Baked Sweet Potato Skins
I have a new way of making sweet potato mash…
Pop whole sweet potatoes in the oven for 40-60 minutes
Remove them and let them go cold. Cut in half lengthways and scoop most of the middle out – this is the mash
The best part is what is left behind…
Return the skins to the oven, bake until crisp (actually they will still be a bit soft when you take them out and will crisp up as they cool) and serve with tzatziki (Greek yoghurt dip with cucumber and mint)
Okay, so they don’t look great – but they are delicious!
Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of the antioxidant beta carotene (which is converted to Vitamin A in the body), as well as vitamin C, manganese, Vitamin B6, potassium, fibre and they are low GI. Many of these nutrients and especially the fibre is concentrated in the skin of the sweet potato. So rather than throwing it away, bake until golden and crispy and they taste just like potato chips, except they are a LOT healthier!!
Baked Sweet Potato Skins
Makes approx. 10 skins (from 5 sweet potatoes)
- 1 kg organic sweet potatoes (choose the thicker ones)
- 1-2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- Tzatziki (see below)
directions:
- Heat oven to 180 degrees and line an oven tray with baking paper
- Wash sweet potatoes well, then place on oven tray
- Bake for 40-60 minutes (the thicker and bigger ones will take 60 minutes)
- Remove from oven, allow to cool for 15 minutes, then cut in half and scoop the filling out to use as mash
- Brush each skin with a very small amount of olive oil
- Return skins to the oven for 15-20 minutes. Watch that they don’t start going too brown
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, during which time they will crisp up more
- Serve with tzatziki
Per Serve: this is hard to determine as each skin will vary greatly in size – working on approx. 40g per skin, approx. 150kJ or 35 calories, 7g CHO and at least 2-3g fibre
A quick and easy tzatziki
1 Lebanese cucumbers, unpeeled
1 cup Greek plain yoghurt
4 large mint leaves, rolled into a cigar and finely sliced
freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
1 small clove garlic, crushed
pinch of salt, optional
- Grate the cucumber and place in a strainer over the sink.
- Add cucumber to a bowl along with the yoghurt, mint, lemon juice, garlic and salt if using.
- Transfer to a serving dish
- Any uneaten dip will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days
