Nut-free Whole-foods Plant-based Brownie
It’s not that easy to get sweet potatoes into our family’s diet, but with the equivalent of half a potato in each portion of this brownie, it’s a winner all round. There are no complaints about eating them this way. Whatsoever. From anyone.
But…why the obsession with sweet potatoes? Well, for a start in Okinawa, known to be a ‘Blue Zone’ due to the longevity of its population, sweet potatoes used to make up 69% of calories consumed. The life and health expectancy were amazing - unfortunately it’s changing there at the moment and statistics are proving that the old ways were the best for the Okinawans - before the fast food places were introduced.
A lot of research has been done on sweet potatoes and their benefits - including slowing down the spread of cancer cells. They are really high in anti-oxidants and represent fantastic value for money.
My original recipe contained nuts, but as not everyone can have nuts I decided to experiment and see if it tasted as good if I substituted the almonds with sunflowers: success. It tastes amazing. Must go and get another slice!
One slice (about a 10th of the brownie) provides (based on the requirements for a small woman):
23% of daily fibre requirement
12% of protein
11% of iron
9% of vitamin C
13% of zinc
…lots more, including a massive dose of vitamin A
- 500g sweet potatoes
- 250g dates
- 100g sunflower seeds
- 100g oats
- 6 tablespoons cacao powder
- Peel, chop and boil the sweet potatoes in a small amount of water until soft
- Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4
- Grind up the sunflower seeds and oats in a processor together with the cacao powder
- Blend the cooked and drained sweet potatoes with the dates
- Add the blended sweet potato/date mixture to the ground oats etc., and mix thoroughly
- Bake for approx 45 minutes until you can withdraw a knife clean
- Allow to cool in baking tin for at least 15 minutes to firm up
