Sweet potato parcels with a carrot dip


You know when someone says 'What's this?' and grab something you have made, then bites into it. Before you have time to answer you hear 'Oooooo, oh yeah!' Then you know that you have made something nice. That's what happened when I made these sweet potato parcels. I must say that my friends were pretty brave to chomp on something they didn't know the contents of. Mind you, they have eaten enough of my cooking in the past to know that I rarely try to poison them... Or never, never try to poison them. No, I wouldn't do that. I like them too much and I invest too much pride into being a decent amateur cook.

I would love to take full credit for these yummy parcels, but my conscience won't allow me. I have pinched it from TV's Eat well for less, a great programme in which they help people to make food swaps for cheaper, but still good alternatives. Each episode also features cooking sessions and that's how I came across this gem. If I hadn't seen the reaction of the people trying the parcels, I would never have opted for this combo of ingredients. It is a winner though, despite the beans.

Beans, the evil inhabitants of the food world! With horror I remember school Thursdays when I grew up. It was the day of the pulses, the day I dreaded and as I got older, the day I fled the school as soon as we were allowed to leave the canteen. We were a couple of friends who nipped home to have pancakes, cereal or sandwiches during out lunch break, only to make it back in time for the next lesson. Why? Because I couldn't bear the split pea soup or the brown beans in a sickly brown sauce, served with thick slices of soggy fat bacon. I get chills just thinking about it. 

It is something about the texture of beans that I find hard to deal with and if they are cooked in a sauce, it makes the experience even worse. Don't get me started on baked beans... The bean itself, the flageolet one, is rather inoffensive, but the tomato sauce is vile. On its own, I will accept a flageolet bean, if I must. If a recipe definitely calls for beans, I prefer the black eyed bean though, as there is a little bit more substance to it. That's what I use for these parcels. They also contain grated sweet potato, red onion, garlic, salt, pepper and mint, as well as crumbled feta cheese. Mix, wrap and bake. Done. It couldn't be easier. 

This time I made the parcels small, to better fit a buffet style lunch. For a dinner they can be made in portion size, 6 parcels containing just under 400 calories each. I made 21 small ones instead, each containing approximately 100 calories. I served with a carrot and pine nut yogurt dip and for the buffet lunch, there were also grilled chicken drumsticks.

Sweet potato parcels
1 large or two medium sweet potatoes, roughly grated
1 tin of beans of your choice, no sauce
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
200 g feta cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
salt & pepper

Carrot & pine nut dip
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 carrots, roughly grated
2 cups Greek yogurt
1/3 cup pine nuts
salt & pepper


1. Start with the dip, if you want to serve it chilled. Get the ingredients out.


2. Grate the carrots and soften them in a little oil on medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Add the pine nuts and continue cooking until the carrots are completely soft and the nuts have turned golden.


3. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a minute, until fragrant, then take it off the heat to cool down a bit.


4. Mix the carrot and nuts with the yogurt, cover and place in the fridge to cool before serving. 


5. Get everything ready for the parcels.


6. In a large bowl, add the grated sweet potatoes, beans, chopped, onion, garlic and mint and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.


7. Add the crumbled feta cheese.


8. Mix well again.


9. Cut the filo pastry according to the size you want to make the parcels.


10. Arrange two pieces of pastry in a star shape. 

As you can see, sometimes the filo pastry breaks. Peel the sheets from each other with as much care as you can and keep your fingers crossed for few breakages. Should you get any, use those pieces for the inner layer, like I did here.


11. Place a pile of filling in the middle of the pastry. Make sure you have enough pastry to wrap it up.


12. Brush the edges with oil or melted butter. Wrap up the inner piece. Brush the outer piece.


13. Wrap up the outer piece of pastry as well and pinch the top together.


14. Place the parcels on greaseproof paper and bake at 10 degrees for 20 minutes, until they look crisp and golden.


15. Serve as you please. 

This was my buffet plate.


And this was dinner the following day. More parcels, no chicken and the same dip. Lush!

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