Maple Glazed Yams With Orange And Cranberries Food

MAPLE-GLAZED YAMS WITH ORANGE AND CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook yams in large pot of boiling salted water 3 minutes. Drain; transfer to 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Blend syrup, butter and peel in small bowl; pour over yams. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Bake yams uncovered until just tender, stirring and basting occasionally, about 30 minutes. Mix in cranberries. Continue baking until yams are very tender and juices form thick glaze, about 15 minutes longer. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve.

MAPLE-GLAZED YAM STARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place each yam on its side and slice crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds.
• Using a 3-inch star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out a star shape from each round. Discard the scraps.
• Place the stars in the baking dish. Pour the orange juice and syrup over the top, and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, until yams are soft to the touch of a fork, then remove the foil and bake for approximately 30 more minutes, or until yams start to become candied. Keep a watchful eye on stars and remove early if the pan juices reduce to the point of burning. To avoid any breakage, serve directly from the baking dish with a spatula.

MAPLE ROASTED YAMS WITH CRANBERRIES AND ORANGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook cubed yams in the water until they just begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to a 13x9 baking dish.
• In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and add orange juice and maple syrup. Return to a gentle boil and simmer until it thickens just a bit, 3-5 minutes. Pour mixture over yams.
• Bake yams uncovered just until tender, about 30 minutes, stirring gently every 10-15 minutes. Mix in cranberries. Continue baking until yams are very tender and juices form a thick glaze around the yams, about 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven, stir, and serve!

MAPLE-GLAZED YAMS WITH ORANGE AND CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Cook yams in boiling salted water 3 minutes.
• Drain.
• Transfer to 13x9 baking dish.
• Blend syrup, butter, and peel in a small bowl.
• Pour over yams.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
• (Can be made one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.).
• Bake yams uncovered until just tender, stirring and occasionally basting, about 30 minutes.
• Mix in cranberries.
• Continue baking until yams are very tender and juices form thick glaze, about 15 minute longer.
• Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve.

MAPLE YAMS WITH APPLES & CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Scrub yams thoroughly, place on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F until cooked but still somewhat firm, about 30-40 minutes.
• Set yams aside to cool.
• Slice apples thinly. Leave the skin on, for its color, its wonderful nutritional value, and so the apples keep their shape. I used Granny Smiths because they have a nice tartness and don't fall apart in baking, but Golden Delicious or similar would also be good.
• Toss apples with lemon juice and set aside.
• Combine all remaining ingredients EXCEPT for cranberries in small saucepan, and cook until sugar is dissolved, creating a thin sauce.
• Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Slice sweet potatoes into thick slices, or cut into chunks as desired, leaving the skins on. (Remember--fiber is good!).
• Assemble casserole in a greased 9x13x2-inch baking dish (stoneware or glass), layering the yams, then apples, then the cranberries. There should be enough for two layers of each.
• Pour sauce over the top of the casserole.
• Bake uncovered casserole for 30-45 minutes, basting intermittently with its own juices (or with extra fruit juice for a more moist casserole--I used some apple cider I had on hand) until apples are tender and dish is hot.
• Let sit for 10 minutes before serving, if possible, so the juices can thicken up a bit.
• Variation: Drizzle lightly before serving with some warm maple syrup and/or flax oil.
• Alternatively: if you're preparing it ahead of time, cover dish with foil and refrigerate overnight, and bake as usual the next day.
• Note on the "maple syrup": you must use natural maple syrup, not pancake syrup! I used Grade B--it has a higher nutrient content and a richer flavor. If you don't have maple syrup on hand, just use honey instead. The taste won't be as rich, but it will still be yummy.