I just adore this recipe. It is one of my winter favourites. It is filling, incredibly nutrient dense, and just so satisfying on a million levels.
2 large sweet potatoes
1 can of cooked chickpeas
2 handfuls of baby spinach
1 red onion
1 clove of garlic
4 tablespoons of sundried tomato paste
Danish blue cheese to taste (you can leave out or substitute with other cheeses)
- Chop the sweet potato, skins on, into cubes.
- Cover with boiling water and simmer until soft.
- Mash the cooked sweet potato into a creamy orange mash.
- In a pan, heat a little olive oil and add the finely chopped garlic and red onion. Saute until the onion softens.
- Add the spinach to the onion and garlic, and saute until the spinach has wilted.
- Drain the can of chickpeas, and add them to the spinach, onion etc.
- Mix well, then stir in the sundried tomato paste, and mix thoroughly.
- In a baking dish, add the chickpea, spinach, sundried tomato mix as the bottom layer.
- Add the sweet potato mash on top of this, like you would a shepherds pie.
- top the sweet potato mash with the blue cheese, and bake in a hot oven for 15-20 minutes.
Medicinal Properties
Sweet Potato - are an incredibly rich source of the antioxidant nutrient beta carotene. This helps to protect against free radical damage in fatty tissues such as the skin. This is because it is a fat soluble compound, so it naturally accumulates in that type of tissue. It is also beneficial for eye health for the same reason. Sweet potatoes are also high in a prebiotic compound called fructo oligo saccharie (FOS), which helps encourage the growth of good bacteria in the gut.
Chick Peas - are a very rich source of zinc, and magnesium, not to mention being very high in dietary fibre.
Onions - naturally antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, red onions find their way into alot of my dishes. They are also very good for digestive health because, like sweet potatoes, they are a great source of prebiotic nutrients. Most notably they contain high levels of a compound called inulin which also increases the colonisation of good bacteria in the gut.
