All the recent talk about the increased cost of flour has led me to thinking about reducing the quantity of flour we eat to enjoy better health. We consume bread and or roti mostly for convenience. Why not try to switch out some of the flour we use and build better meals with other options which will sustain us for a longer period of time and provide us with better nutrition?

One favourite of mine that does just that are sweet potatoes. They are available all year round, they are highly nutritious, loaded with vitamins and minerals, and are high on the scale of low glycemic index starches. Sweet in flavour and starchy in nature, they are the perfect carbohydrate, satisfying both your taste and your appetite, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Sweet potato salads are ideal for a lunch or dinner side. Sweet potato galettes or sweet potato cakes are ideal at breakfast time and the recipe for sweet potato and pumpkin loaf uses sweet potato flour and pumpkin, both powerhouses for great nutrition and big flavour.

They are available all year and will keep non-refrigerated for at least two weeks. They need no advance preparation; you can boil or roast them with the skin on.

So make them a part of your weekly meal preparation, because this is one locally available root crop that will never let you down.

Roasted pineapple and sweet potato salad with lime coriander dressing

1 lb sweet potatoes

½ medium sized pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into one inch chunks

1 cup mixed fresh herbs, basil, chives, chadon beni/cilantro or parsley

1 large red or green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

Lime coriander dressing

1 tbs fresh lime juice

¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic minced

1 tsp ground coriander

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat broiler.

Combine all ingredients for the vinaigrette and set aside.

Boil or roast sweet potatoes until tender, drain, and cool. Peel and cut into one-inch cubes.

In a glass dish, place pineapple, toss with bitters and broil or grill pineapple for 10 minutes, turning frequently until slightly charred on the ends, remove and cool.

Combine herbs, peppers, pineapple and potatoes, toss with vinaigrette and season to taste with pepper and salt.

Chill. Serves 4 to 6

To roast Sweet Potatoes, wash, wrap in foil and place in a preheated

350F oven for about 40 to 50 minutes or until tender.

Sweet potato and pumpkin loaf with rosemary

1⅔ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sweet potato flour

1 tbs baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 tbs chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ cup milk combined with 1/2 tsp white vinegar (let sit for 10 mins)

3 eggs

⅓ cup coconut oil

1 cup pureed pumpkin, uncooked

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350F

Grease and flour 9x5 in