Tahini-Soy Glazed Sweet Potatoes – Recipe!

Roasted sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods and have been since I was a child.  There’s something so satisfying about a sweet potato after being cooked in a hot oven and becoming so tender, you can pierce it with a fork.  The softened internal structure with a deepened orange color is rewarding enough simply sliced in half, and dolloped with butter, but when smeared with a dark hued tahini soy glaze, it becomes almost a piece of art that bursts with sweet and savory flavors.

The glaze or sauce is created with only a few ingredients that many of us already have in our pantries.  The soy sauce in this recipe is best if dark, but classic soy sauce will work.  I just prefer the taste of dark soy sauce, and also like that it’s less salty.  The color is pretty impressive too — deep dark richness — that’s irresistible.  First, I fully cook the sweet potatoes, then brush the tops with glaze and placed them under the broiler for a few minutes.  After removing the potatoes from the oven, I sprinkled them with sesame seeds and scallions for a brighter look and magnificent texture that’s uncompromising.  These sweet potatoes make a great side dish, that can partner with any protein or salad, and are easy to prepare ahead of time, and can be broiled right before serving.

Ingredients

3 large sweet potatoes, sliced in half

1/3 cup tahini paste

1/4 cup dark soy sauce, or regular

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon sesame oil

squeeze of hot sauce, any variety

2 scallions, sliced

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

oil for pan

(Serves 6)

To Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place sliced sweet potatoes cut-side-down in an oiled casserole dish and sprinkle with salt.  Roast for 30-35 minutes, or until you can pierce with a knife.  Remove from oven and flip potatoes flesh side up.  Turn oven to broil.
2. In a small sauce pan, add tahini, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and hot sauce.  Cook over low heat until slightly bubbling and thickened.
3. Brush tops of potatoes with glaze.  Place potatoes back into oven to cook for 1-2 minutes, just until slightly bubbling.  Remove and sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions.  Serve hot.  Enjoy!