Sweet potatoes are versatile winter veggies. I love keeping a few in the pantry. Away from light and humidity, they’ll last a while. This makes them a great option to go to on days when you’ve run low on other fresh ingredients. Sweet potatoes aren’t just a great side dish, they can be the base for a delicious filling meal! Here are three recipes to start with.
The fastest way to cook your sweet potato
Since I’m always running low on time, and I’m always trying to find ways to make cooking easier, I’ve found that my favourite way to cook your sweet potato is right in the microwave. You don’t get a caramelization of the flesh like in the oven but you have a ready sweet potato in 15 minutes instead of 45.
If you prefer to use the traditional method all you need to do is slice your sweet potatoes lengthwise, rubbing a bit of olive oil on them and roast them in the oven at 400F for about 40 minutes or until the veggie starts to soften (the cooking time will depend on the size of the potato but they will always cook faster sliced in half)
Learn more about sweet potatoes
The sweet potato is one of the best sources of Vitamin A, this vitamin contributes to bone and teeth strength, protects our skin, and helps with vision. Since it is a fat-soluble vitamin, it is a good idea to include a source of fat at the same meal, since the fat will help with the absorption of vitamin A. Sweet potatoes are also a source of fibre, which helps with our digestive system, slowing the absorption of sugar and bad cholesterol.
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes – 3 Ways
1- Burrito
2 portions
Ingredients
- 2 Sweet Potatoes
- ½ cup Red Cabbage, shredded
- ½ cup canned Black Beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup Corn
- 2 tbsp Pumpkin Seeds
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 lime, sliced in half
- ¼ tsp Chilli Powder (or Chipotle Powder)
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 ripe Avocado
- 2 tbsp Salsa
- A few fresh Cilantro leaves (optional)
Directions
- Using a fork, pierce each sweet potato 5-6 times all over. Microwave the sweet potatoes in a microwave safe plate or bowl and hit 15 minutes on high or until the sweet potatoes become tender (try them by poking with a fork).
- Carefully slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and let them cool.
- In a medium sized bowl mix the cabbage, black beans, corn, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, the juice from ½ lime, the chilli powder and the salt.
- Using a spoon, scoop out about 2 tbsp of sweet potato flesh from each half and add it to the bowl of ingredients. Mix everything together. Stuff this mixture back into each half of sweet potato.
- In a small bowl mash up the avocado flesh. Add the salsa, and juice of the other ½ of lime and mix well. Top each half of the sweet potato with this mixture, top with the cilantro leaves and serve immediately.
2- Peanut Satay Chicken
2 portions
- 2 Sweet Potatoes
- 1 Chicken Breast, cooked
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 Garlic Clove, minced
- 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger, grated
- ½ cup Peanut Butter
- ½ Chicken Broth
- 1 tbsp Tamari (or Soy Sauce)
- The juice of ½ Lime
- 1 tsp Sambal Oelek (chilli flake paste)
- 1 Broccoli Head, cut in florets
- 1 tbsp Peanuts (optional)
Directions
- Using a fork, pierce each sweet potato 5-6 times all over. Microwave the sweet potatoes in a microwave safe plate or bowl and hit 15 minutes on high or until the sweet potatoes become tender (try them by poking with a fork).
- Carefully slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and let them cool.
- While this is happening, use two forks to shred the chicken breast.
- In a small pan, heat up the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 1 minutes. Add the peanut butter, chicken broth, tamari, juice from the lime and the Sambal Oelek. Lower the heat and simmer until you get a creamy smooth sauce.
- Add the shredded chicken and broccoli florets and mix well. Keep them in the pan until everything is heated through.
- Using a spoon, scoop out about 2 tbsp of sweet potato flesh from each half and add it to the pan with the chicken mixture and mix well.
- Top each sweet potato half with the mixture and top with optional peanuts.
3- Feta olives & spinach
2 portions
- 2 medium sized Sweet Potatoes
- 2 tsp Olive Oil
- 1 Garlic Clove, minced
- 2 cups Baby Spinach
- 1 cup of Quinoa, cooked
- ¼ cup Pecans
- ¼ cup Kalmata Olives, pitted and chopped
- 2 tbsp Feta Cheese, crumbled
- Pepper, to taste
Directions
- Using a fork, pierce each sweet potato 5-6 times all over. Microwave the sweet potatoes in a microwave safe plate or bowl and hit 15 minutes on high or until the sweet potatoes become tender (try them by poking with a fork).
- Carefully slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and let them cool.
- In a pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add the spinach and cook until they become soft and tender, about 3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add the quinoa, pecans, olives and feta. Season and mix well.
- Using a spoon, scoop out about 2 tbsp of sweet potato flesh from each half and add it to the pan mixture and mix well.
- Top each sweet potato half with the mixture and enjoy.
Lastly, if you don’t have all the exact ingredients at home, you can still serve up stuffed sweet potatoes! You can always replace ingredients with what you have on hand. For example, you can alter the Chicken Satay Stuffed Sweet Potato vegetarian by using tofu, or all the veggies you have in the fridge. If you have leftover pork you can use that in place of chicken! If you don’t have broccoli, you can use spinach. The combinations are endless.
To learn more about winter veggies check out this post.
Written by Marie-Ève Caplette, Registered Dietitian and Half Your Plate Campus ambassador
