The thick skin, that needs to be peeled, protects the sweet potato from pesticide residue, bringing it into the list of fruit and vegetables least contaminated by chemicals. Sweet potatoes contain beta carotene and cutting them into 1/2-inch slices and steaming them for just 7 minutes not only brings out their great flavor but helps to maximize the nutritional value. Several studies comparing boiling to roasting have shown better blood sugar effects (including the achievement of a lower glycemic index) with boiling, which may be helpful for those on a Nutritionhelp programme.
It is important to have some healthy fat with sweet potato to benefit fully from the beta-carotene. Research has shown that a minimum of 3-5 grams of fat per meal significantly increases our uptake of beta-carotene from sweet potatoes. This minimal amount of fat is easy to include by drizzling some Extra Virgin olive oil over the steamed vegetable before serving. A sprinkling of herbs, black pepper or freshly crushed garlic will add to the flavour.
For more information on sweet potatoes check out the Worlds Healthiest Foods website
Erica White includes a gluten free recipe for Sweet Potato Scones in her Beat Candida Cookbook. To make 5 large scones:
I small, pre-cooked sweet potato Water or Rice milk 2 tablespoons of buckwheat flour 4 tablespoons of maize flour 2 tablespoons of brown rice flour 1 teaspoon sodium bicarbonate 2 tablespoons of extra virgin coconut oil (or butter or extra virgin olive oil) 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
Preheat oven to 230 degrees Celsius/450 degrees F/Gas mark 8. Blend cooked sweet potato with a little water or rice milk to make a soup-like consistency. In a different bowl mix the flours and sodium bicarbonate. Add the oil or butter and lemon juice and rub into the flours until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the sweet potato to bind into a soft dough, adding extra liquid if necessary. Flatten balls of dough onto a floured board and cut into rounds with a pastry cutter, about 2 1/2 cm high. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until the scones are a lovely golden colour and sound hollow if tapped on the base. Don’t expect them to rise like wheat scones. Eat as soon as possible or freeze as soon as they are cool.