Sweet Potato, Chicken and Couscous Nuggets

Supercharge your meals with Australian Sweet Potatoes

Sweet region - Almost all of Australia's sweet potatoes are grown in Queensland, with Bundaberg being the dominant region.
Sweet on you - the longer a sweet potato stays growing underground, the sweeter its flavour will be. So sweet taters that hibernate under the soil in winter turn out sweeter than those that grow rapidly in the heat of summer – who'd have thought!
Slow & steady - Sweet potatoes planted in summer are only in the ground for 5 months, while crops planted in spring or autumn can take up to 10 months until they're harvested!
Chameleon skin - the colour of sweet potato skin changes based on the season it's picked. Sweet potatoes harvested in the summer are pinker while the winter crop appears more pale and aged but is still super tasty.

Selecting, Storing and Preparing

Perfect pick – Look for sweet potatoes with unblemished skin and a pinkish colour. Also, make sure they are firm all over and don't have any soft spots.
Fridge vs. pantry – the debate has finally been settled, but there isn't a winner. Sweet potatoes are happy residing in either the fridge or pantry! They don't like arctic temperatures though, so check the settings on your fridge aren't too low or they'll freeze!
Hey there sprout – Are your spuds growing shoots? Step away from the bin! Just snap any shoots off and cook your sweet taters as normal – sometimes they are actually tastier and sweeter after sprouting!

Tricks and Tips

Sneaky spuds – Sweet potatoes can easily be disguised in a white potato mash. Combine your sweet roots with white potatoes and mash it up all together – even those fussy eaters won't notice the difference!
Boost with butter – Adding a dollop of butter to your sweet potato mash can actually help increase your absorption of Vitamin A.
Spudtacular goodness – Don't peel away the goodness from your sweet taters. Eating the skin lowers your glycemic index and adds valuable nutrients to your meal. Just remember to scrub well before cooking!

Sweet Potato, Chicken and Couscous Nuggets

Makes: 35
Preparation: 25 minutes
Cooking: 25 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup couscous
½ cup Sweet Potato puree
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
500g chicken mince
1 small apple, peeled, cored, coarsely grated
1 egg
1 tablespoon chopped parsley 
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Oil, for shallow frying

Method

Place couscous in a heatproof bowl. Cover with ½ cup boiling water. Cover and stand for 5 minutes; separate grains with a fork. Cool.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan on high. Sauté onion for 4-5 minutes until very tender. Transfer to a large bowl. Cool.

Add couscous, mince, apple, egg and parsley in a bowl. Season to taste.  Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls. Flatten slightly and coat in breadcrumbs.
Heat oil in same pan, cook nuggets for 2-3 minutes, each side  until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towel.
Tip: Uncooked mixture can be frozen. Defrost in the fridge before rolling into nuggets and crumbing.