Healthier Southern Sides: Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Corn Bread

To finish off my healthy homage to Southern cooking I made mashed sweet potatoes and cornbread to go with Oven-Fried Catfish and Southern-Style Green Beans. Traditionally, both these dishes have lots of fats, either butter, cream or oil.

For the sweet potatoes, I mixed in almond milk and maple syrup. Yes, I said maple syrup. I used "Grade B" which is darker and has a stronger flavor than Grade A. And I believe real maple syrup is better than the artificial stuff, naturally sweet and without additives.

For the cornbread, I used a combination of cornmeal and whole wheat pastry flour and substituted a can of cream-style corn for the milk and oil. It adds even more corn flavor to the bread and keeps it moist without adding a lot of fat. You can use this trick with cornbread mixes as well.

Both went over very well with the family. The sweet potatoes were just that, with a wonderful texture. The cornbread was moist and flavorful. One serving of the potatoes were only 151 calories, with no fat and 3 grams of fiber. One piece of the corn bread was only 115 calories with 1 gram of fat and 2 of fiber.

Let's eat!

Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup Grade B maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
In a medium or large pot, just cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Strain and return potatoes to pot, add almond milk, syrup and cinnamon. Mash until smooth and well-combined.

Corny Cornbread
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 can cream-style corn.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F

In a bowl, combine flours, baking powder and salt. Add egg and cream-style corn and mix until smooth.

Line an 8-inch square pan with non-stick foil and pour in mixture. The foil makes it easy to remove from the pan. Bake until browned and the center is done, about 20 minutes. You can check for doneness by sticking a toothpick into the middle of the bread. If it comes out dry, the bread is done.

Deal of the Day: I love this Lodge Logic Cornstick Pan!


Sweet Potatoes