The final superfood of this week in my collaborative series with Replay Recycled is SWEET POTATOES. If you missed the first two posts of this week, you can find three simple recipes for AVOCADOS here & CAULIFLOWER here.
The sweet potato has long been a favorite amongst children - and adults - with it's bright orange color, versatility, taste and health benefits. Sweet potato was one of the first foods we gave Olivia as a baby and we still eat them multiple times each week. Today I'll be sharing three ways to cook up this power-packed potato that are simple and delicious!
COCONUT "FRIED" SWEET POTATOES
{This is a favorite treat of Olivia's that my husband actually started making her for breakfast on the weekends. It goes great alongside scrambled eggs and by 'frying' them in a little bit of coconut oil, a somewhat crisp texture is achieved with a rich coconut flavor}
what you'll need:
+ whole sweet potato, peeled, cubed, and steamed until tender {simply steam 5-7 minutes depending on size}
+ coconut oil {1 TBSP}
+ small frying pan
what you'll do:
+ in a small frying pan, heat 1 TBSP of coconut oil until melted
+ add in cubed and steamed sweet potatoes
+ 'fry' for 1-2 minutes on each side or until a light crust begins to form
+ remove from pan, season as desired and serve warm
SWEET POTATO FRIES
{The perfect side dish to a summer BBQ and easy enough to add to any weeknight meal, sweet potato fries are a family favorite! Because they are baked and not deep fried, these are a finger food you can feel good about eating!}
what you need:
+ 2-3 whole sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into strips according to preference
+ olive oil / S+P
+ baking sheet / oven
what you'll do:
+ preheat oven to 450 degrees
+ toss sweet potato strips in olive oil and season with S+P or your favorite kid-friendy seasoning blend
+ spread them out onto a baking sheet
+ bake 14-16 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy
+ leave on pan 3-5 minutes and then serve!
STEAMED CINNAMON SWEET POTATO BITES
{The easiest of these three recipes, steamed sweet potato bites are fun for a child to eat and a great food when they are learning how to self-feed because they don't make much of a mess and are easy to pick up with a fork! You can season them however you like with the ingredients you have on hand; our favorite combination is a tiny bit of real butter and cinnamon}
what you'll need:
+ whole sweet potato, peeled and cubed
+ real butter / coconut oil / olive oil {whatever you have on hand that your child enjoys}
+ cinnamon {1/2 tsp}
+ steam pot
what you'll do:
+ simply place cubed {uncooked} sweet potatoes into steam pot and steam 5-7 minutes or until tender {cooking time varies based on size of cubes}
+ once cooked, remove from pot and toss with butter and cinnamon until well coated
+ serve warm or at room temperature
Next week in my month-long series, I'll be sharing more healthy recipes with chia seeds, zucchini and meat-free protein alternatives!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Have a wonderful weekend!
~ Megan
