Next week, you’ll likely be walking away from the Thanksgiving dinner table hunched over, filled to the brim with delicious seasonal dishes like turkey, bread stuffing, creamy green beans and sweet potato casserole. However, despite the holiday’s reputation as a jaunt to calorie town, there are ways to tweak traditional Thanksgiving dishes so that they continue to comfort not only your seasonal hunger pangs but also your conscience.

Take the sweet potato casserole – this dish is a fixture at the winter holiday table. Despite its sweet potato base, it is ultimately no different than a candy bar. It is packed with sugar, essentially overshadowing any other possible nutritional benefits – to say nothing about the fact that is is also laden with animal-based products, including cream, milk, eggs and butter. But it’s the season to indulge and enjoy dishes that provide holiday cheer, making us all a bit more thankful, and the sweet potato casserole is no exception to this sentiment.

Luckily, you can have your casserole and eat it too. The following recipe for a vegan gluten-free sweet potato casserole is a great way to load up on the fiber and antioxidant-rich sweet potato without losing any of its nutritional perks in a mass of sugar. The recipe depends on the aromatic, low-glycemic maple syrup to bring out the sweet potato’s natural sweetness as well as coconut oil to provide creaminess and healthy, animal-friendly fats that your body can recognize and process efficiently. Enjoy!

Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

Serves 10-15

Ingredients

For the filling

• 2 1/2 pounds sweet potato
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, room temperature
• 1/4 cup 100% maple syrup
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes (no sugar added)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, room temperature
• 1/2 cup 100% maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons steel-cut oats
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 13×9-inch pan with coconut oil and set it aside while you prepare the filling and topping.

Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and pop into the oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until they are softened through to the core. While the potatoes are in the oven, prepare the pecan topping – simply mix all the topping ingredients in a bowl until evenly combined. Set aside.

When the potatoes are cooked through, removed them from the oven and reduce the oven’s heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the potatoes sit aside until they cool to the point when you can work with them using your hands. Peel off the skins from the potatoes (they should release easily) and place the potato flesh into a large bowl. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to the sweet potato and mash until all the ingredients are evenly combined and the mixture is smooth. Spread the mixture into the bottom of the greased pan.

Sprinkle the pecan topping evenly across the top of the mashed sweet potato mixture. Place the casserole into the oven and cook for about 30-35 minutes, or until the pecan topping has browned. Keep an eye on it for the last 10 minutes to avoid burning the pecans. Serve hot with a few scoops of coconut milk ice cream, drizzled with maple syrup and sprinkled with extra ground pecans.

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Photo Credit: Mealmakeovermoms

The post A Vegan and Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe to Make You Thankful appeared first on EcoSalon.

Turn traditional greasy hash browns into a healthy and delicious meal with this vegan sweet potato recipe.

Hash browns are traditionally pan-fried white potatoes that have been grated, diced, sliced, or julienned. For this recipe, however, I wanted to cut some corners by baking sweet potato cubes as well as improve the nutrition and color with the addition of red pepper, mint, and scallions. The result is a sweet and savory vegan delight that is fit for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Enjoy!

Traditional hash browns are not exactly the best way to start the day. The ingredient list is generally short, but consider the main players: white potato and butter. Despite the fact that it is a vegetable, the white potato is a simple starch that causes spikes in blood sugar levels and can lead to  a temporary energy rush followed by a period of sluggishness, not to mention the weight gain. Often, and especially when hash browns are served at a diner, butter is more than just a condiment, it’s almost side-dish-status worthy, considering how much is added to the pan for frying the potatoes. This vegan recipe for sweet potato hash browns makes them part of a wholesome and healthy meal.

The sweet potato is packed with vitamins C and D, carotenoids and antioxidants. These attributes make it effective at maintaining youthful skin, strong bones, and a healthy thyroid as well as preventing cancer. Compared to a white potato, sweet potatoes (and yams) also contain sugars that are slowly released into the bloodstream and thus don’t cause surges in blood sugar levels.

Sweet and Savory Baked Sweet Potato Hash browns

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 scallions
• 1 large (2 medium) red pepper(s)
• Large handful fresh mint leaves
• Juice of one orange
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Dice the sweet potatoes into cubes. Place cubes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 30 minutes or until slightly browned and cooked through. While the cubes bake, dice the scallions, red pepper and mint leaves. In a small bowl, whisk together the the orange juice, lemon juice and olive oil. Set aside.

When the potatoes have cooked, place them in a bowl while warm and add the red pepper, scallions and mint.

Pour in the vinaigrette.

Toss until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper if you’d like more. Serve and enjoy!

Photo Credit: GlowKitchen

The post Vegan Sweet Potato Hash Browns Recipe appeared first on EcoSalon.

I can’t seem to get enough of sweet potatoes, so it was only natural to try incorporating them into my next veggie burger. The sweet potato is a nutritional powerhouse. It contains high levels of vitamins B6, C, and D, potassium magnesium, and antioxidants including carotenoids, making it effective in supporting the immune system, regulating the heart beat and nerve signals, producing white blood cells, reducing stress, and maintaining skin’s youthful elasticity.

This recipe scores high with taste and consistency and is easy on the waistline. It’s 100 percent vegan but still has the density and punch of a regular burger. You can serve it in a whole wheat bun or just eat it atop lettuce leaves with your choice of condiments.

Sweet Potato Burger

3-4 patties

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato, baked and peeled
• 1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed (or fresh cooked beans if you’re off the cans)
• 2 tablespoons diced red onion
• 1 handful of parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3-4 tablespoons safflower, canola or light olive oil for frying

Directions

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl and mash with the back of a fork until the white beans have broken down and everything is evenly combined.

Shape 3-4 patties. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add about three tablespoons of oil. Place each patty into the pan. They should make a sizzling sound. Let cook 2-3 minutes on both sides until browned.

Serve in a bun or over lettuce leaves.

Enjoy!

Photo Credit: GlowKitchen

The post White Bean and Sweet Potato Veggie Burger Recipe appeared first on EcoSalon.