(THE WASHINGTON POST) - You can kick off sweet potato season at your house with this stir-fry, and if you hadn't thought of using them that way before, you have company.

I endorse! Here, they take on the savoury flavours of the quick sauce; cut and cook them as directed - a little shy of fully tender and with edges for crisping - and you'll get the benefit of their natural sweetness as well.

There's not much to prep in this recipe, but I would suggest taking a few minutes to first shred fresh cabbage as an accompaniment. It adds a welcome crunch and keeps this meal in low-carb territory.

Stir-Fried Sweet Potato and Pork

2 to 3 servings

Serve with thinly sliced green or Napa cabbage.

Adapted from Sweet Potatoes: Roasted, Loaded, Fried And Made Into Pie by Mary-Frances Heck (Clarkson Potter, 2017)

INGREDIENTS

2 or 3 large cloves garlic

5cm piece fresh ginger root

3 scallions

450g sweet potato

1 Tbs Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

1 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce or tamari

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

170g ground pork

1 Tbs canola or grapeseed oil

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

METHOD

1. Mince enough of the garlic to yield 1 tablespoon.

2. Peel and mince the ginger to yield 1 tablespoon.

3. Separate the scallion whites and greens; chop each.

4. Peel the sweet potato, and either grate it in a food processor (cut into chunks first), cut it into matchsticks or use a spiralizer.

5. Whisk together the wine or dry sherry, the soy sauce or tamari, the Worcestershire sauce and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the pork and stir with a fork to incorporate.

6. Heat a wok or large, well seasoned cast-iron skillet over high heat. Drizzle in the oil so that it coats the sides of the wok. Working quickly, add the garlic, ginger and scallion whites; stir-fry for 5 seconds, then add the pork mixture and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until the pork is cooked through.

7. Add the sweet potato; stir-fry for about 6 minutes and try to create some crisped edges on it, if possible. Some of the sweet potato pieces will still be somewhat firm. Remove from the heat.

8. Divide among individual bowls. Garnish each portion with the scallion greens. Serve hot.

Nutrition | Per serving: 350 calories, 13 g protein, 35 g carbohydrates, 17 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 360 mg sodium, 5 g dietary fiber, 8 g sugar