"Mad Hungry" author Lucinda Scala Quinn shares this recipe for spiced sweet potato wedges with us, as a healthier alternative to those heavy casseroles. The New York City mom spoke with New York Family about staying healthy, feeding your family and always being prepared in the kitchen. Read the whole interview here. 

From Lucinda:
These sweet potato wedges are a fantastic accompaniment to grilled pork or roast chicken, and also make a stealthily healthy snack for ravenous boys. The sweet potato truly is a super vegetable: it is packed with antioxidants and four times the daily recommendation of beta-carotene needed for healthy skin, hair, and eyesight. In several vegetable rating roundups, it consistently beat most other vegetables in overall nutritional power. No wonder it’s one of the first foods we feed to babies.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise, and cut into wedges about 4 inches long
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with baking parchment or foil.

In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, cumin, and cayenne. Spread the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet. Drizzle the oil over the wedges and toss to coat.

Transfer the wedges to the bowl and toss completely with the spice mixture to coat each piece. Return the potatoes to the baking sheet and spread out in a single layer.

Bake for 10 minutes. Turn over the wedges. Raise the heat to 400F. Bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and tender.

Recipes and photo excerpted from MAD HUNGRY by LUCINDA SCALA QUINN (Artisan Books). Copyright 2009. Mikkel Vang photographer.