Guilt-free Canapés (part 2) : Sweet potato hummus, Chocolate Truffles

Sweet potato hummus

Sweet potato hummus

Serves 8

Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin B6 and a source of vitamins C and D, iron and magnesium winter-proofing your body against colds and flu.

Ingredients

·         1 large sweet potato, baked until very tender

·         400g can chickpeas

·         2 garlic cloves

·         6tbsp tahini

·         1/2tsp each cumin and coriander seeds, gently toasted in a dry pan until fragrant

·         Grated zest and juice of ½ lemon

·         Sea salt

·         Olive oil

·         1tbsp freshly chopped parsley

Calories: 188, fat: 12g, sat fat: 2g, fibre: 3g

Directions

1. Scoop the flesh out of the potato and put in a food processor with the chickpeas (reserving a few to garnish), garlic and tahini. Blitz until well combined. Pound the cumin and coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar, until finely ground. Add to the processor (reserving a pinch to garnish) with the lemon zest and juice, 1tsp salt and about 3tbsp olive oil.
2. Blitz again until really smooth, if it is still quite stiff, add more olive oil and blitz until you have a soft, smooth purée. Season to taste. Serve in a bowl with the reserved chickpeas, spices and parsley sprinkled over the top and finished off with a drizzle of oil.

Chocolate Truffles

Makes 28

Soy cream is non-dairy but delivers a lovely creamy texture. These taste sweet but have a low GI so won’t cause a spike in blood-sugar levels.

Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients

·         Handful of pecans and hazelnuts

·         Sea salt

·         200g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)

·         150ml soy cream

·         2tbsp coconut oil

·         1tbso xylitol or coconut palm sugar

·         Grated zest of ½ orange

·         Unsweetened cocoa powder

·         1tsp sunflower oil

·         2 skewers

Calories: 76, fat: 6g, sat fat: 2.5g, fibre: 0.8g

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180⁰C/ gas mark 4. Roast the nuts on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. Allow to cool, then crush or finely chop with a pinch of salt.
2. Grate 150g of the chocolate and set aside the remaining 50g. Heat the soy cream and coconut oil in a saucepan until hot and the coconut oil has melted but is not simmering. Add the 150g grated chocolate, xylitol and a pinch of salt while stirring quickly with a whisk. Keep whisking until the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth mixture.
3. Transfer to a bowl, keeping a third aside. Mix this third with the orange zest in another bowl. Allow both to cool, then cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.
4. Run your hands under very cold water, then take 1tsp of the mixture from the fridge and quickly roll it into a ball. Place on a plate in the fridge. Continue until you have used both mixtures. Refrigerate until fully cool.
5. To make the chocolate-covered truffles, chop the 50g chocolate. Melt with sunflower oil in a bowl over simmering water. Dip a plain truffles into the chocolate using a skewer. Swirl to cover, then use the second skewer to slide the truffle off onto a plate lined with parchment paper. Cover half the plain truffles in this way.
6. Roll the remaining truffles between warm hands to soften slightly. Roll the rest of the plain truffles in the nuts. Roll the orange truffles in cocoa powder. Refrigerate until 10 minutes before serving.