Heart healthy recipe: Potato and Sweet Potato Torte

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- Studies show a heart-healthy diet can reduce your risk of heart disease or stroke by 80 percent.

Improving your diet is an important step and Alexis Sims with the American Heart Association knows a lot about. She stops by "THV 11 News This Morning" to share a great recipe.

More recipes:
Turkey with Blueberry Pan Sauce
Creamed corn
Creamy green beans

Potato and Sweet Potato Torte 
Layers of potatoes and sweet potatoes meld into an impressive vegetable "cake" that forms a golden crust during baking. Serve as a vegetarian centerpiece or with roast poultry or pork.
Serves: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Baking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large leeks, trimmed, washed (see Tip) and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound sweet potatoes (about 2 small), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 pound all-purpose potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold (2-4 medium), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
Cooking Instructions
Position oven rack at the lowest level; preheat to 450°F. Coat a 9 1/2-inch, deep-dish pie pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper or foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and thyme; cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. (If necessary, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water to prevent scorching.) Season with 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper.

Arrange half the sweet potato slices, slightly overlapping, in the prepared pie pan and season with a little of the remaining salt and pepper. Spread one-third of the leeks over the top. Arrange half the potato slices over the leeks and season with salt and pepper. Top with another third of the leeks. Layer the remaining sweet potatoes, leeks and potatoes in the same manner. Cover the pan tightly with foil.

Bake the torte until the vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the torte to loosen it. Invert onto a serving plate. Remove paper or foil and serve.
To Make Ahead: The torte will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat, covered, in a 350°F oven.

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving
Calories Per Serving 149
Total Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Sodium 221mg
Carbohydrates 30g
Fiber 4g
Protein 3g
Potassium 653mg

Dietary Exchanges
2 starch, 1/2 fat

© 2012 Eating Well, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.