Crushed Yams With Steamed Spinach Food

SERENA BAKES SIMPLY FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• In a large saucepan add yams, cinnamon, sea salt and water.
• Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn heat to low. Check yams after 15 minutes to make sure there is liquid still in the bottom of the pan, if not add another 1/4 cup water to prevent burning and check yams for doneness. Recover and continue to cook yams for another 5 minutes or until fork tender. DO NOT DRAIN.
• Remove lid and allow yams to sit for 3 minutes.
• Add butter and pepper.
• Mash yams with a potato masher until smooth and creamy. Add a splash of milk if needed.

MY GRANDMA'S CANDIED YAMS WITH PINEAPPLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the sweet potatoes in a 2-quart baking dish. Set aside.
• In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the sugar and stir until smooth. Drain the pineapple in a strainer, reserving the juice. Stir in about half the pineapple and half the pineapple juice; reserve the rest of the pineapple and juice for another use. Stir in the cinnamon, cloves and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture directly over the sweet potatoes.
• Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the sweet potatoes are just tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the sweet potatoes are caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes more.
• Plate and serve immediately. Pour extra sauce from the bottom of the baking dish on top.

CLASSIC CANDIED YAMS

Steps:

• Cut the sweet potatoes crosswise into 1-inch-thick rounds. Halve or quarter any extra-large pieces so that they are all similar in size.
• Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a small bowl. Add the sugar mixture to the Dutch oven and whisk until it forms a paste. Add the potatoes and stir well, spooning the sugar mixture over the potatoes to coat evenly.
• Cover and cook the potatoes, stirring occasionally and gently to avoid breaking them up, until they are just tender when pierced with the tip of a knife and the sauce resembles a thin syrup, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast until dark brown with a light scent of roasted nuts, about 8 minutes. Season the pecans with some salt while warm, let them cool completely and coarsely chop.
• Transfer the potatoes with their sauce to a large serving platter and sprinkle the pecans over the top.

MASHED YAMS

Steps:

• peel and cut yams into cubes.
• boil until tender (about 30 mins).
• drain.
• add butter, sugar, cinnamon.
• mix until smooth (I use the hand mixer but my mom prefers the stand mixer).

CANDIED YAMS WITH PECANS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add yams and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Drain and transfer to a bowl with butter, 4 tablespoons brown sugar, cream, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Mash until all ingredients are incorporated and butter is melted. Transfer to a casserole dish and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar and cinnamon. Arrange pecans and marshmallows over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.