Sweet & Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges

Sweet potatoes are a nutritional all-star. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. These wedges make a great side dish or a perfect mid-afternoon snack. Dip them in ketchup, or curried plant-based mayonnaise, or barbecue sauce...all good!

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• scant 1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
• 2 T cinnamon/sugar mix
• 1/4 t ground cayenne pepper
• 1/4 t cumin
• salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Scrub the sweet potatoes and slice into wedges of about the same thickness. (I like to cut the ends off, halve the potatoes, and then slice into wedges.) Leave the skin on, as it is the source of a lot of the nutrients in sweet potatoes.
3. Mix olive oil, 1 1/2 T of the cinnamon/sugar mix, cayenne pepper, cumin, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add sweet potato wedges and toss with hands to coat all wedges thoroughly with the mixture.
4. Pour sweet potato wedges on a lightly oiled or lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for 15 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and turn all of the potatoes gently with a spatula. After turning, sprinkle them with the remaining 1/2 T of cinnamon/sugar mixture.
7. Bake for another 15 minutes, until wedges are tender and caramelized.
8. Enjoy!

Nutritional Yeast "Cheesy" Sauce

Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that is chock full of protein and vitamins, especially B-complex vitamins. The flavor is often described as nutty or cheesy...I think it's fantastic! I enjoy this sauce more than I ever enjoyed a cow's milk cheese sauce. And bonus: it's ready in less than 10 minutes!

Ingredients:

• 1 T vegan buttery spread
• 3/4 C unsweetened almond milk
• 1 T all purpose flour
• 1/3 C nutritional yeast
• 2 t Dijon mustard
• 1 T tahini
• 1 T white miso
• 1/4 t garlic powder
• 1/4 t onion powder
• 1/4 t cajun seasoning*
• 1/8 t turmeric

Preparation:

1. Melt the vegan buttery spread in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Whisk together the flour and almond milk until there aren't any clumps.
3. Add the almond milk mixture and the nutritional yeast to the pot.
4. Mix thoroughly.
5. Add the remainder of the ingredients and simmer until thickened, whisking often. It shouldn't take more than about five minutes.
6. Enjoy over pasta, with tortilla chips, or any way you'd use a traditional cheese sauce. (My favorites: with Garden of Eatin' Red Hot Blues spicy chips or with pasta.)

Notes:

*If you don't like spicy food, just omit the cajun seasoning.