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Tag: yams

Rutabaga and Yam Fries with Garlic Dipping Sauce
One of my all time favorite things we make at the deli I work at is sweet potato or yam fries. They are so simple but so good. So, often times I will make them at home. I call them my bacon, because they are to me what bacon is to meat eaters. Hard to stop eating and kind of addictive. You know maybe if more people tried them they would think giving up bacon isn’t so bad! I was making a recipe for work the other day, and I got to thinking, since yam fries are good, what about other veggies as fries? The rutabaga I was using for a recipe sounded like a good thing to test out, so I bought myself some and decided to give it a go.

The truth is I used to hate rutabaga back in the day and my Dad would always tease me and say that is what we were going to have for dinner. I don’t know why I hated it, I think it was because it was a foreign veggie to me at the time and I had been told it was gross and maybe once my Grandma had made some and I didn’t care for it. But then when I was in college and experimenting with cooking and all sorts of new veggies I decided to try it again and ended up loving it. The recipe that I had made the first time was a vanilla scented mashed rutabaga and it was amazing! But it is so good roasted and in soups too I quickly discovered. It has a sort of sweet flavor to it.

I figured it would be perfect made into fries. I combined them with some yams I had on hand, because why not do two different veggies? As far as I am concerned the more veggies the better when it comes to what I eat. I kept them simple, just tossing them with a bit of avocado oil, sea salt, pepper and cayenne and it was perfect to showcase the sweetness of the rutabagas and yams. They would have been good just like that, but I decided to make a dipping sauce as well.

For the dipping sauce, I wanted something creamy and garlicy so I whisked together some almond butter, garlic, lemon and salt with a bit of water to thin it out and it was perfect! You could use a different nut butter or even tahini for a nut free version if you prefer and it would be delicious as well. The fries were sooo good! The sweetness of the root veggies was brought out even more by roasting and the garlic sauce was the perfect partner for them! Definitely give these a try this winter, just be warned, you may eat the whole batch they are pretty darn addictive!

Rutabaga and Yam Fries with Garlic Dipping Sauce
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

Yams:
- 2 medium sized yams, cut into fries
- 1 large rutabaga peeled and cut into fries
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp ground cayenne or chipotle powder
Sauce:
- 1/3 cup filtered water (or as needed)
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions:
1. To make the fries, preheat the oven to 400F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.
2. Toss the fries with the oil, sea salt, pepper and chipotle powder until they are coated, and spread them out on the sheet pan.
3. Place in the oven and roast until tender and starting to brown, about 45 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, to make the dip, combine all ingredients in a bowl, and whisk until smooth (if you want it thinner, add more water since almond butters vary in texture sometimes). Set aside.
5. When the fries are done, remove them from the oven and serve with the dip!
December 13, 2019
Vegan Chipotle Mac and Cheese with Greens
I loved mac and cheese when I was little. I could have had it for every meal of the day every day. Well that and grilled cheese. I guess I was just a cheese loving little girl. It never dawned on me that it might not be healthy because I didn’t really care I just knew that it was good. I would beg my parents to make it for me, and we always had it on hand. My Mom at least tried to add veggies to it to make it healthier. When I got older and was more aware of what I was eating and the nutritional value that it had, I didn’t really enjoy mac and cheese anymore. To me it was just a pile of white carbs with cheese and cream which wasn’t really what I was going for. Not that it isn’t fine to indulge once in a while because you should but I try to have at least something healthy in every meal. So I gave it up for a long time. That is until I went vegan and began experimenting with healthier options with veggies included. Because there should be veggies in every savory dinner as far as I am concerned. My Mom was telling me about this frozen Mac and Cheese that she bought and I said to her, “I bet I can make an even better vegan version”. It was on. Although I was pretty confident because I have made vegan mac and cheese quite a bit before. I am one of those people who likes to experiment with things and make them in different ways to find the best one so this was going to be a different version. I have made the regular potato and carrot version of mac and cheese that many vegans seem to swear by but I actually prefer something like squash in the base. My Mom however doesn’t like squash and I was making this mac and cheese for her and to suit her tastes so I went with yams.

