Magic Roots: Yam & Basic Recipe Suggestions

Yam's are a great substitute for mash potato, freezes well when cut into cubes and is just an all round amazing root vegetable. If you've boiled Yam you'll no strange things begin to happen in the pan. Yams come with jackets of soily brown like the one in the picture, purple skinned and others are orangey in flesh. The orangey fleshed is what you all know as sweet potato. For these recipes I would suggest you use the white fleshed yam boiling this whiter root is really interesting. Is a great compliment with spices or just plain fish recipes. More recently scientific research is being down into Yam for it's practical use in Diosgenin is a hormone molecule contained in Yam and is currently being investigated experimentally for its potential anti-cancer effects. But what is concrete fact is that Yam is high in B6 which is a great source of pre-menstrual relief for women and is none to give sustenance without bloating, therefore it can also be used for slimmers because it is a natural high in fibre provider.

The mandrake however is an aphrodisiac quoted in the bibe and more specifically mentioned in the writings of alchemist Elliphas Levi who said of the root vegetable:

"The first men were, in this case, a family of gigantic, sensitive mandragores, animated by the sun, who rooted themselves up from the earth ; this assumption not only does not exclude, but, on the contrary, positively supposes, creative will and the providential co-operation of a first cause, which we have reason to call God."

So the root vegtables were here before us but what's great about the analogies taught within the teachings of the harvesting and cultivation of the root vegtable mandrake is if you don't grow these vegtables with unconditional love and never fear it's scream your guaranteed a great harvest of food. The yam may not be an aphrodisiac however it tastes great and is an all road fun food to cook, I love yam. Additionally I feel it important to add "nutrition is a science not black magic." (Victor Herbert: 1982)

Firstly it's important to mention you should always skin the yam before cooking because some of the skins can have a carcinogous affect of the stomach some then even containing poisons you do not want to dabble with. Try not to be a batty boy as they say Jamaica. Charles Darwin played with carcingous chemicals in his studies and found poisons like arsenic to have side effects like cancer so please treat this root with care when preparing, wash after pealing if necessary. Remember cancer is the second leading cause of death and still the research into it's cures have still not been fully developed yet.

Now the logistics are out the way here are three basic Yam recipes all of which I personally recommend.With all these (except the chips or crisps) recipes firstly Place yams in a large pan of lightly salted, boiling water and cook.

Baked Yam
Serves three
Ingredients

Half a large yam or 500g
Butter 50g
Honey 25ml

Place yams in a large pan of lightly salted, boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes, or until tender then drain of the water. Toss into the pan the butter and the honey then transfer the cubed yam to a baking utensil ( I usually keep pre-prepared packaged foil trays because there small cheap and eventually disposable) like you'd use for roasting potatoes. Place into the oven at a relatively high heat some say it's good to preheat the oven this depends I suppose on the efficiency of your oven. In about 35 mins your yam will be yummy crispy and chip like.

Serving suggestion: great with a chicken salad, lots of rocket and evenly sliced fresh vine tomatoes and a big blob of your favourite coleslaw.

Mashed Yam
Serves two
Half a large yam approx 500g
Packet of dried mash potato ( just in case your not happy with consistency!)
Butter or margarine 20g
teaspoon full of Sea salt granules

Cut the yam into cubes randomly then Place yam into a large pan of lightly salted, boiling water. Cook until the gooey water has bubbled substantially (usually about 40 mins) or until really tender then drain of some the water. Don't waste all the juice it's this juice that will make your yam nice a sticky yet mashy and yummy. I say at an estimate about at least 150ml a white sticky fluid should remain. Now take a potato masher and begin mashing the fluids and cubes of yam together, you'll find the consistency begins to change if it seems far to sloppy then feel free to sprinkle in potato granules to restore the equilibrium of this recipe.

Serving suggestion: Really hot chillied chicken with a sweet and sour sauce twist. Braised beef boiled to the hilt until soft and sqidgy or salt fish such as ackie or other native african fish favourites. Okra is also great boiled or even cleverer you can attach it to the top of the boiling yam and steam this tastey stickey green vegetable. To accompany this recipe mix it with a yummy sauce and a meat or fish of your choice.

Yam Chips (Crisps)
Serves one or two
Ingredients
Skinny Yam 250g
Olive oil
Palm oil
Vegtable oil
Paprika
Dried Thyme

Slice the skinny yam thinly into acceptable into crisp mouth size pieces then, meanwhile heat 20 ml of vegetable oil mixed with 20 ml of olive oil and a table spoon of palm oil, when using palm oil it's good to have a lid on your pan. The last thing you want is you kitchen wall splattered in orange. Remember to add the dried thyme at this point this is what gives the oil an aromatic smell which will be present in the crispy yam. Do the yam in instalments until crispy and curl, then fish out of the oil and place separately on a relatively large tray, you can do this between batches. Be sure to let the oil drain of the yam before placing onto the tray. Between batches feel free to top with an oil of your choice. Vegetable being the cheapest and the palm oil being the messiest. To much palm oil will overpower the paprika flavouring creating a spicy tang so be careful with the amounts used. Don't leave the chips in oven to long between batches so maybe even clear the tray occasionally as you go through this process a bowl is good serving suggestion and at this point the paprika can be sprinkled over the chips.

Serving suggestion: Goes great with a Twix and a big mug of coffee.

http://www.tracokg.com/yams-root3.htm
Victor Herbert: (1982): Nutrition Cultism Facts and Fictions (4th ed.) Philadelphia: George F. Stickley Company