Breakfast Outside the Box

Posted by Lisa Newton on March 2, 2008 at 4:37am

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This week we’ll try something new because we like to think outside the box.

Today’s breakfast topic is sweet potatoes -- famous for pies, muffins, and bread, so why not pancakes?

Break

Ranks!!

Eat

Kick

Fat

Ass

Sweet Potato Pancake

Today!!

I can hear you saying “Sweet Potatoes for Breakfast?”

Photo courtesy of Amy Watts (sweet)

Uh-huh, sweet potatoes. They are rich in anti-oxidants, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, iron, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and a very good source of vitamin C and niacin. So why not try these?

Sweet Potato Pancakes

1 cup water
1/2 cup sweet potato puree
1/4 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (optional)
1 cup pancake mix
Nonstick cooking spray
1 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
Pure maple syrup, for serving

In a large bowl, mix the water, sweet potato puree, and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, if using. Add the pancake mix and stir just to combine—the batter should be lumpy.

Coat a griddle or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil, and spoon the batter onto the griddle or pan, using 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.

Cook until bubbles form on top of the pancakes and the batter is set, 2 to 3 minutes. Then use a spatula to flip the pancakes and cook them until golden brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. From the book Deceptively Delicious

Photo courtesy of Papa le Pew et sa petite Famille

And just for fun, why don’t you start a Sweet Potato Houseplant:

How to grow a Sweet Potato Houseplant

Materials:

sweet potato
toothpicks
jar or glass
bottled water (non-chlorinated)

Methods:

Wash sweet potato thoroughly.
Insert toothpicks into the sides of the sweet potato about 1/3 of the way down.
Place the sweet potato into the jar.
Fill the jar with water.

Results:

In about 10-15 days, the sweet potato will begin to bud.
For the next 3 to 6 months, vines will grow from the sweet potato.
You can train the vines to climb up or around whatever you choose.

Plants add color to your house, plus there’re good for the environment.

Tell us how your recipe tasted; don’t keep it a secret. And stay tuned for tomorrow’s breakfast adventure, because

After all, it’s about a healthy lifestyle.

Tags: breakfast

Comment by Mark on March 2, 2008 at 4:59am: Never thought of that for breakfast do you have any others Lisa, like that I'm doing a post on breakfast this week.

Comment by workout mommy on March 2, 2008 at 5:11am: these are so good and it is something that my 2 year old will eat as well.

Comment by Ask The Dietitian on March 2, 2008 at 5:36am: I love sweet potatoes.
At my favorite restaurant, Julie's Waterfront, they serve sweet potato fries. Well, yes they are fried but its ok once in a while.
Thanks for the recipe - definitely easy to fix.

Comment by Carol on March 2, 2008 at 7:48am: Sweet potatoes are SOOOOO good for you - I wish I like them. EECCKKK! :)

Comment by Metroknow on March 2, 2008 at 8:34am: Great idea for breakfast - And I love the plant idea too. We are getting a new vegetable garden going in our yard, complete with a children's garden, so this is a great idea for us right now!

On sweet potatoes - we traveled to New Zealand a few years ago and happened to arrive in Kumara season -- Kumara is essentially a sweet potato. It was a really good lesson on how other cultures eat seasonally. It was everywhere, and restaurants adapted their menus to accommodate the season. Kumara fries, Kumara mashed potatoes, Kumara milk shakes - you name it.

We had some friends who went at a different time of year, and their season happened to be Beet season, with similar results.

Comment by David on March 2, 2008 at 12:46pm: I'm not a huge fan of sweet potatoes, but this recipe sounds pretty good. I like the Sweet Potato guy on roller skates. Very funny.

Comment by Christine Johnson on March 2, 2008 at 12:51pm: I have never heard of sweet potato pancakes,but i have eaten sweet potatoe during breakfast hours, I mix it with stevia and cinnamon and spread it on toast. I will definitely try this recipe. Have anyone ever tasted sweet potatoe swirl cake?

Comment by Sheila Octaviano on March 2, 2008 at 12:55pm: Carol...I was just wondering if your only experience with sweet potatoes is at holidays when they are served with marshmallow and brown sugar. Sometimes those are really yams and they are really two different things. I hate the holiday "sweet potato" dishes, but I love the actual sweet potatoes. Buy them fresh at the grocery store like a potato and try them. I even like them raw.
Ask the Dietitian~~~My mom just told me about a place where they serve french fried sweet potatoes instead of regular fries. I will have to go try them.
I know they are excellent in Tempura! I don't have that often (it's been over a year, now), but I love Tempura veggies. The veggies are always so crisp and crunchy in Tempura.