We both love yams, so this was going to be good. I decided to make it chipotle mac and cheese as well with a little kick. My Mom loves to sprinkle a little chipotle powder on things the way most people use red pepper flakes so it was perfect. This cheese sauce is actually really easy to make once your yams are cooked and it comes together fast in a blender. It is so good you will want to eat it with a spoon, or maybe dip some chips in it…I might have done both of those things while making it. It reminds me of the mac and cheese sauce I enjoyed as a child but better. The thing that makes it appear to be rich like cheese is the cashew butter that I add. But it is surprisingly mostly yams. Who would have thought they would make such a good cheese sauce. Banza had sent me some pasta to try, so that was what I used this time. I use gluten free pasta 99% of the time, but I only like the ones made with beans that actually have protein in them. This one was made from chickpeas, which is awesome! Don’t worry, there was no beany flavor, just tasted like regular pasta.

Once it was all mixed together I added in some greens to give it even more nutrients. It was super delicious. My Mom loved it as well, she said it was better than the mac and cheese she had bought and the flavors were perfectly balanced. Also, that it tasted like dairy and you would not be able to tell it was vegan. That makes me so happy! If you are craving mac and cheese, but want it to be healthy as well, you must give this a try! It may become a staple this Winter!

Vegan Chipotle Mac and Cheese with Greens
Serves 4

Ingredients:
- 2 cups mashed yam potato*
- 3/4 cup hot filtered water (or as needed)
- 1/3 cup raw cashew butter
- 1 medium garlic clove
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
- 3/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
- 16 oz gluten free pasta
- 2-3 large handfuls of arugula or baby spinach
Instructions:
1. Combine the sweet potato, water, cashew butter, garlic, cider vinegar, yeast, chipotle, and sea salt in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and the consistency of cheese (if it is too thick add a little more water). Set aside.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, then place back in the pot, add the greens and cheese, and stir to coat. Pour into a serving dish, and serve!
*To cook the sweet potatoes, I like to roast them in the oven. Take a large sweet potato, poke a few holes in it, and cut in half lengthwise. Place cut side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment and bake for about an hour at 400F degrees or until tender. Remove from oven and let cool before mashing.
November 4, 2017
Smokey Yam and Lentil Chili
We sell so much soup in the deli I work at that it is not even funny. 4 quart pots are emptied out in no time, and we are always making soup. You would think it would slow down a lot in the Summer, but it still sells like hotcakes! Even more of course in the Fall and Winter. Especially Fall though, as people are feeling shocked by the cooler weather and wanting something warming. To be fair, our soups are really good, some of the best I have tried anywhere. I tend to be disappointed when I go out to restaurants and order soup because ours is top notch. I like to think I make good soup at home too though. My Mom taught me how when I was younger when we got a big soup book and made about 20 different soups from it. We hardly ever bought canned after that. I never buy canned now because I like home made so much more. My Mom gave me an idea for a chili to make combining lentils and yams, and I had to go right home and make it!

I had all of the ingredients on hand, and I was excited. I had never actually made chili with lentils, it was always beans. But I actually prefer lentils. This chili was really easy to make, you just throw all of the ingredients but the yams in a pot and cook it, then throw in the yams. I used tomatoes from my Grandpa’s garden instead of canned and I think that made it extra good. I added a bit of liquid smoke to give it a little smokey flavor and make it more interesting. It smelled so good while cooking! Chili always reminds me of watching fall football games, or chilly fall evenings after spending the day outdoors.

It turned out really good! The thing I didn’t like so much about traditional chili growing up was always the ground beef. I have never liked it and the smell of it turned my stomach. But if lentils were added instead of the beef I think I would have liked it a lot more. Because this lentil chili was awesome! Also, they cook a lot faster than dried beans, so if you want your chili faster consider lentils. The smokey chili was delicious with the sweet yams too! If you are cooking for one like I was, this is even better and more flavorful the next day, so you will be excited when you have that second bowl for lunch the next day. Or, of course you can double the recipe if you are cooking for two. Either way, give it a try on a chilly Fall evening, you won’t be disappointed!

