Stuffed Sweet Potato

This was the byproduct of my brainstorming on a lazy afternoon (The best time to brainstorm in my opinion! Aren't lazy afternoons the best?). I knew I wanted something packed with nutrients for dinner, but I wanted to put in minimal effort. Yes, there are days where even I don't feel like being in the kitchen for very long! So I made this stuffed sweet potato. Minus the fact you have to start about an hour before you want to eat (to let the potato bake) it really requires very little effort. It is also packed with nutrients, costs very little to make, and leaves you feeling comfortably full - and most importantly, satisfied.

Serves 2

Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 sweet onion, sliced into thin strips
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced (optional) 
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to your desired level of spice)
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
2 avocados
Juice of 1 lime

Begin by preheating your oven to 375 F. Poke holes in the top of your sweet potatoes, and place on a cookie sheet in the oven on the center rack to bake. Set your timer for 60 minutes. When there is only 30 minutes left on the timer, combine your veggies, garlic, olive oil, 1 teaspoon of the sea salt, and the rest of the spices. Toss in a baking pan, and place on a rack in your oven below the roasting potatoes for the last 25 minutes. The potatoes are done if soft when poked with a fork. Remove the potatoes and the veggies from the oven. Chop your avocado and toss in a bowl with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and lime juice. Place each potato on a plate, cut down the center but not all the way through, mash a bit of the inside of the potato with a fork, stuff with equal amounts of veggies, and top with the avocado mixture. Now it's time to dig in, enjoy!

Chipotle Quinoa Sweet Potato Burgers with Crunchy Guacamole

There is nothing quite like these savory, sweet, spicy, and crunchy quinoa sweet potato burgers! They are packed with flavor and amazing nutrients - and not to mention, gorgeous looking! I was so excited to try to come up with a recipe for these, and it has finally arrived. The best aspect of vegan burgers is the level of creativity you can have with them, as well as their potential for incredible nutritional value. There is no guilt after eating one of these babies! Just a meal packed with protein, rich in vitamins and minerals, and mouth-watering-savory-sweet-crunchy bite after bite enjoyment.

Nutritional value: Sweet potatoes are packed with high amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, as well as contain fiber and are a highly anti-inflamatory food. Out of all the grains, quinoa has the highest amount of protein. Quinoa is also filled with fiber, phosphorous, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Not to mention it is gluten free! Beans and avocado add extra fiber and protein. While avocado also adds vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and pantothenic acid. Now top it all off with iron,  vitamin K, riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorus, folate, zinc, copper, and manganese rich raw pepitas - and whew! - you are loaded with nutrients.

This recipe yields either 2 extra large patties, 3 medium sized patties, or 4 sliders. 

Burger Ingredients
1/3 cup quinoa
2/3 cup filtered water
1 cup cooked sweet potato
1/2 cup white beans (I used white kidneys, but any white kind will do)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder (spicy or super spicy!)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves minced fresh garlic)
1 - 2 tablespoons tahini (optional)
1/2 cup panko crumbs (found at Trader Joe's)
Olive oil for cooking
2 sprouted grain hamburger buns (I use Ezekiel brand, found them at Sprouts)

Crunchy Guacamole Ingredients
2 avocados
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons of your favorite salsa or pico de gallo
2 tablespoon raw pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds - I buy mine raw and sprouted in the bulk bins at Whole Foods)

Start by heating a small pot on the stove with the 2/3 cup filtered water and 1/3 cup quinoa. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Let the quinoa cook for 10-15 minutes (or until all the water is absorbed), then remove from the heat and let rest for at least 5 minutes. While the quinoa is cooking, peal and dice 1 medium, or 2 small, sweet potatoes. Cook the sweet potatoes in a pot of boiling water on the stove for about 10 minutes, or until soft and mash-able.

Once the sweet potatoes and quinoa are done cooking, combine the sweet potatoes and white beans in a mixing bowl and smash with a potato masher until well mashed but still retaining a little texture from the beans. Now add in the tahini (if using) and the spices. Mix well, and then add the quinoa and fold it into the mixture with a spatula. Heat a medium size pan on the stove to medium heat and drizzle with some olive oil. Form the quinoa sweet potato mixture into your desired size/amount of patties, coat them with panko crumbs, and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side (or until a nice crispy golden brown outer shell is reached). While the burgers are cooking you can be assembling the crunchy guacamole by simply combining all the ingredients you see above and mashing them together (or less mashing if you like your guacamole chunky!). Now take one of those delicious sprouted grain buns and build your burger with your crispy sweet and spicy burger patty and crunchy guacamole - and enjoy ever bite :)


This recipe was featured on Healthy Vegan Fridays over at Every Day Vegan Girl! Check it out here.

Veggie Quinoa Sushi

I always found the idea of making homemade sushi so daunting, but after seeing a few other people I know trying it I figured I should look into it... And WOW was I surprised by how easy it is! Especially if you are vegan - or just making a vegan roll for fun - because you don't have to worry about the freshness of fish and what-not. This roll is super versatile and simple. I bought raw nori sheets from Whole Foods (make sure to buy raw to ensure you are getting all he great benefits of eating nori!), and have used both brown rice and quinoa, but love the quinoa the best. Quinoa, a gluten free grain, trumps other grains in nutrition (besides sprouted ones, those are the best). In just a quarter cup you get 5 grams of protein, 3 grams fiber, and 10% of your daily need of iron. I have also heard great things about purple rice, and hope to try that one next!

As for the filling, use any of your favorite veggies. Although I find avocado and cucumber to be the best, I'm sure some carrots or sprouts would be great too! This recipe makes one roll, which should serve one person, so double or triple as needed.

Ingredients
1 raw nori sheet
1/3 cup dry quinoa
2/3 cup filtered water
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 - 1/3 of a cucumber, pealed and sliced into sticks
Liquid aminos (or low sodium soy sauce) for dipping

Place quinoa and water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 10-15 minutes (or until all the water is absorbed). Once done, take off burner and let sit with lid still on for another five minutes. Fluff with a fork, and transfer to a bowl to cool.

On a cutting board, lay your raw nori sheet. Cover with quinoa, leaving about a half inch gap between the quinoa and the edge of the nori sheet closest and furthest from you. Stack your sliced avocado and cucumbers in the center (horizontally), or whichever veggies you choose to use. Taking the bottom of the nori sheet closest to you, roll tightly over the veggies, to form a super tight rolled log. I didn't use a rolling mat and it turned out great, but if you have a rolling mat use that instead for this step. I then just lay my hand over the roll and squeeze slightly to make sure everything is binding together in there (not sure if I'm really helping anything at all or just making myself feel better). Then I let it sit for a few minutes, (again, probably to make myself feel better, as if some magical binding power is taking place) and slice with a serrated knife into 8 pieces. Serve alongside a little dish of liquid amines (or low sodium soy sauce) for dipping. Now, enjoy yummy, healthy vegan sushi in the comfort of your own home, yay!