I grub on Japanese sweet potatoes almost daily. I’ve made a bunch of new friends since January 8^th, so I won’t assume you know why this is my carb of choice. Go ahead, catch up with this post and then rejoin the OGs (original gangsters, newbie).

Lately, there have been two issues bugging me when it comes to my spuds. First, it takes an hour for me to prepare them. Between my young men being back in school, their extracurricular activities and my work at FOX, I don’t have that time anymore. Second, quite frankly, eating the same food prepared in the same way becomes boring. I needed a change. My goals are to:

1. Prepare my dietary staple in a new and delicious manner.
2. Do so in less than 30 minutes.

I was at a bit of a loss for a way to meet these two goals. Last night, I attended my son’s high school football kickoff dinner. They served tri-tip, kale salad and grilled veggies that were out of this world. Once our bellies were full, they asked us for money.  I left inspired, not about football or fundraising, but about grilled potatoes. I had never attempted them, until today.

I began by thinly slicing the potato the long way. Remember, I’m optimizing for quicker cooking. Common sense seems to work well with grilling, even with a small electric grill. I preheated it to high and proceeded to add flavor.

I grabbed a plate and drizzled the slices with olive oil, then seasoned with garlic powder, cayenne pepper and sea salt. I don’t generally use measuring spoons for spices, so I can’t give you specific amounts. When you’re preparing this dish, season to your tastes, not mine. Hang with ‘em.

These flavors regularly find their way into my meals, and they work particularly well with the mild sweetness of the Japanese sweet potato. I find that garlic and cayenne pepper compliment each other splendidly, and the dense, sugary starch responds well to a blast of heat. If these aren’t your thing, feel free to use any flavors you prefer.

I used a closed grill for this experiment, and I got some gorgeous markings. Crispy on the exterior and moist internally, I was gifted with instant gratification. It doesn’t always work like that, but damn, if it isn’t a joy when it does.

Mission accomplished. It took about 25 minutes, all in and resulted in a satisfying new spud style. I’ll tell you about the star of the show, smoked yellowtail, at a later date.

That’s called a tease by those of us in the biz. What biz? Exactly.

Kap