Hearty Yam and White Bean Hash

Hi friends,

I have a special treat for you today! I am off traveling in Washington DC for a conference this week and can't wait to share my food journey with you! Until then, I guess you'll just have to do with this hearty yam and white bean hash I cooked up over the weekend.

You can find this recipe over on Richa's blog, Vegan Richa. I'm a big fan of hers and I love the way she combines simple, plant-based ingredients into amazing dishes with a focus on Indian cuisine. (Plus, if you haven't checked out her Roasted Butternut Squash Sliders with Balsamic Caramelized Onions you definitely should!)

Hope you have a wonderful week!

Continue to the recipe...

Fajita Baked Yams

I've stopped myself about ten times now from sharing this recipe with you. Why? It's a silly reason and I'm sure you'll laugh. It's because I worry that it's too simple.

I'm all about easy and quick recipes, but this one just seems overly simple. I finally decided to get over myself and just share it with you already because it's a great example of a meal that I eat. And, quite often I might add.

There are recipes that are great for company.  There are recipes that are great for showing off fancy culinary techniques. Then there are recipes that just taste good, are easy to make, and make a fabulous meal.  This is the latter. And I'm going to keep telling myself that just because a recipe is simple doesn't mean it's any less tasty.

This recipe includes baked yams, sautéed fajita veggies, and some spiced black beans.  For an easy weeknight dinner, roast the yams and make the black beans ahead of time. Then, come dinnertime, simply saute up your fajita veggies, reheat your potato, and top it with some black beans. This recipe is incredibly flexible so feel free to add in any leftovers from your fridge that need to be used up. And, it is mighty fine with topped with some fresh avocado slices! 

Fajita Baked Yams
Serves 4

4 medium-large yams
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 green bell peppers, seeded and sliced
1 red onion, sliced


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub yams and place in a baking dish (you can line it with foil to make cleaning easier). Bake about 45 minutes - 1 hour, or until yams are tender.

Add olive oil to a pan over medium-low heat. Add the bell pepper and onions and saute 5 - 7 minutes, until tender-crisp.

Simple Black Beans

Serves 4

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons smoked paprika
pinch of chile powder

4 cups cooked black beans

1 cup vegetable broth

2 bay leaves

freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes

Add the olive oil to a pot over medium heat.  Saute the onion for 5 minutes, or until translucent.  Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, and chile powder and saute for an additional minute. Add the black beans, vegetable broth, and bay leaves. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until beans are soft, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the bay leaves and serve beans atop baked yams. Garnish with red pepper flakes, if desired. 

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Here are some things to know before your first Zumba class:

If your gym is on street level, do not stand by the window.  I repeat, do not stand by the window.  If you take this piece of advice you will be spared the looks of curious passerbys who are interested in Zumba, but are also thinking to themselves how they are grateful that they are not that really uncoordinated girl who looks out of place (i.e. me).

Definitely style your hair before you go.  This is not a typical gym-ponytail situation because when you can't follow the moves and you're messing up the people beside you, you can at least take pride in the fact that your hair looks totally awesome.

Do not eat a large meal right before you go.  Okay, I didn't exactly learn this lesson first-hand, but judging by the painful looks my co-worker was giving me during the class, I'm just going to advise you against this one.

And on this note, it's probably best not to drag people to your first class with you.  Sure, the support is great, but this means that you'll have witnesses.  In a situation like this, witnesses are not good.

Finally, know that during your first Zumba class you will totally feel lost, uncoordinated, and possibly panicky at times, but you will also have the most fun that you've had all week.  If you have a chance, definitely go.

And definitely make these roasted sweet potatoes afterwards.  After all, you deserve a reward for surviving Zumba, having awesome hair, and not having eaten too much beforehand.

These roasted sweet potatoes are fabulous as a side dish, but they can easily be made into a full meal if topped with some simple black beans and a little garlic tahini.  What are your favorite ways to use sweet potatoes?

