Cinnamon Orange and Chile Glazed Sweet Potatoes

I'm trying to learn to love sweet potatoes. Isn't that the vegan thing to do? I used to dislike them, or at least I thought I did. My last sweet potato experience warmed me up to them, but this one finished the job. No picture, but they looked great, smelled great, and tasted great.

Cinnamon Orange and Chile Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Adapted from Rick Bayless, Mexican Kitchen (1996)

Chile Paste

• 5 cloves of garlic
• 6 ancho chiles split in half, seeded
  
• 1tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (ground yourself in a mortar or suribachi)
• 1/4 tsp. ground pepper
• 1/8 tsp. cloves (again, freshly ground)
• 1/2 cu. veggie stock or water

Place the garlic unpeeled in a clean cast iron skillet and cook over medium heat, turning, until they blacken slightly (15 minutes). Peel the garlic. In the same skillet, toast the chiles, pressing them against the skillet on each side until they make popping sounds. Remove the chiles, let them soak in hot water for half an hour, then drain. Combine all of the ingredients in a small food processor and blend into a paste. Force the mixture through a sieve.

Sweet Potatoes

• 5 or 6 sweet potatoes, not peeled
• 1 Tbs. of orange zest
  
• 1/2 cu. orange juice
• 2 Tbs. honey
• 1 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbs. olive oil

Preheat your oven to 350°. Slice the sweet potatoes into wedges and place in an oiled baking dish. Whisk the zest, juice and honey together with some of the chile paste. Keep adding paste until you like the flavour. Add the salt. Spoon the mixture over the potatoes. Bake covered for half an hour; then uncover, mix up the potatoes to cover them in the glaze, turn the oven up to 420° and roast for 15 more minutes. Garnish with cilantro and orange zest.