Come September, it's back to school in this part of the world and boy was it a long summer this time! School days are always super busy for us moms and more so for the kids. They get incredibly tired at the end the day after maxing out the 16 plus hours that they are awake. In the quest to keep my family on processed-food-free meals, I frequently check on any missing vitamins or minerals in their diet. And that's how Vitamin A came to my mind.
We keep reading about Vitamin C and Vitamin D for kids, but how about the first letter of the alphabet- A? Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in several foods. It's essential for normal vision, the immune system, and reproduction. Besides this it also helps the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs work properly. That's a lot of work for just one Vitamin isn't it? Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene). They are also a very good source of vitamin C, manganese, copper, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6; not just that, they are also a good source of potassium, dietary fiber, niacin, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and phosphorus. So don't underestimate this humble tuber, it's literally a super food! So many vital vitamins and nutrients in one veggie!
It didn't take me long to decide on this recipe, as my main objective was to make sure the kids started off the day with this healthy veggie! Waffles are such a delight to for any one and this naturally sweetened waffle was wolfed down by the kids in seconds. Top it up with any whole fruit and it really makes a super healthy breakfast. Please note that this is a very basic recipe, I haven't added any sugar in it, as the orange flesh of the sweet potato had enough natural sweetness of its own. Do give this recipe a try, it's pretty simple actually, only 3 ingredients and is really a time saver! I've only used the key ingredients and as you see can see in the pictures and they turned out really soft and fluffy, but there are optional ingredients for those who like to go all the way.
Key Ingredients
2 Medium sized sweet potato (roughly comes to 2 cups mashed)
2 eggs
1/3 cup tapioca flour
Optional Ingredients
1 tsp baking powder or cream of tartar
dash of Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp cornstarch
vegetable oil or butter for the waffle iron
Toppings
Chopped up seasonal fruit
1 tbsp Peanut Butter/ Almond Butter
1 tsp. Maple Syrup/ Honey/Date Syrup
1/4 tsp Bee Pollen
Wash and clean the sweet potatoes and roast or steam them until the flesh is really soft and tender. Roasting or steaming is the best way, never boil them, it turns out really mushy and watery. For Roasting, wrap them individually in foil and pop them in an oven for 1 hr or until they are well done. To steam them, just roughly cut the sweet potato into 4-5 thick slices and steam them. Once done, gently remove the peel and mash it up in a large mixing bowl while it is still warm. Make sure the sweet potatoes are well cooled before you add the eggs and the tapioca flour, then use a whisk to mix it all up well. If you need to add the optional ingredients, feel free to add this along with the tapioca flour.
Once mixed well, you will get a nice brownie like batter consistency. Pre-heat your waffle iron and make sure you spread some cooking oil or butter to ensure the batter doesn't stick to the waffle iron. Use an ice cream scoop to ladle the batter onto the waffle iron. Cover the lid tightly and let it cook until it attains a delicious looking golden brown hue and the sides look well done. This take roughly 7-10 minutes, but it entirely depends on the heat level of each waffle iron. This recipe yields 10 medium sized waffles. Serve them warm, drizzled with toppings of your choice. Yum!
Tip- I haven't put any kind of additional sweetness to this waffle recipe, it's better to avoid any additional sweetness and those who require it can adjust it with the toppings like honey or agave nectar. Those of you really pressed for time can use canned sweet potato puree, but please ensure that it has with no sugar added, preferably organic and BPA-free. Another topping I have sprinkled on the waffles is Bee Pollen- this is rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, lipids and fatty acids, enzymes, carotenoids and bioflavonoids. It has powerful antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties that strengthen the capillaries, reduce inflammation, stimulate the immune system and lower cholesterol levels naturally.