Good Health, Great Flavor
 (Family Features) - With the right ingredients, recipes can deliver good health and great flavor. Check out these good-for-you, great-tasting sweet potato recipes using canola oil! Sweet potatoes are nutritional powerhouses. An important source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium and fiber, they also contain just 140 calories. Sweet potatoes are a versatile vegetable that can be used in both sweet and savory recipes. Really. Just like canola oil. Use canola oil in any recipe that calls for vegetable oil, and you'll get excellent nutrition and incredible functionality. Canola oil has the lowest saturated (bad) fat of all popular vegetable oils and contains no trans fat or cholesterol. Canola oil is high in monounsaturated (good) fat and contains omega-3s and vitamin E. These nutrient-packed recipes are quick and easy to make, and best of all, they are good for you and taste great. Share them with family and friends. The Quick Sweet Potato Pie With Honey-Walnut Topping and a Cookie Crust will delight your guests with its naturally sweet filling and cookie crust. The Roasted Vegetable Minestrone Soup is packed with flavor and goes great with the Sweet Potato Biscuits.
The biscuits are so moist from the canola oil and sweet potatoes, you'll want to double the batch. For more great recipes, go to www.canolainfo.org and www.sweetpotato.org.  Roasted Vegetable Minestrone
The roasted veggies with the prosciutto add many wonderful flavors to this earthy, rich Italian soup. 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 medium zucchini, cut in chunks
1 medium yellow squash, cut in chunks
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into chunks (about 1 1/4 pounds)
5 Roma tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 red onion, cut into chunks
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 ounces prosciutto, diced
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
Dash red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, broken up
9 cups chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup uncooked ziti pasta
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with foil and on it place sweet potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, tomatoes, red onion and garlic. Toss vegetables with canola oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Roast 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring vegetables after 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. In large non-stick pot coated with canola oil cooking spray, cook prosciutto, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes over medium heat 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add bay leaves, tomatoes, chicken broth and beans. Bring mixture to boil and add pasta. Lower heat and simmer 15 minutes or until pasta is done. Add vegetables, remove bay leaves and check seasoning. If soup is too thick, add more chicken broth or water. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired. Makes 12 cups To freeze: Cool to room temperature. Transfer to freezer containers, label and freeze. To serve from freezer: Thaw. Reheat in non-stick pot over low heat until warmed through or reheat in microwave oven. If soup is too thick, add more chicken broth or water. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.  Sweet Potato Biscuits
These biscuits are tender and brightly colored, with a hint of sweetness. 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons baking powder
Dash salt
2 eggs
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons milk
1 (15-ounce) can sweet potatoes, drained and mashed, or 1 cup cooked and mashed fresh sweet potatoes
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl, whisk together eggs, canola oil, milk and mashed sweet potato. With fork, stir together moist and dry ingredients, just until combined. Turn out onto well-floured board and knead once or twice to form ball. Roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into biscuits using 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter. Place biscuits on prepared baking sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Makes 12 biscuits  Quick Sweet Potato Pie With Honey-Walnut Topping
A traditional sweet potato pie with an indulgent topping makes the ultimate cozy treat. 1 (15-ounce) can sweet potatoes, drained and mashed, or 1 cup cooked and mashed fresh sweet potatoes
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 eggs
1/3 cup evaporated skimmed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Honey-Walnut Topping (see recipe)
Cookie Crust (see recipe)
Preheat oven to 350°F. In mixing bowl, beat together sweet potatoes, brown sugar, cinnamon, canola oil and eggs. Gradually add milk, beating until creamy. Pour into Cookie Crust. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until pie is set. When done, remove pie from oven and spread Honey-Walnut Topping evenly over top. Return to oven and broil until topping is bubbly and golden brown. Watch carefully. Makes 1 pie Honey-Walnut Topping
This broiled honey nut topping is the perfect finish to the pie. 1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoon honey
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
In medium non-stick pot, combine brown sugar, canola oil and honey. Cook over low heat until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Add walnuts and stir until well-coated. Cookie Crust
No rolling required, and this recipe can be used for roll-out cookies too. 1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
Dash salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
Sift flour, sugar and salt together into large bowl. In separate small bowl, whisk together canola oil, egg and milk. Pour liquid ingredients over dry ingredients and quickly stir together, just until combined. Spoon mixture into 9-inch pie plate and press onto bottom and up sides of plate. Add filling. Note: Cookie crust may be baked unfilled at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. |
