Wasabi!

One of my absolute favorite foods is sweet potatoes. They are both savory and sweet, can be made creamy or crunchy, and are all around just perfect. As I was flipping through cookbooks, I was instantly attracted to the recipe for Wasabi Mashed Sweet Potatoes in Moosewoods Restaurant New Classics. To create a complete meal, I made tofu seasoned with Chinese Five-Spice Powder and greens with ginger and garlic. To prepare the tofu, I patted the tofu with paper towels to release the extra moisture, then sprinkled salt, pepper, and Chinese Five-Spice on both sides. I proceeded to brown the tofu in a skillet over medium-high heat. To prepare the greens (they can be any type of green you prefer or have on hand), I simply sauteed garlic and ginger until fragrant in a bit of olive oil, then added the greens and continued to saute until wilted. The ginger from the greens, the Five-Spice from the tofu, and the wasabi and brown sugar from the potatoes complemented each other perfectly to create a harmonous meal of spice and flavor.


Wasabi Mashed Sweet Potatoes (Moosewood Restaurant New Classics)

6 cups cubed peeled sweet potatoes
water to cover
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. wasabi powder
1/4 cup butter
salt to taste
pure maple syrup or brown sugar to taste

1. In a covered pot, bring the sweet potatoes, water, and salt to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are very soft and easily pierced with a fork. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water.
2. Mix the wasabi powder with about 1 1/2 Tbs. of the potato cooking water to make a paste. Combine the drained sweet potatoes, wasabi paste, and butter and mash well. Add a little more of the cooking water, if needed. Add salt and maple syrup or brown sugar to taste.