A Guide To Cooking Yams

A majority of people think that yams are the same as sweet potatoes which is not the case. These two are known to be prepared in similar manner but each of them has its own nutrients. Yams are packed with vitamins An and C, beta-carotene, fiber, potassium as well as iron. All these nutrients have been discovered to be very beneficial to the human body and this will mean that regular yam dishes will ensure that you are healthy. They are delicious and highly versatile in that they have various ways of preparations with most of these preparations methods easy for the average person.

Yams can be mashed, baked as well as microwaves depending on the people it is being prepared and an example will be if it is for children they would definitely take it when mashed. Whichever method you choose to prepare your yams you will be guaranteed a delicious as well as a nutritious meal. Yams are yellow vegetables and many people in the world today lack yellow vegetables and these are capable of enhancing your nutrition. Yams are native to south and Central America, Africa and Asia and they were introduced in Europe by a gentleman by the name of Christopher Columbus.

Warm climates are known to be the perfect for growing yams and these can be found in some parts of Africa, Southern Asia as well as south Pacific. Before starting the preparation process you will have to consider a number of things most importantly the number of people going to eat including the adults and the children. You should consider if the yams will be taken on their own or they will be accompanied with other dishes in order to find out the amount of yams to prepare.

In order to prepare this yam dish you will have to have several ingredients including olive oil, cinnamon, butter, nutmeg, nonstick spray, low fat milk among other ingredients. Balking yams is the most straightforward way and now you can start with the preparation procedures. The first thing to do when cooking yams is to thoroughly wash them using a vegetable brush. The yams should then be peeled and cut into medium sizes for casserole cooking and they should be sliced thinly. The casserole dish should then be sprayed with nonstick spray and then proceed to lay yam slices in it.

The yams should then be pricked using a sharp fork or a knife and this is because yams are like other tubers and they are prone to exploding if they do not have a steam outlet. You should then dot the yams with the butter or a similar spread and also sprinkle some broken walnuts as well as dust with cinnamon. You should then preheat your oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit and put the yams in to cook for about 40 minutes. You should remove the lid when the yams are tender and place the casserole under the broiler for about five minutes. This will be the last step in learning how to bake yams and you can now serve the dish.