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4

2 large sweet potatoes or garnet yams, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon safflower oil
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
coarsely-ground sea salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Toss sweet potatoes with oil and lay flat in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Sprinkle with cumin and paprika, and top with sea salt and pepper, if desired.  Roast for 30 - 45 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking time, until potatoes are cooked and crispy. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Spicy Peanut and Sweet Potato Soup

I am not the person that you should ask about fashion advice.  My idea of a good outfit involves jeans and a comfy grey sweater from the men's department at Old Navy.  And my "purse"?  Oh, do you mean this reusable Trader Joe's grocery bag?

I am not the person that you should ask about relationship advice.  My most recent Saturday nights have been spent reading about business licenses, cleaning the kitchen, and surfing Pinterest.  That's what a long-term relationship will do to you.

I am not the person that you should ask about pet care advice.  I recently shelled out close to a grand to find out that my cat sneezing blood for fifteen minutes was indeed... just a bloody nose.

I am not the person that you should ask about video games, Star Wars, or sports.  In fact, please don't talk to me about these things at all...  thanks.

But dinner advice?  Yes, please ask. 

And if you do ask, I just might recommend this soup.

The recipe originally called for harissa, a smoky North African chili paste made from smoked chills, olive oil, spices, and tomatoes.  Instead, I used a mix of paprika, ginger and chile powder to give the soup some intense flavor and mild heat.  If you prefer your soup on the mellow side, leave the chili pepper out or add in more broth or garbanzo beans to lessen the kick.  The beans can also be omitted if desired, but I always feel more satiated when my soups have a bit more protein.  

Spicy Peanut and Sweet Potato Soup

Adapted from Vegetarian Times

Serves 8

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 medium leeks, white and light green parts thinly sliced (2 cups)

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

3 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

pinch of chile powder (less than 1/8 teaspoon)

3 medium sweet potatoes, chopped

1 cup cooked garbanzo beans

4 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

Heat oil in a pot over medium heat.  Add leeks and sauté about 3 minutes.  Add ginger and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes, until fragrant.  Stir in tomato paste, peanut butter, turmeric, cumin, paprika, and chile powder; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, and vegetable broth.  Simmer over medium-low heat, partially covered, about 20 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender.

Blend the soup by using an immersion blender or transfering it to a regular blender. (If using a regular blender, be very careful as the steam can sometimes cause the lid to blow off.  I recommend allowing the soup to cool for a few minutes, then blending small batches on medium speed while holding the lid down with a large pot holder or towel in my hand).  Add a bit of water if the soup is too thick.  Serve hot and garnish with chopped peanuts.  

Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus

I think this world would be a much brighter place if we could spend all our time doing what we love most. And if you are anything like me, that means you would spend your evening dancing around your kitchen to Colbie Caillat with your cats while eating your own weight in sweet potato hummus. Not a bad life.

It might also mean that you *accidentally* ate all of the pita chips that were intended for this photo.  Whoops.  I guess you'll just have to live with a picture of carrot sticks instead. 

This week, besides eating way too much sweet potato hummus, I decided it was time to get my Big Girl pants on and spend some time doing things that I have been putting off for far too long.  Like deep cleaning my fridge, filing my taxes, updating my finances, opening an IRA, and switching to an online bank (with a much better interest rate).  Sigh.  Sometimes we can't spend all our time doing what we love.  But we can still eat pita chips. 

This hummus starts off sweet and mellow, but if you like a bit of spice, sprinkle in some red chili pepper flakes before serving for a little kick.  I tend to make my hummus on the thicker side because it holds better in veggie wraps, but if you like yours a little thinner, you can easily play with the ratio of liquid and add more tahini, oil, or a bit of water.  This recipe makes 3 cups, which is perfect if you plan to use this all week, but if that sounds like way too much hummus for you then you can easily cut the recipe in half. 

And if sweet potato hummus doesn't sound like the best thing that's ever happened then I just don't know how to please you.

Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus
Makes 3 cups

1 sweet potato, chopped
2.5 cups cooked garbanzo beans
2 cloves garlic
3 Tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 - 3 Tbs water
3 Tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (optional)

Steam or boil sweet potato until tender.  Set aside. 

