Smokey Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups peeled and diced sweet potato, 1/4 inch diced
• 3 cups cooked black beans, or 2 - 15oz cans drained
• 3 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3-4 cups vegetable stock, depending on how thick you want your soup

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, a pinch of salt and stir for 3 minutes. Then add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add sweet potato, black beans, and all the spices. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add stock, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are cooked through.
2. Using a cup or soup ladle, scoop out 2 cups of the sweet potato and black beans and set aside. Let soup cool and then using an immersion blender, blender, or food processor blend the remaining soup together. Turn the heat back on and add back in the reserved sweet potato and black beans. Heat soup, stirring occasionally, until hot.
3. Serve with your favorite garnishes: cilantro, red onion, avocado, tortilla strips, salsa etc...

~Recipe adapted from shelikesfood.com

Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup dried quinoa
• 4 teaspoons lime juice
• serving suggestions: avocado, cilantro, crema, cheese

Directions:

1. Heat a large heavy bottom pot with the oil over medium high heat.
2. Add the sweet potato and onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion is softened.
3. Add the garlic, chili powder, chipotle, cumin and salt and stir to combine.
4. Add the stock, tomatoes, black beans and quinoa and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir everything to combine.
5. Cover the pot and recuce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
6. Cook for 15-25 minutes until the quinoa is fully cooked and the sweet potatoes are soft and the entire mixture is slightly thick like a chili.
7. Add the lime juice and remove the pot from the heat. Season with salt as needed.
8. Garnish with avocado, cilantro, crema or cheese.

~Recipe from whatsgabycooking.com

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

• sweet potatoes
• olive oil
• thyme
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Cut sweet potato into 1 inch steak fries.
3. Toss in olive oil, thyme, salt & pepper.
4. Place on baking sheet.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, then flip and bake for another 6-8 minutes. 
6. Serve with honey mustard or plain.

*Place foil or silicon mat on baking sheet for easy cleanup.

Recipe via Stephanie M.

Fancy rice & beans

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice
• 1 sweet potato
• 1/2 can black beans or kidney beans
• large handful spinach
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• salt & pepper
• garlic powder
• Salsa for serving

Directions:

1. Cook rice.
2. Either bake or boil sweet potato.
3. Once rice and potatoes are cooked mix them together.
4. Add black or kidney beans, finely chopped spinach (to mask it for the littles) and cheese to taste.
5. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
6. Serve with salsa on top.

~Recipe via Stephanie

Sweet Potato Hash

Ingredients:

• sweet potato
• olive oil
• dried dill
• dried basil
• garlic powder
• white pepper
• eggs

Directions:

1. Grate sweet potato
2. Heat olive oil in frying pan over medium heat. 
3. Put grated sweet potato in heated frying pan and mix in dried dill, dried basil, garlic powder and white pepper to taste.
4. Cover pan for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are cooked (taste them and they should be soft and tasty). 
5. Once potatoes are cooked, add as many eggs as you'd like and mix all together for a different kind of hash. 

*I usually use about 4 eggs per half of a sweet potato.

~Recipe via Stephanie