sweet potato – Move Well with Amy Rizzotto

December 2, 2014

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Lime, Cilantro & Tahini Dressing

As seasons change, so too does our palette. Whether you ascribe to seasonal dietary changes as those who practice Ayurvedic nutrition do or not, most of us would agree that when the warmth of early fall burns out and winter sets upon us raw veggies and icy lemonade no longer sound so appealing. If we carefully, our bodies tend to crave warming foods—think roasted vegetables, soups and heating spices. We’re all far more likely to go to an Indian restaurant now than amidst the stifling heat and humidity of August.

While our natural instincts may lead us to butternut squash and parsnips, there are those of us that still need a good salad every now and again. A warm salad might just be what many of us need in order to give into the turning times while still feeling grounded and nourished. This warm salad, featuring vitamin-A rich sweet potato and fiber-rich chickpeas, is filling yet light, full of flavor yet detox-friendly.

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Lime, Cilantro and Tahini Dressing

(makes 4 servings)

What You’ll Need:

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad:

2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs), skin-on and cut into cubes
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Pinch of sea salt
2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cups prepared chickpeas (canned works too)

Lime, Cilantro ad Tahini Dressing:

2 small garlic cloves, minced
1/4 fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 yellow onion, finely diced
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup tahini
Sea salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
In a large bowl, combine the sweet potato, spices, olive oil and a few pinches of sea salt. Toss until all pieces are evenly coated. Roast on a baking sheet for 30 min, or until soft.
Remove from the oven and let cool.
While the sweet potatoes roast, make the tahini dressing. In a food processor (or blender), add all ingredients and mix until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. You may opt to add a little water to thin it out.
To bring it all together, combine the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, onion and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add 3/4 of the dressing, gently folding it into the mixture and serve with the additional dressing on the side.

Be sure you enjoy this recipe right away. Otherwise, set aside the portion of salad you don’t plan to eat undressed and save a small container of the dressing. You can reheat the salad when you’re ready and top with the tasty dressing. This is a great salad to bring to work and keeps well in the refrigerator for up to four or five days.

October 15, 2014

Autumn Spice Granola

There is pretty much nothing I like more than a breakfast of greek yogurt, fresh fruit (apple season, hooray!), cinnamon and granola. The problem is whenever I go to the grocery store to try and pick up a bag I can never bring myself to buy one–not because they’re too expensive (though they often are) but because they’re almost all loaded with sugar and/or something the label calls “other carbohydrates,” whatever that means. Call me crazy but I like to know exactly what’s in my food.

Whenever I can, I like to pick up Greenheart Granola or Ahimsa Foods raw granola from my local farmers’ market, but I’ve found it’s most cost-effective to make a big batch of my own.

Last fall, I made a Pumpkin Spice Granola that was super yummy. This time around, I thought I’d give sweet potato a try. I mean, I love it just about every other way–made into a burger, spread on a pizza crust instead of tomato sauce, as a creamy soup, and the list goes on and on!

Sweet potatoes, like all orange veggies, contain alpha carotene, which protects against cancer, and beta carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A and helps prevent age-related macular degeneration. Almost all orange whole fruits and veggies may also have an anti-inflammatory effect, which is great news for all my runners and high-intesity athletes out there whose fitness takes a toll on their joints.

Give it a go! This recipe is pretty easy to make–you just need to hang around since you leave the oven cooking for a while–and economical.

Autumn Spice Granola

What You’ll Need:
-5 cups gluten-free rolled oats
-1 cup raw sunflower seeds
-1/2 cup coconut oil or butter (or combo), melted
-3/4 cup (or half a 15 ounce can) sweet potato puree
-3/4 cup maple syrup or honey
-1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean scraped
-2 tsp ground cinnamon
-1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
-1/2 tsp ground ginger
-1/4 tsp ground cloves
-Optional: 1 cup dried fruit, 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut and/or 1/2 cup cacao nibs

How to Make It:
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, raw sunflower seeds, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
3. In a blender, blend together the coconut oil/butter, sweet potato puree, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Pour blender mixture over your dry ingredients and stir until evenly coated
5. Spread the mixture on a lipped baking sheet, pressing it down to evenly cover all the way to the edges.
6. Bake for 1 hour, gently turning the granola with a spatula halfway through. Flip in sections so that you’re sure to keep some tasty clumps. Also make sure you move some of the granola from the edges to the middle and from the middle to the edges about halfway through cooking so that it cooks evenly.
7. After an hour, turn the oven down to 300°F and cook another 15 -25 minutes. You’ll know it is done when it is dry to the touch and piece left to cool on the counter turns crispy. Remove from the oven and let it cool.
If you’re adding dried fruit, coconut or cacao nibs, stir them in while the mix is still cooling.

Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.

May 23, 2013

Vegan Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup

Soups are normally a fall and winter staple in my diet, but having recently purchased a Vitamix I couldn’t help but try out one of my favorite recipes in my new toy. This recipe incorporates nutrient-dense carrots and sweet potatoes. These orange superstars contain alpha carotene, which protects against cancer, and beta carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A and helps prevent age-related macular degeneration. Almost all orange whole fruits and veggies may also have an anti-inflammatory effect, which is great news for all my runners and high-intesity athletes out there whose fitness takes a toll on their joints. Best of all, this recipe is incredibly easy to make and economical.

Vegan Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup

What You’ll Need:

1 tbs coconut oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 lb carrots, chopped
1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Jamaican All-Spice
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper (double down if you like it spicy)
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
1 carton (or 32 oz) organic vegetable stock (low sodium)

How to Make It:

Heat oil in a large (5-6 qt) saucepan over medium heat. Add onions sautéing 5-7 min or until tender and translucent.
Add garlic, all spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne and salt and pepper, cooking for another 2-3 min.
Add sweet potatoes and carrot.
Add vegetable stock, bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 15 min. The potatoes and carrots should be easy to pierce and pick up with a fork but not falling apart.
Finally, use a standing or hand blender to purée the mixture in your saucepan until smooth.
Adjust your seasoning for spice and saltiness. Serve hot and enjoy!

I poured this mixture into canning jars making it an easily transportable lunch for the office. Pair it with a side salad or some roasted veggies for a delicious, gluten- and dairy-free midday meal.

December 10, 2012

Butternut Squash-Sweet Potato Bisque (V)

I don’t know about you, but when winter rolls around salads just don’t do it for me anymore. What to do when my usual lunch option becomes lackluster? Make soup! Vegetable soups are easy to make, packed with health-boosting nutrients to help you ward off those pesky winter colds, and filling enough to get you through those long afternoons in front of the computer. Bonus: this Butternut Squash-Sweet Potato Bisque recipe (and another variation that I’ll post later this week) freeze really well for up to 3 months.

Though I’ve called this a bisque, that’s technically a misnomer as this is a vegan recipe. Keeping it dairy-free makes this recipe waistline-friendly, which is much appreciated in this season of cookies and cocktails. And honestly, the butternut squash and sweet potato are so yummy and creamy once puréed that they don’t need any help from the dairy fairy. Health benefits abound thanks to the two starring ingredients in this recipe. Both vegetables get their yellow and orange coloring from beta carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body–a key nutrient for our eyes/eyesight. Sweet potatoes and butternut squash are also both rich in potassium and dietary fiber.

Butternut Squash-Sweet Potato Bisque

What You’ll Need:

6 cups reduced-sodium vegetable stock
1 butternut squash cubed
2 large sweet potatoes, cubed
1 shallot, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili
1/2 tsp cayenne
salt and pepper, to taste

How to Make It:

Heat oil in a large (5-6 qt) saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and shallots, sautéing 5-7 min or until tender and translucent.
Add garlic, nutmeg, cinnamon, chili, cayenne and salt and pepper, cooking until fragrant for another 2-3 min.
Add butternut squash and sweet potato, giving them a good mix to coat in spices and onion.
Add vegetable stock, bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10-12 min. The veggie chunks should be easy to pierce and pick up with a fork.
Finally, using a hand blender if you have one, purée the mixture in your saucepan until smooth. (If you don’t have a hand blender a standing blender does the trick).
Adjust your seasoning for kick and salt, then serve hot or cold and enjoy!

Note: if you aren’t worried about keeping it vegan, I highly recommend adding a tablespoon or two of your favorite shredded cheese. Dee-licious!