Looking for an appetizer that’s gluten-free, nutrient-dense, and tasty? Try our Chicken & Rhubarb Sweet Potato Canapés that use a sweet potato crostini as the base instead of bread or crackers.
Canapés are small bites typically served at parties or gatherings before a meal. They are akin to bite-sized, open-faced sandwiches that make the perfect starter when hosting guests. Our Sweet Potato Canapés are topped with a savory rhubarb sauce that ties all the flavors together, leaving your taste buds buzzing with every bite! Serve them at your next get-together or pack the ingredients to assemble later as a tasty picnic snack.
Sweet potatoes are a powerhouse veggie. They’re packed with a variety of vitamins and minerals, including carotene, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin A, to name a few.1 Sweet potatoes are especially high in carotene and vitamin A, which are great for supporting a healthy immune system.2 And you don’t just have to stick with the classic orange variety: purple sweet potato extracts have also shown potential anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities.3
When choosing the ingredients for your Sweet Potato Canapés, remember any variety will be loaded with nutrients and health benefits. So whether you serve this dish on a neutral white sweet potato, a tried and true orange one, or a bold and vibrant purple one, you really can’t go wrong.
TIPS:
- Have leftovers from your last turkey dinner? Substitute turkey breast for the chicken to get a similar flavor profile.
- Slice your sweet potatoes crosswise if you want smaller canapés to feed more people. Slice lengthwise to better fit ingredients on the crostini and have a more filling snack.
Dietary Restrictions: Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) omissions and substitutions are listed in the recipe ingredients.
Love our recipes? Make going Paleo even easier and download our 7-Day, 14-Day, and 28-Day digital meal plans!
References:
- (2019, April 1). Sweet potato, raw, unprepared. FoodData Central; U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/168482/nutrients
- Islam, S. N., Nusrat, T., Begum, P., & Ahsan, M. (2016). Carotenoids and β-carotene in orange fleshed sweet potato: A possible solution to vitamin A deficiency. Food chemistry, 199, 628–631. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814615303356
- Sugata, M., Lin, C.-Y., & Shih, Y.-C. (2015). Anti-Inflammatory and Anticancer Activities of Taiwanese Purple-Fleshed Sweet Potatoes (Ipomoea batatasL. Lam) Extracts. BioMed Research International, 2015, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/768093
Chicken & Rhubarb Sweet Potato Canapés
- Recipe by: Griffin McMath, ND
- Serves: 4
- Meal: Appetizer
- Serves: 4
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Ingredients
6 rhubarb stalks, divided
2 tsp raw honey
1 thumb ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 tsp cardamom (AIP - most people on AIP can consume cardamom)
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon, divided
2 small sweet potatoes
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Pepper, to taste (AIP omit or sub)
1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cups pecans, chopped (AIP - omit)
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp maple syrup
Almond butter, for serving
Cooked chicken breast, sliced
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the sauce: Chop half the rhubarb stalks and add to a medium pot with water. Bring to a boil and cook 5-10 minutes. Drain water and return rhubarb to pot with honey, ginger, cardamom, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Stir over low heat for 1 minute, then bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture has thickened into a jammy texture (should coat the back of a spoon). Place sauce in fridge until ready to assemble.
Make sweet potato crostini: Cut sweet potatoes into ¼-inch thick slices. Brush both sides of potato slices with olive oil and season with pepper. Arrange slices on baking sheet and roast until golden-brown and crisp, 17-20 minutes. Let cool.
While sweet potato roasts, chop remaining rhubarb stalks into 1-inch pieces.
In a glass baking dish, toss chopped rhubarb with orange juice and spread into an even layer. Add to oven with sweet potatoes and bake 18-20 minutes, until rhubarb is quite softened.
Once sweet potatoes and rhubarb have finished roasting, make candied pecans. Reduce oven to 350°F and line another baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine pecans, coconut oil, maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon until thoroughly coated, then spread in an even layer on baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before assembling.
Assemble the canapés: Start with a slice of sweet potato crostini as the base. Spread with a layer of almond butter and top with sliced chicken and citrus-baked rhubarb. (If chicken slices are thin enough, use a larger amount and weave back and forth in layers.) Drizzle with ginger-cardamom sauce and top with candied pecans. Use a toothpick or spear to hold the ingredients together in the middle.
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