How to Roast, Grill, Microwave & Slow Cook a Sweet Potato + Recipes

When I found out that today (February 22nd) was National Cook a Sweet Potato Day, I got really excited. It’s about time this delicious, nutrient-packed tuber got some attention other than in November. Packed with healthy carbs, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients, sweet potatoes are perfect for your plate year ‘round. With at least 16 varieties grown in the U.S., including one of my favorites, the Stokes Purple Sweet Potato, I can’t imagine ever get tired of this vibrant veggie.How to Cook a Sweet Potato

Bake, microwave, roast, saute, grill, fry and boil are just some of the ways to cook a sweet potato. Eat them “as-is” with simple seasons or mash flesh to use as an ingredient in soups, side dishes, smoothies, baked goods and more.  So, are you wondering just exactly how to COOK a SWEET POTATO? Read on the find out the basic methods and get some of my favorite recipes:  Continue reading

Nutty Purple Sweet Potato Flatbread | Gluten-Free #PurplePowerToThePeople

Nutty Purple Sweet Potato Flatbread is gluten-free, grain-free and dairy-free.White bread ain’t got nothing, not one single thing on my Nutty Purple Sweet Potato Flatbread. That is, unless you actually like gummy simple carbs and are willing to put your bod through the resulting blood sugar surge/crash and gathering of gluten all from eating one puny slice.

Stokes Purple Sweet Potato

This kinda weird, but decidedly delicious flatbread has none of that nonsense. Featuring Stokes Purple®, a special type of California-grown, non-GMO sweet potato with purple skin and vibrant purple flesh that get even brighter when cooked, this bread alternative is nothing to “loaf” about – flat is where it’s at! #PurplePowerToThePeople

The texture of a Stokes Purple® is a little drier and denser than a traditional sweet potato, rendering it perfect for a substitute flour filler in my grain-free, gluten-free flatbread recipe. Purple sweet potatoes offer similar nutritional benefits of regular orange sweet potatoes in the fact that they are both healthy source of complex carbs with a low GI impact, are full of dietary fiber and many essential vitamins and minerals. The Stokes Purple® also has anthocyanins, a plant flavonoid that not only gives the potatoes their distinctive purple hue, but also have been linked to a host of health benefits including reductions in certain cancers, lowering of bad cholesterol,  improvements in vision, liver and heart health, and have also been linked to boosts in cognition.Nutty Purple Sweet Potato Flatbread is a gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free and dairy-free bread substitute! Eat as a starter, sammie, snack or side dish!

So back to the sweet potato flatbread details, the recipe also features almond meal, and coarsely chopped pumpkin and sunflower seeds. There are a couple eggs in the recipe, but otherwise it’s dairy-free and suitable for a vegetarian or gluten-free diet. If you have an allergy to nuts, sub out the almond meal for an equivalent amount of oat-flour to keep it nut-free.

nutty-purple-sweet-potato-flatbread Eat this gluten-free flatbread warm out of the oven, spread with a little honey butter – it’s like eating a sweet potato in portable, easy-to-pick-up format. But, a little more interesting and flavorful than that “sweet potato toast” trend on Pinterest. You can also use two slices to bookend your favorite sandwich fillings – since I made these right after the holidays, my gluten-free sandwich is layered with leftovers including turkey, cranberry relish and spinach!

nutty-sweet-potato-flatbread-sandwich-feet

Stokes Purple Sweet Potatoes available in select markets and by mail.

Have you ever had a purple sweet potato? What are your favorite potato toppings or sammie stuffings? Please share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer

Nutty Purple Sweet Potato Flatbread
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
Enjoy as a sandwich, starter or side dish, Nutty Purple Sweet Potato Flatbread is nutritious, delicious, and gluten-free option for dinner, lunch or snack.
Course: Appetizer, bread, Sandwich, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 slices
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup unsalted, roasted pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup unsalted, roasted sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup almond meal
  • 1 teaspoon seasalt
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teapsoon garlic powder
  • 3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potato flesh room temperature
  • 1/3 cup almond milk (or milk of choice) may need a splash more
  • 3 large eggs
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 400F degrees. In small food processor, coarsely chop sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Add to small bowl, along with other dry ingredients including almond flour, salt, pepper, chili powder and garlic powder.
  2. In small blender, add milk, eggs and 1 cup of pre-cooked sweet potato mash and process until smooth. Stir in remaining cooked sweet potatoes with spatula, adding a splash more milk if needed, but consistency should remain fairly thick.
  3. Scrape this wet mixture into bowl with dry ingredients and mix with spatula until well combined.
  4. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and spread batter from end to end, corner to corner, keeping even thickness. Sprinkle with additional pumpkin and sunflower seeds, if desired.
  5. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until edges and top are turning lightly golden brown. Remove from oven to cool on wire rack.
  6. Cut into pieces and serve warm or at room temperature. Save leftovers in zip-top bag in refrigerator – reheat in microwave or toaster oven before serving.