Much like my Green Bean Casserole Dip, this recipe was created with the idea that although you may want all of the traditional holiday dishes at your celebratory meal, it typically ends up being too much food (and excessive amounts of leftovers). By creating these dishes as appetizers, you can eat them as a light lunch or snack, and save room on the table for the absolute essentials {noted everyone's absolute essentials are different}.
Sweet potatoes are a wonderful low-glycemic starch with lots of vitamins and minerals, and when blended with the healthy fats in tahini, you get a creamy delicious treat! I served mine with Stacey's Cinnamon and Sugar Pita Chips for an extra "wink" at the holidays!
Sweet Potato Tahini Dip
Serves 8
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1" pieces
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
Sprinkle sea salt
3 Tbsp tahini
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss sweet potato cubes with olive oil and spread on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until soft.
Place sweet potatoes, tahini, and maple syrup in a large food processor and blend until a smooth puree is formed. Season with sea salt if desired.
In a small nonstick skillet, toast chopped pecans over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. When pecans are fragrant, they are toasted.
Transfer sweet potato mixture to a serving bowl and sprinkle with pecans. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, then serve chilled.
Nutrition Info per ~ 4 Tbsp: 117 calories, 4 g fat, 17 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 2 g fiber
