SWEET POTATO AND CARROT PUREE
This is probably my FAVORITE Thanksgiving side dish. A friend shared the basics of this recipe with me at a Friendsgiving in college and a decade later, it’s still a go to. I have shared the traditional recipe below, as well as substitutions to make it a slightly cleaner and less inflammatory version. I’ll be honest, on Thanksgiving, I indulge and eat whatever I want. You choose how you want to prepare your Thanksgiving feast.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine sweet potatoes are one of the best foods you can eat for healthy digestion, therefore supporting immunity, which is key at this time of year. The inclusion of carrots also promotes digestive health, as well as boosts lung and liver qi, and tonifies qi or balances energy, allowing you to thrive during colder, darker winter months.
Ingredients
4 organic sweet potatoes
1 bunch of organic carrots
cinnamon
nutmeg
ginger
sour cream (plain, unsweetened coconut yogurt if dairy free)
butter (coconut oil or olive oil here if you are vegan)
cream (cashew milk or coconut cream if dairy free)
4 tbsps of maple syrup
salt to taste
Instructions
Begin by peeling, chopping, and roasting your sweet potatoes and carrots in the oven until cooked through. You want them to be buttery soft so you can easily cut through them with a butter knife.
Combine your cooked carrots and sweet potatoes in a large blender or food processor with a couple tablespoons of water and begin to pulse to start breaking down the vegetables.
Then add in the rest of your ingredients: your sour cream, butter and cream or dairy free alternatives. Blend until you have your desired consistency. Feel free to add more of these ingredients if you need to thin out the purée further. As you will see above, I did not include specific measurements. Start small and taste as you go to find the right flavor and consistency. The texture should be smooth, but stand up on your plate. We aren't making a soup here people!
To finish add your spices, maple syrup and salt.
Blend again to combine and serve hot!