Smokey Yam and Lentil Chili
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup french lentils
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 carrot, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
- 1 stalk celery, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups diced tomatoes (canned are fine)
- 4 cups filtered water
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
- 2 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
- 2 small yams or sweet potatoes, diced
Instructions:
1. In a pot, combine all ingredients but the yams. Bring to a boil, and lower to a simmer. Cook on low heat for about 40 minutes or until the lentils are getting tender. Add the sweet potatoes, and cook for about 10 minutes more until they are tender. Once everything is cooked, remove from heat, and enjoy!
September 22, 2017
Cinnamon Sugar Yam Fries with “Cream Cheese” Dipping Sauce
Yam fries are my bacon. As in, I love them so much I can’t stop eating them. We make them at my work, and of course I always have to sample them every time to make sure they are up to par. It is funny because when I was younger I couldn’t have cared less about sweet potatoes and yams, because of the way I was traumatized as a kid eating the canned ones in syrup. But once I tried a roasted yam fry, from a fresh sweet potato, I was hooked. This is the sort of thing I whip up a batch of if I want a healthy snack that tastes like it shouldn’t be. It is usually just a little olive oil and sea salt and I am a happy girl with the more savory yam fries. But I thought, hey why not make some sweet ones?! Sweet yams can go so wrong. I admit, I am not usually a fan of mashed super sweet yams for a savory dish because it tastes too much to me like pumpkin pie or something. But I was going for sweet this time, and they wouldn’t be mushy, they would be sweet, a little crisp and delicious!

These actually ended up being oil free as well. I tossed them with maple syrup, coconut sugar, cinnamon, sea salt (to get that sweet and salty thing going), and some chipotle powder to give it a little kick. Because I am a fan of that sort of thing. If you don’t like heat, you feel free to leave it out. They smelled amazing while baking! Like a cinnamony Autumn cake or something. Happy aromas coming from the kitchen are my favorite! Especially when it is the smell of spice in the fall.

I wanted a dipping sauce with these too. As if they weren’t delicious enough as they were, because they could totally stand alone, but I wanted them to be over the top good. I debated between a chocolate dipping sauce and a cream cheese dipping sauce, and the cream cheese won. Because I can never resist cream cheese. Vegan cream cheese of course. My dip was a luscious mixture of cashew butter and coconut milk made sweet with a little more maple syrup plus a dash of sea salt and cider vinegar to make it taste like cream cheese. It was so good! And, even better with those delicious yam fries. This reminds me of something you would get at the state fair but healthier of course. If you are in the mood for a sweet snack, give these fries a try!

Cinnamon Sugar Yam Fries with “Cream Cheese” Dipping Sauce
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

Yams:
- 4 medium sized yams, cut into fries
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cayenne or chipotle powder
Sauce:
- 1/3 cup thick coconut milk
- 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cider vinegar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. To make the fries, preheat the oven to 400F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.
2. Toss the fries with the maple syrup, coconut sugar, sea salt, cinnamon, and chipotle powder until they are coated, and spread them out on the sheet pan.
3. Place in the oven and roast until tender and starting to brown, about 45 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, to make the cream cheese dip, combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
5. When the fries are done, remove them from the oven and serve with the dip!
September 20, 2017
Roasted Yam, Coconut Bacon and Black Bean Salad with Miso Almond Dressing
I made a potato salad with coconut bacon over the 4th of July holiday weekend and it was really good but I thought of something that would be even better. Yams or sweet potatoes and coconut bacon. A match made in heaven, sweet and salty together. I had actually been thinking about this combination and how good it would be in the past, but never made it because I didn’t have a good vegan bacon substitute. But then I discovered coconut bacon a few months back and it was perfect for such an application. Coconut bacon is just the thing to top off salads, loaded baked potatoes and things like popcorn. Not only that, you don’t have to kill anything to make it, and it keeps better than real bacon. It is honestly the closest thing to real bacon that I have eaten. And I used to be a bacon lover before I went vegetarian then vegan. So anyways, back to that roasted yam and bacon combo.

I made a super delicious salad with that combination a few nights back. It was crave worthy. I tossed some chunks of yam with olive oil and sea salt and roasted them to crispy perfection in the oven. This is one of my all time favorite things to snack on anyway, and it is amazing on a salad. I made some crispy coconut bacon, which was good for snacking (I probably ate half the pan before I made the salad) and awesome with the yams. I decided to add some black beans too for protein, since I always like full meal salads. I added in some greens, and bell peppers for color, and then I needed a delicious dressing to drizzle over it.