Add garbanzo beans, sweet potato, garlic, tahini, cumin, paprika, salt, and lemon juice to food processor.  While motor is running, add olive oil and water.  Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the food processor as necessary.  Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of red chili pepper flakes.

Parsnip, Leek, and Sweet Potato Soup

You know that you had a good weekend when you look around your home on Sunday night and see laundry still piled up, dirty dishes waiting in the sink, and a crowded inbox of unread emails.  This is a good sign.  It means that you had better things to do and bigger things to worry about than taking care of chores.  

In my case, I spent the weekend entranced with the first season of Lost.  As you can tell, I definitely had bigger things to worry about than laundry.  I mean, what the heck is happening on this crazy island?  And how did I not know that this show existed until two days ago?!  

Sure I might have had better things to do than laundry, but I still managed to make to the farmers market and survive my second hot yoga class (more on that subject another time).  I fell in love with some beautiful parsnips and leeks at the market and promptly came home and pureed up this soup for Sunday brunch.  My secret to pureed soups is that I always add some beans in for extra protein.  This soup was perfect served alongside a hearty salad with some green onions, sea salt, and crushed peppercorns for a garnish.  I even discovered that a few extra green onions in a small vase make the perfect colorful table accent.

How was your weekend?

Parsnip, Leek, and Sweet Potato Soup

Serves 2 - 4

1 Tbs olive oil

2 leeks, ends removed and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1.5 cups Great Northern beans (or any white beans)

2 medium-large parsnips, chopped

1 medium sweet potato, chopped

6 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

green onions for garnish

Add oil to a large pot over medium heat.  Sauté leeks for three minutes.  Add garlic and sauté for an additional minute.  Add the beans, parsnips, sweet potato, broth, thyme, sage, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, about 30 minutes until vegetables are soft.  

Remove the bay leaf. Blend the soup by using an immersion blender or transfering it to a regular blender. (If using a regular blender, be very careful as the steam can sometimes cause the lid to blow off.  I recommend allowing the soup to cool for a few minutes, then blending small batches on medium speed while holding the lid down with a large pot holder or towel in my hand).  Serve hot, with salt and pepper to taste, and green onions for garnish.  

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries with Tahini Ketchup

Nothing says Thursday like standing over the stove and devouring roasted vegetables.  Especially when those roasted vegetables are sweet potato fries covered with cumin, paprika, chile powder, and sea salt.  Then dipped in... wait for it... tahini ketchup.  Yep, I went there.

I spent this last week on a sweet potato fry marathon.  I baked over two pounds of sweet potatoes and dipped them in almost every sauce I could think of.  Hummus?  Tried it.  Miso ginger dressing?  Tried it.  Balsamic vinegar and olive oil?  Tried it.  Tahini?  Tried it.  Ketchup?  Of course I tried it.  Then somewhere in there my fry found its way into both tahini and ketchup and a miracle was instantly created.

I learned some important things about sweet potatoes on my journey.  I learned that I don't like mushy fries.  I learned that I like my fries thinly sliced.  I learned that I don't like the way they taste when tossed in corn starch before baking (even though this is supposed to help prevent mushy fries).  I learned that giving them lots of room on the sheet pan is the best way to get them to crisp up.  And I learned that sweet potato fries taste best when dipped in tahini ketchup.  What a way to start the year.

Sweet Potato Fries
Serves 4

2 sweet potatoes, thinly sliced into fries
1 Tablespoon coconut oil (or another oil suitable for high heat)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
pinch chile pepper
sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Toss sweet potato fries with oil and lay flat on sheet pan.  Sprinkle with cumin, paprika, chile pepper, and sea salt.  Bake for 20 minutes, turning twice.  Serve hot.

Tahini Ketchup
Yields: 1/2 cup

1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup ketchup

Combine tahini and ketchup and serve.

Sexy Ugly Stew (aka Split Pea and Yam)

Have you ever heard the phrase "sexy ugly"?  Come on, you know what I'm talking about.  How else do people describe Mick Jagger?

