Recipe: Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Collard Greens

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From: Kelly~WA

Savory Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Ribbons of Collard Greens
From "3 Bowls Vegetarian Recipes from an American Zen Buddhist Monastery" by Seppo Ed Farrey with Myochi Nancy O'Hara, Houghton Mifflin Company 2000

A scrumptious side dish worthy of any holiday table. A dusting of cayenne charms extra flavor out of the sweet potatoes without leading a trace of spiciness. This dish can be prepared a few hours or a few days in advance and reheated in the oven just before serving. These potatoes are so sweet and favorable that they need no butter.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

4 pounds sweet potatoes (approximately 4 large or 5 medium potatoes). pierced a few times with a fork
1 teaspoon canola or corn oil
1 cup packed collard green leaves, large ribs removed, leaves torn in half lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch strips
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
2 pinches of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the sweet potatoes for about 1-1/2 hours, or until they indent when poked with a finger. Remove from the oven (do not turn oven off). Let them cool until you can handle them, about 10 minutes. To peel, pierce the skin with a knife and, gripping the skin between your thumb and the flat part of t he knife blade, gently peel it back from the flesh, working around the potato, not down its length. Place the potatoes in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the collard greens and saute, stirring frequently until they begin to wilt, turn a darker green, and become slightly tender to t he bit, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the greens to another bowl to stop them from cooking further.

Whip the potatoes with an electric mixer, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until smooth and fluffy. Fold in the nutmeg, salt, and cayenne, then whip the potatoes again to evenly incorporate the spices. Season with more salt to taste.

Fold in the collard greens. (This dish can be prepared in advance to this point.)

Place in a 9- X 13-inch baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through. Serve immediately.