Sweet potato is a tasty superfood, it is very rich in beta carotene, in addition to providing you with vitamins A and C, dietary fiber and other nutrients that are important for the health and maintenance of skin, bones, joints and cartilage, and help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. The beta carotene in sweet potato is protective of all the cells in your body , including damaged DNA which can lead to cancer. And it is also a good source of fiber and iron. It gives you energy and helps to regulate your digestive system. The beta carotene can also give your skin a glowing tan – without any side effects!
Need we say more? Can´t hurt to mention that the flavor is superb too!
Sweet potato is a versatile ingredient!
When it comes to the preparation and uses of sweet potato the sky is the limit!
When it comes to preparing it as a part of your meal you can cook it, bake it in the oven with spices or cinnamon (the latter for those who like it extra sweet), create chips or mash it.
And so it can be used as an ingredient in other more complex dishes. Here are some recipes:
White sweet potato pizza
Recipe for crust: (size: large roasting pan)
700 gr sweet potato
2 eggs
200 gr oatmeal flour / oats
pinch of salt
Topping:
1 box quark
1 glass pesto
about 400 gr chicken fillet
1 pk cured ham
Light cheese / grated mozarella
(paprika if desired)
Extra light sour cream + rocket salad/spinach as a topping
You can either peel the sweet potatoes and cook them, or you can bake them in the microwave/oven in large chunks or until tender and then remove the skins. Afterwards you mush them together with the rest of the ingredients for the crust. Then spread the crust on a sheet of greaseproof paper in a large roasting pan. Bake crust for 10 -15 minutes at 200 ° C, while preparing the toppings. Take it out and let it rest for 2-5 min.
Fry pieces of chicken fillet with desired seasonings. Then mix the quark and the pesto and spread it evenly across the crust, then you decorate the pizza with chunks of chicken fillet, paprika and slithers of cured ham. Finally sprinkle a little cheese on top and put it back into the oven for 10-15 minutes again until cheese is golden. You can use sour cream and rocket salad/fresh spinach as topping to finish it of nicely.
Sweet potato pancakes approx. 5 little ones
100 g mashed sweet potatoes
1 egg
30 g calorie free sweetener
30 g almond flour / oatmeal flour
10 g whey protein vanilla or chocolate
(A small dash of milk) can be replaced with water
Berries to make jam
Mix everything together and fry on medium heat in a anti sticking- or similar pan. Make jam of berries or a chocolate spread of whey. See how here
Sweet potato pie / quiche
350 g sweet potato
1 egg
100g oatmeal flour / oats
Apinch of salt
Recipe filling (One pie dish)
4 eggs
3 egg whites
1.5-2 ml milk
200 g ham or chicken fillet
Vegetables – select yourself, good suggestions; peppers, onions, corn, and mushrooms
Spices, choose your favorites
Cheese topping (optional)
You can either peel the sweet potatoes and cook them, or you can bake them in the microwave/oven in large chunks or until tender and then remove the skins. Afterwards you mush them together with the rest of the ingredients for the crust. Press out dough evenly in the pie form. It´s easier if you wet your fingers a bit with water. Bake crust for 15 -20 minutes at 200 ° C while preparing the filling. Remove the pie crust from the oven and let it rest for 5 min. Fry any chicken fillet and mix together with the rest of the filling. Pour it over the pie crust and place it in the oven again for 30-40 min. Take it out halfway through and sprinkle some cheese on it if you wish.
Filled sweet potato
Recipe:
Sweet potatoes
Minced low fat beef + spices
Canned chopped tomatoes or coconut milk
Optional vegetables, for example: peppers, corn, red onion and cherry tomatoes.
Soy sauce or salsa
cheese
Wash and prick the sweet potatos with a fork. Bake them in the oven at 200 degrees for about 30 minutes, or 10-15 minutes in the microwave. Remove them to cool for a little while, cut them in half and scrape out the filling. (Do not throw away the peel!) Cook minced beef with spices. Add 1- 2 cans chopped tomatoes to the pan with the meat if you want to use tomatoes in the filling.
Mash the sweet potato filling with fork or blender. Mix in the minced beef, vegetables and (coconut milk if you want this in the filling), then fill evenly into the sweet potato skins. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake them in the oven for about 15-20 min at 200 degrees until the cheese has melted.
Baked sweet potatoes with filling