Sweet potatoes rank in the stratosphere for their cancer- and heart disease-fighting elements — and if you are microwaving one at work for a midafternoon snack, you should just keep doing that. They're great at filling you up without causing the insulin spike-and-dive that sweets are famous for.

If you'd like to develop a little more of the sweetness that the potatoes are famous for, cook them more slowly, using a conventional oven. Cutting them in chunks helps reduce the cooking time.

CUMIN-ROASTED SWEET POTATOES

• 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (2 large)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves (about 2 teaspoons), minced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon (freshly ground) pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch (or so) chunks. Place sweet potatoes on a wide, shallow baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and then toss (use your hands) to coat the chunks with the oil. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10.

As potatoes bake, combine remaining ingredients in a small dish. When the potatoes have baked 20 minutes, drizzle seasoning over them and stir to coat. Continue baking 20 minutes, stirring once, or until the sweet potatoes are soft. Serve with chicken and broccoli or green beans.

Serves 4.

For oven-roasted chicken breast: Scoot the potatoes to one side of the roasting pan and place four boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves of even thickness on the pan. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and dried thyme. Drizzle with a little olive oil, and bake 20 minutes.