Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Avocado Sauce
Sweet potatoes (also called yams) are among the most nutritious and delicious of all the starchy vegetables. Use sweet potatoes with the bright orange flesh for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes
Potato Filling
- 2 Tbsp vegetable broth (or 1 Tbsp olive or avocado oil)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 small green pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 c cooked black beans (or one 15 oz can drained)
- 1 1/2 c corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 1 1/2 c diced fresh tomatoes
- sweet potato pulp from the baked sweet potatoes
- 1/4 c cilantro (or parsley), chopped
- seasonings to taste (e.g. ¼ tsp smoked paprika; 1/2 tsp each salt, coriander, turmeric, oregano, basil, thyme; 1-2 tsp chili powder)
- 1 tsp minced chipotle or other hot pepper (optional)
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Avocado Sauce
- 1 ripe, medium-sized avocado
- 1/4 cup plain vegan yogurt, vegan mayonnaise (or creamy vegan salad dressing)
- 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- Dash of favorite hot sauce (optional) or cayenne
- 1 large clove garlic
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash sweet potatoes and pierce with a fork. Place on a cookie sheet lined with a silicon mate or lightly oiled. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45-60 minutes, or until soft.
- While potatoes are baking, prepare the avocado sauce. Blend together avocado, lime juice, garlic, vegan yogurt or mayonnaise and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth. If you are not using the yogurt or mayonnaise, you may need to add a little water or non-dairy milk to thin mixture for piping. Put sauce into a zip lock bag and refrigerate.
- Prepare filling for potatoes. Heat oil or vegetable broth on medium heat and add onions, peppers, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add black beans, corn, tomatoes, hot pepper (if using), salt and spices, and turn heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Turn oven off. While the mixture is simmering, remove cooked sweet potatoes from the oven and slice each potato in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out about half the flesh in each potato, leaving plenty of potato so the skin remains firm and the potato can hold its shape. Put hollowed out potatoes back in the oven to keep warm.
- Stir the sweet potato flesh into the black bean/corn mixture and let cook another 5-10 minutes so spices are nicely distributed. Turn off heat. Add cilantro and lime juice.
- Remove potatoes from the oven and pile filling back into potato halves.
- Remove avocado sauce from the refrigerator and cut a hole in one corner of the bag (at the bottom). Pipe avocado sauce over filling. Serve with a large salad or green vegetables.