my tastebuds.  The rich buttery taste of the Earth Balance needed to be balanced by more sweetness.  Perhaps I should have increased the amount of syrup from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup.

So, upon the request of my family I prepared this dish again for our Christmas dinner.  This time I made it with earth balance and honey.  I know, some vegans do not include honey in their cooking because it comes from bees.  I am still undecided about that one, and on occasion will put honey in my tea.  So, I decided to use it in this dish.  It was delicious!



Here is the recipe - try it with brown rice syrup, honey, or agave and decide which one works best for you.

You can roast the potatoes and bananas ahead of time, then put it all together just before serving. Then heat it up in the oven.

Ingredients

  • 5 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
  • 4 bananas, unpeeled
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, put them in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes. Toss the bananas into the pan and continue roasting for 10 to 15 minutes, until both the bananas and potatoes are very soft. Remove the pan from the oven but don't turn the oven off.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl. Peel the bananas and add them to the bowl along with 1 stick of the butter, and the honey. Season with salt and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until everything's well combined and the mixture is fluffy. Spoon into an oven-proof serving bowl and smooth the top.
In a separate mixing bowl, use your fingers to rub together the remaining stick of butter, the brown sugar, flour, and pecans until the mixture is the consistency of coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the sweet potatoes and return to the oven. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the crumbs are golden. Serve hot.

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