sweet potato with pecans and maple syrup

It's days till Christmas! Come Saturday, some of us will be brimming over with holiday spirit, others will be counting the minutes til it's over. To be frank, I think I have a foot in both camps! 

If you're hosting a get-together or looking for inspiration for your Bring-a-Plate event, I hope I can give you a recipe that will be crowd pleasing in every way.

Sweet Potato with Pecans and Maple Syrup ticks so many boxes: it's a modern, lighter twist on a time-honoured Northern Hemisphere favourite - Candied Yams. It's vegetarian and gluten free. The ingredients make it feel festive to the max - once you inhale the scent of the cinnamon, maple, butter & sweet potato you'll want to dive in. 

It's an easy recipe too, with very few ingredients. Make extra. You'll want to dig into the leftovers right up until New Year's eve!

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients:
1kg sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 2cm thick discs
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tiny pinch ground Nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans
 salt flakes for finishing

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200°c or 180°c fan forced.

Line a baking tray with baking paper or Agreena wrap.

Place the sweet potatoes on the baking tray, toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper and then spread them out in an even layer.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the bottoms are starting to brown.

In a small saucepan, warm the maple, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg over medium-low heat, stirring often just until brown sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Use a pastry brush to coat the potatoes with the honey mixture. If you don't have a pastry brush, just drizzle it over as evenly as you can with a spoon. Flip the slices over, then brush the other side with remaining honey mixture. Sprinkle the pecans over the sweet potatoes and place back in the oven for another 8-10 minutes, or until they're browned and caramelized.

Scatter a little sea salt over before serving. This dish can be enjoyed straight from the oven,  warm or cold.

PIMP MY RECIPE
Actually, don't. It's perfect as is!