If you haven't heard of this phrase before, then thank Urban Dictionary for helping us both out:  "Someone who is not conventionally good-looking (or any kind of good-looking in some cases), but possesses an appealing personality, style, or talent, and is thus considered sexually attractive by many."  Now you know what sexy ugly means.

Well, this stew is sexy ugly.  

I have to admit that I never understood that phrase.  Honestly, what the heck is sexy ugly?  Is that a complement or criticism?  Should one be flattered or alarmed?

But today while standing at my stove staring into this pot of mashed up split peas it all became clear.  This stew is not what I would call pretty.  In fact, should you serve this at your next party or potluck, I highly doubt that it will have guests lined up wanting to try it.  Don't get me wrong, it's not hideous.  It's just not appealing.  And us Americans tend to have something against mushy green things as it is.

If you didn't know any better, you would probably agree that this stew is, well, kinda ugly.  That is, until you take your first bite.  That's when you discover that you underestimated this little stew.  That the stew is, in fact, sexy.

The heartiness of the peas combined with the intensity of the yams and melded together with the sweetness of maple syrup?  It's sexy. Well, sexy ugly.

Serves 4. 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups split peas
2 yams, diced 
3 stalks celery, chopped
5-6 cups vegetable broth
2 medium yellow onions, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch fresh spinach, chopped
2 Tbs maple syrup
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried sage
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Directions:
Add a little olive oil to a large pot and turn to medium-high heat. Saute your onions for 5 minutes.  Add your celery (and a little more olive oil if necessary) and saute for another 5 minutes.  Add your garlic and saute for another 2 minutes.

Next, add your vegetable broth and bring to a boil.  Add your split peas, yams, bay leaf, sage and basil.  Cover, turn the heat down, and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add your spinach and maple syrup.  Let it simmer for an additional 15 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole

Some people have "life lists." You know, things you want to do before you it's too late. But me? I have a food list: things I want to make and eat before it's too late! And boy, it is getting awfully long these days.

I decided to tackle one small item today: enchiladas. A friend and classmate of mine (the amazing Wendy!) made some awesome enchiladas earlier this week that inspired me to try my own batch. I also just happened to have some corn tortillas lying around (thanks LeAnne!).

I adapted this recipe from Paul McCartney's "Ob-La-Di" enchilada recipe. I had never made enchiladas before, but these were amazing. Instead of rolling individual enchiladas, I used the tortillas as layers, similar to how you would use noodles in lasagna. The result? A delicious and easy enchilada "casserole."

I topped it off with some tofu "sour cream" and fresh cilantro. Usually I'm not a big fan of vegan sauces made from tofu, but this "sour cream" was delicious. It even got Ash's seal of approval -- which, as you know, means everything. :) Enjoy!

This makes about 9 servings.

For the Sauce

• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 4 Tbsp. water
• small bunch cilantro, chopped
  

For the Filling

• 1 cup black beans
• 1 cup pinto beans
• 1 cup cooked sweet potato, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder or 1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/3 cups salsa
• 1 cup steamed kale
  
• 6 tortillas

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF. Place all the sauce ingredients, except for the cornstarch, in a small pot and cook over low heat, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch and cook until the sauce thickens.

In the meantime, prepare the filling: Mix the beans, onion, sweet potato, kale, cumin, garlic, pepper, and salsa.

Fry the tortillas in a bit of olive oil for a couple of minutes.

I used a 6"x6" baking dish. Add a little sauce to the bottom of the dish. Add 2 tortillas (you might have to rip one into a couple of pieces to make it fit.) and top with a bit of the filling. Add more sauce. Repeat these steps for another layer. Top the final tortillas and top with more sauce. Bake for 35-45 minutes.

For the "sour cream" (Adapted from the Veggie Table)

• 1/2 block tofu
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 3 Tbs canola oil
• Salt to taste
  

Process all of the ingredients in the food processor until smooth. Transfer to the covered container and refrigerate for up to four days.