Day 21: Ube
I have to be honest…”U” was a tough one.
After considering a few options, I decided to go with “Ube” which is the Filipino word for Purple Yam. While I searched for an actual purple yam (not to be mistaken for a sweet potato), I had no luck. In my research, however, I came across a dehydrated powdered yam powder that is actually used in many traditional Filipino desserts. It provides a deep purple color naturally without any preservatives. I ended up picking some up at a local Filipino market, but you can order it online too. I was a little intimidated figuring out how I was going to use it, because there aren’t very many recipes available (in English) that are vegan and gluten-free at that! ha!
But once I figured out how to re-hydrate the yam powder (YouTube to the rescue), I decided to modify a few recipes to create Blueberry Purple Yam Muffins! They came out pretty tasty!
Of course, I’m sure you can guess the health benefits of a purple yam, all those added anti-oxidants! Next time, I think I’d like to try the actual yam itself…but what a fun adventure this was! 🙂
See you tomorrow for letter “V.” ♥
