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 Thanks to their availability year-round, sweet potatoes are perfect for summer celebrations, lazy Sunday afternoon snacks and even as mid-day office snack breaks. (Sun Media) |
We're sweet on sweet potatoes.
And if you think this delicious starch is only a food to be appreciated during frosty winter weather, think again. Thanks to its availability year-round, it's perfect for summer celebrations, lazy Sunday afternoon snacks and even as a mid-day office snack break.
Think outside the skin with a veg that's delicious, nutritious and one of the most versatile items to have on hand for quick recipe ideas.
According to Sun Media's resident nutrition specialist Fran Berkoff, sweet potatoes "provide beta-carotene, an antioxidant with cancer fighting properties as well as potassium, folate, some B vitamins and fibre."
Plus, adds Berkoff, although they sound and taste rich and fattening, "at about 150 calories per 150 grams, they contain no more fat or calories than white potatoes -- and they're delicious baked, mashed or even made into fries."
Research shows sweet potatoes are considered one of the oldest vegetables known to man, and have been consumed since the dawn of time. According to organicfood.com, there is evidence that shows sweet potato relics dating back 10,000 years, discovered in Peruvian caves.
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It's all good -- and good for you. Canada's Food Guide advises having at least one serving of bright orange vegetables in your diet every day. As veggies go, sweet potatoes are one of the brightest. Enjoy the following -- and don't forget, it'll be sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving season before you know it!
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SWEET POTATO SCONES
A delicious and delicate treat; these scones are great for breakfast on-the-go or a perfect accompaniment to afternoon tea. Recipe courtesy of SUSTA (gosouthfresh.com.)
1 cup (250 ml) pureed sweet potato (about 1 large)
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (125 ml) ground pecans
2 Tbsp. (30 ml) lightly packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp. (12 ml) baking powder
1 tsp. (5 ml) ground ginger
1 tsp. (5 ml) pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. (2 ml) baking soda
1/2 tsp. (2 ml) salt
1/2 cup (125 ml) cold, cubed butter
1/2 cup (125 ml) buttermilk
1 Tbsp. (15 ml) milk
2 Tbsp. (30 ml) coarse sugar
12 pecan halves
Pre-heat oven to 425 F (225 C). Roast one large sweet potato for about 45 minutes or until tender. Set aside and let cool. (Alternatively, prick sweet potato in several places with fork. Microwave on HIGH for six minutes until fork-tender. Cool.) Peel off skin and place flesh of potato in a blender and pulse until smooth. Or use a ricer or potato masher to create the puree.
In large bowl, whisk together flour, pecans, brown sugar, baking powder, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Using pastry blender, or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In a bowl, whisk sweet potato puree with buttermilk. Pour into flour mixture and stir together to form ragged dough. Turn out onto a gently floured work surface. With lightly floured hands, knead gently until well combined and smooth, about 10 times. Do not overwork dough or scones will be tough and chewy.
Gently pat into a inch (1 cm) thick round. Using 2-inch (5 cm) round cutter, cut out rounds. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather up any scraps and press into remaining biscuits. Brush with milk and sprinkle tops with coarse sugar. Top each with a pecan half and bake in centre of a 425 F (220 C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Let cool on pan on cooling rack.
Makes 12 scones.
WEST INDIAN POTATO CURRY
Recipe courtesy of Foodland Ontario. (foodland.gov.on.ca)
2 Tbsp. (30 ml) vegetable oil
2 onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. (10 ml) minced fresh ginger root
1 Tbsp. (15 ml) curry powder (or to taste)
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 canned tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) chicken stock or water
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onions, garlic and ginger until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add curry powder; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add regular and sweet potatoes, tomatoes, stock and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender.
Serves 4 to 6.
JUST THE SWEET FACTS
- Store sweet potatoes in a cool, dry place about 13 C (55 F). Do not refrigerate.
- Once dug from the ground, sweet potatoes are cured in a warm, humid room for up to a week. This forces the sugar to the surface of the root and enhances its shelf life.
-Foodland Ontario
DID YOU KNOW?
- Despite a physical similarity and a frequent confusion with their names, yams and sweet potatoes are not even distantly related. They are in two different botanical families. Yams are actually related to grasses and lilies
- African slaves in the South called the sweet potato "nyami" because it reminded them of the starchy, edible tuber of that name that grew in their homeland. The Senegalese word "nyami" was eventually shortened to the word "yam".
- foodreference.com