What’s good for your gut and is oh, so teeny? Why it’s our Sweet Potato Crostini! It’s an appetizing bite-sized serving of baked sweet potato slices topped with juicy pears, crunchy walnuts, and our tart and tangy farmer cheese. Sweet potato has prebiotic fiber to feed the 12 live and active probiotics in our farmer cheese. It’s important to pair prebiotic food with fermented, probiotic foods, such as our farmer cheese, so that the probiotics survive in the gut and keep it balanced and functioning properly. Interested in learning more about farmer cheese? It’s an Eastern European soft cheese similar in texture to ricotta. Spread a little (or a lot) on a slice of baked sweet potato and top your crostini with pear for antioxidants, walnuts for omega-3 fatty acids, and thyme for vitamin C. It’s amazing how a tiny appetizer can have such a big effect on our gut health and overall wellness.
A one-cup serving of sweet potato (cooked, with the skin on) contains:
- More than four times the RDA of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) – vitamin A is crucial for eye health, as well as a strong immune system and healthy bone development.
- 35% of daily recommended amount vitamin C. Vitamin C not only supports immune health, it also helps the body make collagen, which is used throughout the body for tissue and ligament repair (and more!)
- About half of the RDA of manganese – manganese helps regulate blood sugar and supports the proper function of the thyroid (which can help keep your weight in check).
- A good dose of magnesium – magnesium supports heart and blood vessel health (as well as quite a few other things), but it also promotes relaxation and helps combat stress and anxiety.
- They’re also a good source of potassium, vitamin D, vitamin B6, and biotin. Add that to the four grams of heart-healthy fiber and nearly three grams of protein.
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup Farmer Cheese
- 1 pear
- a handful of fresh thyme
- handful of walnuts
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 440 F / 225 C degrees. Wash and dry the sweet potato thoroughly and cut it into half-inch / one centimeter thick slices.
- Spread sweet potato slices onto a baking tray covered with baking paper and grease lightly with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes, take the tray from the oven and turn the slices and return to the oven for another 15 minutes until the sweet potatoes are lightly browned from the edges.
- Let the sweet potatoes cool slightly and cut the pear into thin slices. Assemble the crostini by slathering a thin layer of farmer cheese and topping with pears, walnuts, and fresh thyme. Serve and enjoy!
- For an extra touch of sweetness, drizzle with honey.
