Italian stuffed sweet potatoes with yoghurt sauce

I’m always on the lookout for ways to sneak vegetables into my meals. I’m a big kid at heart so not one to eat a lot of vegetables. I find bolognese a great way to sneak in some vegetables. This stuffed sweet potato recipe is a great easy meal with some hidden, healthy gems.

Ingredients:

Yoghurt sauce:

• 2 tablespoons yoghurt
• 4 mint leaves finely chopped
• squeeze of lemon

Stuffed sweet potatoes

• 4 sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 1 chili finely chopped (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
• 2 carrots grated
• 500g beef mince
• 1 diced tomato
• 300g tomato passata
• salt and pepper
• grated cheese

Method:

Yoghurt sauce:

• Mix together the yoghurt, finely chopped mint and squeeze of lemon (to taste)
• Place in the fridge until ready to use.

Stuffed sweet potatoes:

• Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees fan-forced
• Peel and cut the sweet potato into 5cm pieces
• Cover the sweet potato pieces with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper and place in the oven to cook for 55 – 60 minutes or until soft but not still keeps its form
• Meanwhile heat the remaining olive oil in the pan and cook the onion until translucent
• Add the garlic until fragrant
• Mix in the chili, dried Italian herbs and grated carrot
• Add the beef mince until brown
• Add chopped tomato until they begin to sweat and soften
• Add the tomato passata and cook until the mixture thickens and liquid almost halves
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Once the sweet potato is cooked, scoop out the centre making a well in each piece – don’t scoop all the way through. Add the discarded sweet potato to the bolognese mix.
• Spoon the bolognese into the sweet potato cups
• Cover with grated cheese and put under the grill to melt
• Serve the stuffed sweet potatoes with the yoghurt sauce.
• Enjoy!

Substitute beef mince with turkey mince for a leaner meal or beans for vegetarians. For all the parents (or big kids like me) out there hide even more vegetables by adding finely diced capsicum, celery or mushrooms. Call this my hidden little tricks dish.

Farewell fun yoghurt fact – Australians consume approximately 7.5kg of yoghurt every year. I consume that in one month, finally I’m above average in something J.

Source - http://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/Markets-and-statistics/Production-and-sales/Consumption-Summary.aspx