I used one of my all time favorite dressings, a creamy almond miso. This is actually something that I keep in my refrigerator at all times, and I make it weekly. I have instructions for a smaller batch below though in case you don’t want a giant jar of something, and I have also included instructions at the bottom for a large batch like I make if you become a fan. I like it served over pretty much any type of veggies, it is creamy and garlicy and just a tad sweet from the miso and it is honestly like nothing I have ever had. It was amazing over this salad with the salty crunchy bacon and roasted yams. A crave worthy salad may sound like an oxymoron, but it totally isn’t when it comes to this. Trust me, you need to try it. It was so good I am going to have to make it for Eric soon too because I did not share this batch.

Roasted Yam and Chickpea Salad

Serves 2

Coconut Bacon:
- 1 1/2 cups large flake coconut
- 2 Tbsp tamari
- 2 Tbsp liquid smoke
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
Yams:
- 1 large yam, diced
- olive oil
- sea salt
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup filtered water (or as needed)
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 2 tsp white miso
- sea salt to taste
Salad:
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 cups arugula leaves
Instructions:
1. To make the coconut bacon, preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.
2. Toss the large flake coconut with the tamari, liquid smoke and maple syrup and spread out on the pan. Place in the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes (depending on your oven), keeping a close eye at the end and checking it in the final minutes because it burns fast. Remove from oven and let cool.
3. Raise the temperature of the oven to 400F degrees. Toss the yams with just enough olive oil to coat and sprinkle with sea salt, then spread out onto the pan. Roast for about 20-30 minutes until softened and browning at the edges. Once the yams have finished cooking let them cool to room temperature.
4. Meanwhile, to make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a bowl, and whisk together until smooth (or, I like to use an immersion blender in a tall glass measuring cup if you have that).
5. To assemble the salad, scatter the arugula on the bottom of the plates, then top with the beans, yams, bell pepper and some of the coconut bacon. Drizzle with the dressing and serve!
*If you want a large batch of dressing like I keep in my refrigerator:

Miso Almond Dressing:
- 1 cup almond butter
- 1 cup filtered water (or as needed)
- 3 small garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp white miso
- 1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
Blend in a blender or food processor until smooth (or whisk together if you don’t have one). Keeps for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
July 15, 2017
Vegan Lentil, Mushroom Yam Tacos

I had a really bad day a few Fridays ago. I was feeling kind of tired and out of sorts because I was fighting off getting sick and at work and was sort of out of balance, I dropped a large can (like 96 oz can) coconut milk in the cooler (I work in a deli). It fell in such a way that it spilled down 3 shelves and their contents, all over the wall, the ladder rack next to the shelves, and the floor. It was an uber mess. I haven’t made a mess that bad in a long time, and certainly not outside my own home. I felt so bad, and wanted to cry, and at the same time was in a state of shock. That just sort of threw a wrench in my day (and I am sure my coworker’s days) to clean up the mess. But it got cleaned up, and people were nice about it (although I am still catching crap for it a week later). I just have to laugh at myself looking back. Anyways, that was how my work day went. I got off work, and I checked my Instagram, and I saw that I had won $100 from US Bank in their #Extra100MN contest (you post a photo and say what you would do with an extra $100 this month). My photo that won was one of my vegan desserts, and I said I would like to use the extra 100 dollars to make some more vegan goodies and desserts (because that is what I do, but I don’t always have a lot of money to do so). Winning that was a highlight to an otherwise bad day, it was like God was trying to tell me, “Hey, its alright, cheer up and forget the bad stuff. I will take care of you”. So, my day went from kind of sucky to good.

So, I got this gift card in the mail, and I am going to be posting a few fabulous desserts I made with some of it, but of course I had enough to buy several special recipes worth of food, so I did. I have been wanting to make tacos for a long time, but the truth is I thought all of the ingredients would add up and be too expensive so I kept putting it off. Yes, I know on their own maybe the ingredients arent a lot, but when you add up things like tomatoes, avocados, bell peppers etc, when you are not able to get to a farmer’s market and don’t grow them it is spendy sometimes especially organic. I am on a budget after all, and I try not to splurge a lot. So, this was my chance to make those tacos with the little extra money. I have been craving tacos for a while, so I was excited about this. Yes, it took a little time to prepare them, but this was my after work project.

