Om wrote:

> I cannot STAND sweet potatoes or winter squashes with added sweetening!
> To me, they are sweet enough on their own. I prefer to roast or steam
> them and serve them as a savory dish with butter and salt to taste,
> maybe some salt free lemon pepper and/or dill weed.

You might like these:

Malay-Style Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew with Coconut Milk, Ginger, and
Chiles (from _Big Flavors of the Hot Sun_)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 2 1/2 pound chickens, cut up
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh chile of your choice
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup vegetable oil (approx)
3 tablespoons minced ginger
5 tablespoons prepared curry powder
2 quarts chicken stock
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cayenne, cinnamon, and cloves and
mix well.

2. Dredge the chicken pieces in the spiced flour. In a large, wide
stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add
the chicken pieces in a single layer, being careful not to crowd the
pan--work in batches if necessary. Cook until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes
per side. As the chicken is browned, remove to a platter.

3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions, and cook until they just
begin to color, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, curry powder, and
chile and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Add the stock, the
browned chicken, and the sweet potatoes, return to a simmer, and cook for
about an hour, covered, until a peek inside one of the pieces of chicken
shows that it is cooked through.

4. Add the coconut milk and continue to cook for 1 minute. Remove from the
heat, add the cilantro, mix well, and serve. Serves 6 to 8 as an entree.


Beef Tagine with Sweet Potatoes (from _Couscous and other Good Food from
Morocco_)

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 to 3 pounds beef stewing meat, such as shoulder, chuck, or short ribs
of beef (with some bone), cut into 1 1/4 inch chunks
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
Salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup salad oil
1/2 teaspoon sharp paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 pinches ground cumin
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 1/2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup mixed chopped herbs (parsley and cilantro)
2 ripe tomatoes
1 pound sweet potatoes
Juice of 1 lemon

EQUIPMENT
Paring knife
Vegetable peeler
5 1/2 quart flameproof casserole with a tight-fitting lid
3 1/2 quart saucepan
Shallow ovenproof serving dish
Aluminum foil

WORKING TIME: 30 minutes
COOKING TIME: 2 hours or more

Serves: 4 to 6

1. Remove and discard the excess fat from the beef. Place the beef in the
casserole with the turmeric, salt, pepper, and oil. Fry, turning the beef
often to lightly brown all sides. Cover the casserole tightly and cook 15
minutes WITHOUT LIFTING THE COVER. The meat will cook in its own juices,
drawn out by the salt over low heat.

2. Stir in the remaining spices, chopped onion, herbs, and very little
water. Simmer, covered, 1 1/2 to 2 hours over gentle heat, until the meat is
very tender (almost falling off the bones). Add water whenever necessary to
keep the meat from scorching.

3. Peel the tomatoes, halve them crosswise and squeeze out the seeds, then
cut them into chunks. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into
1/2-inch-thick slices.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Transfer the meat and gravy to the serving
dish. Place the sweet potatoes on top of the meat and the tomatoes on top of
the sweet potatoes. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes, until the meat and
potatoes are tender. Remove the foil cover, raise the oven temperature to
450°F, and transfer the dish to the upper shelf of the oven. Bake until
there is a brown-spotted crust over the tomatoes. (If there is a great deal
of gravy in the pan, pour it off into a saucepan and reduce over high heat
to 1 cup before returning it to the dish.) Taste for seasoning and serve at
once.


Shrimp Tostadas with Sweet Potatoes (from _The Well-Filled Tortilla_)

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
12 cups shredded lettuce
6 corn or flour tortillas, crisped hard and flat just before serving
2 small cucumbers, peeled and cut into matchstick strips
1 1/2 pounds cooked shrimp, peeled, tails removed, and deveined
2/3 cup tomato salsa
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the sweet potato pieces
and boil gently until tender but still firm, about 8 minutes. Drain in a
colander, set aside to drip dry.

2. In a small bowl, mix the salsa, sour cream, and salt.2.

3. To assemble, spread about 2 cups shredded lettuce over each tortilla.
Arrange about 1/2 cup each of the sweet potatoes and the cucumbers over the
lettuce. Mound about 1/2 cup of the shrimp in the center. Top with a
dollop of the sour cream mixture, and sprinkle tarragon leaves over all.
Serve the remaining sour cream mixture on the side. Eat while the tortilla
is still crunchy.


Bob