Snack time! This sweet potato & cashew dip is perfect for a mid-afternoon snack that keeps you going until dinner. Packed full of fibre and healthy fat it’s great served with celery, carrot, crackers or anything else you wish to use as a ‘dipper’!
Sweet Potato Health Benefits
There are nearly 400 sweet potato varieties. Their flesh may be white, yellow or orange with their skin either white, yellow, red, orange or purple. When cooked, sweet potatoes are either firm and dry or have a softer texture.
Sweet potatoes are a particular favourite in Asian and South American cooking. And the darker the variety the higher concentration of carotenes – read below for why this is important. They are also relatively high in fibre and low in sugar.
Their high content of Vitamin C, carotenes and a unique root storage protein boost antioxidants in the body. Sweet potatoes have also been classified as ‘anti-diabetic food’. This means they stabilise blood sugar levels and improve the response to the hormone insulin.
Cashew Health Benefits
Cashews are light coloured and kidney-shaped and have a wonderful delicate flavour. They belong to the same family as mangoes and pistachio nuts. The nuts are in fact seeds that adhere to the bottom of the cashew apple which is the fruit of the cashew tree. I remember when I first saw them growing I was a bit surprised!
Cashews aren’t sold in their shells as there is a toxic resin on the inside of their shells which needs to be removed during processing before the nuts can be eaten.
The cashew tree is native to the coastal areas of North East Brazil. These days the leading producers of cashews are India, Brazil, Tanzania and Nigeria. And, the cashew ranks only second to the almond in terms of the nine tree nuts of most importance across the world.
Cashews are a great source of mono-saturated fat which supports good heart health and low cholesterol levels. They are also a good source of protein which supports healthy muscle.
Due to their oleic acid (a mono-saturated fat) support good heart health and protects against cancer.
Dive into this recipe and enjoy this sweet potato & cashew dip. Enjoy!
Sweet Potato & Cashew Dip
A healthy mid afternoon snack if you're after something different to hummus. Full of fibre and healthy fat, this sweet potato & cashew dip is a winner!
- Tray for use in the oven
- Blender
- 1 Sweet potato, cubed, skin removed
- 1 cup Raw cashews
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup Tahini
- 1 Lemon – juice of
- Salt & pepper
-
Preheat the oven to 180. Add the sweet potatoes to a tray, season, drizzle with oil and bak until soft – about 30 minutes
-
Add the cashews to the tray and cook for a further 5 minutes with the sweet potato
-
Let everything cool and then add to potato, cashews and other ingredients to the blender. Blend!
-
Add some more lemon (if you wish – I do to give it more of a tang). If the mixture is a bit think, add some more water
-
Serve with celery, carrot sticks or crackers – as you wish!