February is National Sweet Potato Month and to celebrate we would like to share some delicious recipes, courtesy of the American Sweet Potato Marketing Institute (ASPMI), to help you switch to sweet!
Super Bowl Sunday, February 7 – When the Panthers face the Broncos next Sunday, serve up this poutine recipe. Beats traditional Super Bowl snacks and includes easy-to-prepare sweet potato fries topped with smoky BBQ gravy, crispy bacon, fresh red peppers, onions and goat cheese.
Savoury Sweet Potato Poutine
Ingredients
2 pkgs (454 g) frozen sweet potato fries
½ red pepper
2 green onions
½ cup (125 mL) crumbled goat cheese or cheese curds
1/3 cup (75 mL) savory barbecue sauce
¼ cup (60 mL) vegetable oil
1 tbsp hot sauce
bacon bits (optional
Directions: Preheat oven to 450F and cook sweet potato fries according to package directions. While fries are cooking, chop red pepper and green onions. Just before sweet potato fries are finished cooking, prepare gravy according to package directions and once hot stir in barbeque and hot sauce. Place cooked sweet potato fries in a large baking dish and sprinkle one-half of the goat cheese on the hot fries. Pour gravy over top and sprinkle with remaining cheese, chopped red pepper, green onions and bacon bits, if using. Serve immediately.
Pancake Tuesday” February 9 – In medieval times, Pancake Tuesday was the Christian tradition for a last indulgence before Lent in preparation for Easter. Still widely popular today, people around the world join in on the fun of Pancake Tuesday as a quick and easy breakfast, lunch or dinner. For a nutritious twist on traditional pancakes…enjoy!
Southern Sweet Potato Pancakes
Ingredients
1½ cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (30 mL) white sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) baking powder
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
½tsp (2 mL) ground nutmeg
½tsp (2 mL) salt
1½ cups (375 mL) 2% milk or buttermilk
1 cup (250 mL) cooked mashed American sweet potatoes (from about 1 large sweet potato)
2l arge eggs
2 tsp (10 mL) salted or unsalted butter, melted additional butter, for making pancakes
Directions: In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. With a blender or immersion blender puree milk, mashed sweet potatoes, eggs and the 2 tsp (10 mL) melted butter. Slowly whisk milk/sweet potato mixture into flour mixture until smooth. Heat a non-stick pan or griddle over medium-low heat. Add enough butter to coat the bottom of pan. Pour about 1/3cup (75 mL) batter onto pan; cook until bubbles form, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip over and cook an additional 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve pancakes with Sweet Potato Butter and maple syrup.