Life is supposedly all about finding balance.  Less screen time, more conversation.  Less sitting, more moving.  Less work, more relaxing (or perhaps less relaxing, more work).  I'm not the best at this approach.  As much as I hate to admit it, I tend to have an all or nothing personality.  Go big or go home, right?

This side dish came about after the third straight week of yet another pulled pork variation for dinner, and my need for a little nutritional balance on the side.  I've always loved sweet potatoes (technically yams) in any form, mostly for their hint of sweetness and bit of Southern nostalgia, but also for their health benefits.  Of course, once they're all dressed up in their usual fixings of butter, sugar, cinnamon, and marshmallows, who can tell?  Make no mistake, I will always be the first in line to pile a big ole heap of sweet potato casserole on my plate around the holidays, but this time, I needed something lighter and more figure friendly.  Enter the grill.

I sliced these into 1/2" rounds with the skins still intact to hold them together, brushed them with a little olive oil, and threw them on the grill.  Totally easy and effortless.  The yogurt sauce is just plain Greek yogurt with a little honey and cinnamon...completely adjustable to suit your taste.  These are light, healthy, and simple...the perfect summer side dish.  We had ours with pulled pork burgers, but I imagine they would be great with barbecued chicken or steak and a bright summer salad.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Honeyed Cinnamon Yogurt Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 large orange sweet potatoes
olive oil, for brushing
salt
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1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon 

Method:

• Preheat grill to medium heat, about 450 F.
• Wash/brush the sweet potatoes under water.  Do not peel, as the skins will help keep the potatoes intact.  
• Slice into 1/2" rounds and arrange on a baking sheet.
• Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. 
• Place the rounds on the hot grill and close the lid.  
• Cook with lid closed for about 2 minutes on each side, or just long enough to get good grill marks.
• Transfer to upper rack or outside edges of grill and continue to cook just until soft, about 5-7 more minutes. 
• Stir together yogurt, honey, and cinnamon in a small bowl and top cooked potatoes with the sauce.  Garnish with extra cinnamon if desired.
• Enjoy!

Tips:

• Alternatively, you can roast these (still cut into rounds) in an oven set to 450 F for about five minutes on each side, or just until soft. 
• In some places, you can find white sweet potatoes.  While technically the "real" sweet potato, I haven't tested this recipe with that variety, so no guarantees on the outcome. :)