They were non-traditional. But you know what? I didn’t care, because I am a Minnesotan and the Mexican food up here isn’t always traditional. Plus, I cook with what is available, and what tastes good to me. Eric who is from Arizona and loves traditional Mexican food always gives me crap about the non-traditional tacos etc. I make so I had to mention that. But I know he secretly loves it anyhow. I made lentil mushroom taco filling, topped it off with roasted sweet potatoes (one of my favorite things in the world), and some more traditional things, like salsa, cabbage and avocado. All served on sprouted corn tortillas. They were wonderful. It was worth all of the work to prep for them, and honestly, we got 2 meals out of them, because it made enough for two days (and we both like to eat, so the servings were generous). You have no idea how happy this meal made me. So, thank you US Bank for the $100. And I will be sharing the other recipes I made with it soon. And the moral of the story, if you are having a bad day pray about it.

Vegan Lentil, Mushroom Yam Tacos
Serves 4

Salsa:
3 medium organic tomatoes
2 bell peppers, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
juice and zest of 2 limes
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
sea salt to taste
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for a few hours (or overnight) to let the flavors combine.

Yams:
3 small garnet yams, cut into large dice
olive oil
sea salt

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Toss the yams with olive oil and sea salt and spread out on a sheet pan. Roast for 1 hour to an hour or so until they are tender and starting to brown at the edges. Set aside.

Taco Filling:
1 cup green lentils
filtered water
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup minced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp sea salt

In a pot, combine the lentils and just enough water to cover them by a couple inches, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, and cook for about 40 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a pan, and add the mushrooms and onions. Sautee for a few minutes until the mushrooms have softened, then add the garlic, and spices, and sea salt, and sautee until fragrant. Set aside until ready to assemble.

For assembly:
8 sprouted corn tortillas, warmed
1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
2 diced avocadoes

Spoon some of the lentil filling mixture into the taco shells, top with some sweet potatoes, a little salsa, cabbage, and avocado. Enjoy!

July 9, 2016
Vegan Loaded Chili Yam Fries

Yam fries are my favorite thing in the world. I know I have mentioned it before, but I could eat them for every meal of the day. So, I decided that I needed to make a legitimate (well sort of) dinner out of them and make it a full meal with other things besides just the fries. I have made a chili topped off with yam “croutons” before, but I decided to make chili yam fries. People put chili over regular fries, of course it is usually filled with disgusting meat…but mine wouldn’t be. It would be vegan and filled with delicious healthy black beans. I was dreaming about this dinner all day at work. Yam fries are easy to make, so is chili, so it was the perfect weeknight meal!

So, I made my yam fries the usual way, tossed with just enough olive oil to lightly (and I mean very lightly) coat them so that they don’t get soggy and oily. The purpose of that is to get them nice and brown at the edges. I just add a little sea salt and it is honestly the best thing in the world. Well at the time when you are eating them at least, so good. When I make them at work, there are always some missing from the pan, because everyone likes to “quality control” them. They are pretty addictive, good luck getting them to the table when making them at home, people like to stand around them and graze. Myself included.

I made a simple chili that takes only 20 minutes to top off these fries, with black beans because I had some on hand. I used that to top off the fries, and also a silky avocado sauce. Which sort of served as the cooling element (you know, like sour cream would be). Now I know I could have topped these off with cheese instead of the avocado, but I was really craving the avocado and not in a cheese mood. Lastly some green onions and cilantro. It was so good, just as it was. If you are looking for a legit way to have yam fries as a main dish for dinner, try this out! Sooo delicious!

Vegan Loaded Chili Yam Fries
Serves 2

2 medium sized yams, cut into fries
olive oil
sea salt

Chili:
1/4 cup onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 cup filtered water
1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
3/4 cup cooked black beans

Avocado sauce:
1 medium avocado
juice of one lime
sea salt to taste
filtered water as needed

Cilantro leaves and sliced green onions for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375F. Toss the yams with just enough olive oil to coat them, along with sea salt to taste, and spread them out on a sheet pan. Roast yams for about 40-45 minutes until tender and browned at the edges.

Meanwhile, to make the chili, add all ingredients but the beans to the pan, and bring to a simmer. Cook until the tomatoes are falling apart and the flavors have combined, about 20 minutes. Add the black beans and cook until heated through. Keep warm.

