Veggievangelist: Sweet Potatoes with Granny Smith Apples

I went to the store today to purchase the usual staple items for the week (bananas, lettuce, carrots), and remembered at the last minute that I wanted to make Sweet Potatoes with Granny Smith Apples to go with last night's baked chicken breast. This is a very simple recipe, and one certainly worth repeating. I found it a number of years ago in our local paper, in an article where the paper tracks down a recipe from a local restaurant for a reader. In this instance, the restaurant is the OK Cafe. They mint money there, and have for 25 years now. This restaurant defies current economics. It's the place to see and be seen. I think my appendix ruptured there while having breakfast with a friend, but that's probably another story another time.

My husband ate after we did this evening and declared the sweet potatoes, "Excellent."

Sweet Potatoes with Granny Smith Apples
Adapted from http://www.okcafe.com, Atlanta
Four servings

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45-50 minutes
This is a great make-ahead recipe to put in the fridge early in the day, and bake closer to mealtime. Just cover it with foil or plastic wrap and put it in the fridge.

1 pound sweet potatoes (3 medium), peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into thick chunks
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp. packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup apple cider (or apple juice)
1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine the mustard, brown sugar, ground ginger, olive oil, cider, rosemary and bay leaf. Add the sweet potatoes and apples to the baking dish and cover with the liquid ingredients. Stir to coat (and stir gently every 15-20 minutes while cooking) and bake for 45-50 minutes until potatoes are tender.