Most of the orange vegetables you see labeled yams or sweet potatoes are actually sweet potatoes. To find a real yam, which is from the lily family and can be as big as your arm, you need to go to a specialty food store. So the whole argument about which is better for you is a moot point, since most yams are sweet potatoes.
Like white potatoes, sweet potatoes should not be eaten raw. Even if you wash the skin, unless they are organically grown, I wouldn’t recommend eating the skin. You can treat them like you would any potato and boil them, but doing so may lose some of the nutrients. Steaming them is an alternative. If you peel and then cut each one into half-inch pieces, you only need to steam them for about seven minutes. You can also choose to microwave one for 3-4 minutes after stabbing it with a fork and wrapping it in a damp paper towel. Baking them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit may take longer, but it will warm up the kitchen on a cold winter day, and they can be finished on time with everything else or in about 35-40 minutes.
I make sweet potato chips in my air fryer at 390 degrees Fahrenheit. I cut them thinly with a mandolin and fry them for 8-10 minutes. Then lightly salt them with a mixture of baking salt (less coarse) and ground ginger. I can’t seem to make enough of these, but I usually slice 3-4 of them to last a few days.
Sweet potatoes are high in vitamins A, C, and B6, and manganese, potassium, and fiber. They can be treated like you would a pumpkin in terms of seasoning them. In fact, feel free to use pumpkin spice and a bit of butter in them. Any of the sweet spices for baking is good, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger. Due to their sweet flavor, they are perfect when combined with something spicy, such as black pepper, cayenne or red pepper flakes. Even the chili powder is a nice touch. Other spices to experiment with include fennel, coriander, coconut, rosemary, oregano, and cumin. Sauté them in a little coconut oil with some 5-spice powder for a real treat.
Make your own sweet potato spice mix by mixing the following spices and keeping them in their own jar: 1 tablespoon each fennel and chili powder, ¾ teaspoon each coriander and black pepper, 1½ teaspoons each cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon each red pepper flakes , if you like it spicy . This with a teaspoon of salt will make about 1½ ounces or less than a quarter cup of your own mix.
If you have any leftover, remove them from the skin in the morning and mix them into your favorite pancake mix. Wow, what could be better than maple syrup with sweet potato pancakes? Or if you are going to eat eggs, make patties and fry them in a little butter or coconut oil. Sprinkle with your special mix. For an easy soup, dilute an onion and sauté it in a little butter. Put the onion in a pot and add 3 cooked sweet potatoes, 2 cups of chicken or beef broth, 2 cups of milk and simmer for 5 minutes. Puree the mixture and add some of your special spice mix. As versatile as a potato, but with many more vitamins and nutrients, how can you resist something so sweet?