Blend up all of the avocado sauce ingredients until smooth in a food processor (adding as much water is needed to make it a creamy but pourable consistency).

To serve, place the yam fries on a plate, spoon the chili over them, and top with the avocado sauce, some cilantro, and green onions. Enjoy!

April 30, 2016
Vegan Chickpea Chorizo Stuffed Yams

I eat yams at least 4 times a week if not more. I am addicted to them honestly, they are sooo good. Yam fries are my favorite thing in the world, and I could live off of them if that were ok. Like for breakfast lunch and dinner and never get sick of them. But I know it practical, and I need more in my diet than just yams. So I try to come up with new ways to serve them or recipes to use them in.

The latest recipe was chorizo stuffed yams. Not meat chorizo, yuck. Chickpea chorizo. Something I have been making ever since I had a vegan tempeh chorizo at a local restaurant and loved it so much I decided to create my own version. But using chickpeas. Because at the time I didn’t have any tempeh on hand but I did have chickpeas. I fell in love. This is good stuff! I used it to top off a pizza that time. Since then I have used it for salads and tacos as well.

But I thought it would be especially good with roasted yams, so I used it to stuff them for dinner. I topped it off with an avocado sauce to cool the heat of the chorizo and they were delicious! If it were summer I would add diced fresh tomatoes and lettuce to top these off but since it isn’t and I didn’t have any on hand I kept them simple. And they were sooo good! If you are looking for a new dinner idea and you love yams as much as I do, try these out!

Vegan Chickpea Chorizo Stuffed Yams
Serves 2

2 medium yams, cut in half lengthwise

Chorizo:
1 medium red onion, diced
1 tsp olive oil
1 15 oz can chickpeas
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp smokey paprika
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp oregano
sea salt to taste
1 medium organic tomato, diced

Avocado sauce:
1 medium avocado
juice of one lime
sea salt to taste
filtered water as needed

Preheat the oven to 375F. Place the yams cut side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Roast yams for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes depending on how large they are.
To make the chorizo, heat the oil in a pan, and add the onions. Cook, stirring often until the onions are very soft and starting to brown. Add the chickpeas, garlic, spices and tomatoes and continue to cook, stirring the whole time to prevent burning. Mash the chickpeas up with the back of a spoon and cook until heated through and tomatoes have become mush.
Blend up all of the avocado sauce ingredients until smooth in a food processor (adding as much water is needed to make it a creamy but pourable consistency).
To serve, spoon the chorizo over the roasted yam halves, and top with the avocado sauce.

April 16, 2016
Chipotle Black Bean Chili Stuffed Yams

I haven’t met a yam I didn’t like. Especially when roasted to perfection, the sweetness and flavor brought out. I love yams just like that, and I would eat them plain all day like that, but it isn’t really a balanced meal then, so I like to add other components to them. My favorite thing lately is to stuff them. I have made this a few times lately for me and Eric and lets just say we were both really hungry and they tasted so good that we practically inhaled them. This recipe involved black beans in a sort of chili sauce laced with chipotles, and topped off with avocadoes, oregano, and scallions. It is so good. Filling, and both savory and a little sweet so that you don’t feel like you need dessert after.

The best thing about these is they come together quick, so they are perfect for a busy day or when you get home late. The yams can be popped in the oven while you are doing other stuff, and the topping can be made in the meantime. If everyone knew about meals like this, I don’t think they would think vegan food is boring, I think they might consider eating this way!

Chipotle Black Bean Chili Stuffed Yams

Serves 2

2 medum sized yams or sweet potatoes

2 tsp olive oil

1 small red onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp chipotle powder

1/2 cup diced canned tomatoes (or you may use fresh if you have them)

sea salt to taste

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans

2 scallions, sliced

2 Tbsp fresh oregano or cilantro

1 avocado, diced

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Prick the yams all over with a fork, and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes-1 hour until tender, depending on how large they are.

Meanwhile, to make the chili beans, heat olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat, and add the onions and bell pepper. Saute until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, chipotle powder, sea salt, tomatoes, orange juice and beans. Cook for another 10 minutes until the flavors have blended, stirring often.

