Baked sweet potatoes

[indysteel]

Potatoes baked in aluminum foil that are left to cool to room temperature while still wrapped in the foil apparently pose a risk of botulism, but potatoes in general do not. You shoulf either eat them immediately or refrigerate them. I don't care for baked potatoes, so that's not an issue for me.

[Sky King]

No issues with getting sick. We roast the night before, refrigerate overnight. Then put in ziploc baggies for the ride. So perhaps they are 3 hours on the ride before consumption and we toss anything that doesn't get eaten. My digestive system can't handle power bars, luna bars et al. I can eat about 1/4 of a cliff bar at best so am always open to ideas on easy to pack, high energy food for long rides.

[Melalvai]

Sweet potatoes are a really good choice. They have a lower GI than white potatoes.

[ny biker]

So, I just got back from the grocery store, and have another question.

The russet potatoes I buy generally weigh about 1 pound, and I get two meals out of each potato. I slice it lengthwise after cooking, put one half on the plate and the other half in the fridge. Topped with shredded cheddar, each half is a main course for me.

Anyway, I cook the ~1 pound potato for 7.5 minutes.

Tonight most of the sweet potatoes in the store were smaller. I found one that weighed just under a pound, and bought two others that weighed about .5 pounds each.

So, for cooking time, 6 minutes for the larger one and 3-4 for each smaller one? There would only be one in the microwave at a time.

(I will not be topping them with cheddar -- I'm going to try both vanilla yogurt and cream cheese, to see which I prefer, plus I have some cinnamon, walnuts and raisins to sprinkle on top. I want to go with something on the sweet side, but not too sweet.)

[PamNY]

Aren't microwaves different in power? I'd just experiment -- keep squeezing till it feels right. I agree sweet potatoes take a little less time than white potatoes.

[ny biker]

But how much time for a 1/2 pound potato vs a 1 pound potato? Half the time?

[angelaslc]

I'm new here and new to cycling but one thing I know is nutrition and cooking healthy foods.

I got rid of my microwave because it makes everything taste....blah...plus I notice my digestion is better with non-microwave foods and they say it zaps the nutrients from food. I don't miss having one.

The BEST way to cook sweet potatoes is in the oven. I usually get 2 large potatoes and 1 onion. It feeds 2 of us for the week.

1. Heat it up to 425
2. Rinse and scrub skins (do not peel)
3. Slice the sweet potatoes about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
4. Slice up an onion.
5. Mix together with olive oil in a casserole dish - I like the stone cookware.
6. Cook in the oven for about 35 min. Stir - add more olive oil if needed.
7. Cook an additional 10-25 mins.
8. Sprinkle with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Yum! They are so full of flavor - nice and caramelized. I put the leftovers in the fridge and I usually eat it cold as a snack.

Adjust cooking times, potato thickness to your preference.
My crossfit friends buy sweet potato baby food by the case. They open the jar and drink it as a snack. I tried that once....but...blah.....
It's a lot cheaper and it tastes so much better to cook up a batch of roasted sweet potatoes for the week.

I will try it out as a snack for long rides. I’ve only had my bike for a week and I’ve only gone on 6, 16, 17, and 18 mile rides so far. But I have a 36 mile ride planned for the weekend. I will try it for a snack on my rides - thanks for the tip!