Wednesday, August 12, 2015
TNTPrepnique: Sweet Potato Pucks
The slightly sweet profile of the sweet potato lends itself as a great first food, a versatile side dish, or a healthy indulgence, making it a perfect food for every age. Their high content of beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin makes the sweet potato a veritable enemy of cancers and eye diseases. They lower cholesterol (thanks to their soluble and insoluble fiber content, as well as the plant sterols and vitamin B found in each yummy bite). They lower blood pressure (potassium-rich), bolster immunity (high in vitamin C), and may even help prevent constipation, diverticulosis, hemorrhoids, and weight gain! Hard to say no to such a strong contender… until it’s time to cook them. The average baking time for a regular sweet potato is an hour or more, and many of us just don’t have the time to make this happen after a long day at work.
I started using this prepnique when my youngest first began solids. My husband and I, like many young parents, worked hard all day, drove around the world through too much traffic to reach the daycare and home, and still wanted desperately to provide home cooked baby food for our first born. I had no desire to cook multiple meals, nor yet could I produce extra time to create them. So we needed foods that worked for everyone… and we needed them fast. My requirements:
- Great taste
- Able to use microwave, grill or toaster oven for speedy cooking
- Able to be a “baby” food or an adult food
Introducing the Sweet Potato Pucks!
These pucks are so easy to prep and easy to use. They’re versatile in every sense of the word. I can warm up and dice a puck for baby, or smoosh it with some seasonings for big sister, or roast it for mommy, or grill it for daddy. You can grate a puck and use it in muffins, or thaw it and use it in soup, or leave it frozen and add it to a morning smoothie. The choices are endless.
Here are the step-by-step picture instructions on how to make Prepnique: Sweet Potato Pucks.
Tips/Ideas: leave the skin on for added vitamins, you can use the same method for nearly any root vegetable or squash
Step One: Wash your produce
Step One: Wash your produce
Step Two: Score and stab the sweet potatoes
Step Three: Wrap them with paper towels and place on a microwave safe dish
Step Four: pour ¼ c. of water on top of sweet potatoes to soak paper towel
Step Five: Microwave potatoes for 4-6 minutes, let cool for 2-3 minutes
Step Six: Carefully slice potatoes, leave skin on if desired
Step Seven: Arrange on a cookie sheet that is lined with freezer paper (I use tape to keep the freezer paper in place)
Step Eight: Allow to freeze for 1-2 hours
Step Nine: Label a freezer bag and add pucks.
Step Ten: Keep in freezer up to 6 months and use as is by microwaving for one minute per puck or in any of your favorite sweet potato recipes!
All photos courtesy of Stacey Gretka