Once the yams have finished cooking, cut in half lengthwise (but not all the way through to the bottom. Spoon the black beans into the open yams, top with scallions, oregano, and avocadoes, and serve!

January 3, 2016
Red Lentil, Yam and Mushroom Stew

Last Sunday was a full but wonderful day for me! I woke up, had a wonderful workout, made a delicious cake, and then decided to go downtown with Eric to see the Macy’s Art in Bloom Flower Show and walk the skyways. We saw some beautiful flowers, and it was a nice taste of spring, since it happened to be snowing outdoors.

We walked the skyways afterwards, and it was fun to people watch and go for a walk and see the city from above out of the chilly snow outdoors. When we arrived home, we were both pretty hungry, so I decided to make something hearty for dinner. Something that I have been making so often lately I could do it in my sleep practically, a red lentil, yam and mushroom stew that makes me forget all about the fact that it is cold outside. It is hearty, cost effective to make, delicious and warming. Eric told me that it is one of the best dinners I have made lately, and I have to agree, I love this stuff! Which is why I thought I needed to share it with you! I will be enjoying this often until it warms up here again.

Red Lentil, Yam and Mushroom Stew

Serves 2

2 tsp coconut oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp dried thyme

3 cups sliced crimini mushrooms

2/3 cup red lentils

3 1/2 cups filtered water (or as needed)

1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste

3 cups diced yams

2 large handfuls spinach or other greens

In a medium pot, over medium heat, warm the coconut oil. Add the garlic and thyme, and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add al remaining ingredients but the kale, and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the lentils are tender and starting to fall apart and the yams are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the spinach just before serving.

March 27, 2015
Red Lentil Dal Stuffed Yams with Avocado Lime Cream

After a very active day, I want nothing more than to indulge in a humongous roasted yam filled with some sort of hearty filling. Running 8+ miles in the morning then working all day will leave me pretty hungry and although I eat throughout the day, I don’t get time to have a relaxing sit down and enjoy meal until dinner usually (at least not during the week). So when I do get to sit down, I want something satisfying and good. Lately it has been the yams. Yams are a wonderful food for recovery of muscles and I always feel good after enjoying them. I used to simply eat them as a side dish with a splash of lime and sea salt, but lately I have been stuffing them with things like black beans, or lentils.

I have made red lentil dal stuffed yams a few times this week already, and I figured I should share the recipe with you all because it was so tasty. I made a simple red lentil dal with greens and a bit of coconut milk for sweetness, stuffed it into sweet yams roasted to perfection, and topped it off with a cool lime cream. It was heavenly. Yes, I call savory food heavenly too. Trust me you need this in your life! In case you were wondering why I have been sharing more cooked things lately on my blog, it is because I have found that I feel more balanced when I enjoy both cooked and raw foods. I still eat a large amount of raw, but I mix in some nutrient dense vegan cooked foods like these yams into my diet as well. I think listening to your own body is always the key when it comes to what you need.

Red Lentil Dal Stuffed Yams with Avocado Lime Cream
Serves 2 generously

2 large garnet yams

Dal:
2 tsp coconut oil
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp whole coriander seeds and cumin seeds
a large pinch red pepper flakes
sea salt to taste
1/2 cup red lentils
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 cups filtered water (or as needed)
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 handfuls spinach

Avocado Lime Cream:
1 large avocado, diced
juice of one large lime
sea salt to taste

Large flake coconut and scallions to top

To make the yams, pre-heat the oven to 425F degrees. Prick the yams all over with a fork, and place them on a baking sheet. Roast for about an hour until tender.
Meanwhile, to make the dal, heat the coconut oil in a medium saucepan, and add the garlic and spices. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until the spices are fragrant and toasted. Add the sea salt, lentils, coconut milk,1 1/2 cups filtered water and bell peppers.
Cook over medium heat, stirring often until the lentils are tender and have soaked up most of the liquid so they are somewhat thick (you may need to add an additional 1/4 cup water if they are not done and drying out).
Once the lentils are done cooking, stir in the spinach to wilt it. Keep warm.
To make the lime cream, place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
To serve, cut the yams in half lengthwise, place on a plate or in a bowl, and spoon the lentils over them. Top with the lime cream, coconut, and scallions, and serve warm.

March 6, 2015