Vitamin (A)wesome

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SWEET POTATOES //  are one of the best sources of Vitamin A.

A Large sweet potato has more than 100% of your daily recommended intake according to the US Food and Drug Administration.Vitamin A is an antioxidant powerhouse and is linked to anti-aging benefits, cancer prevention and the maintenance of good eye sight.Sweet potatoes are also rich in B5, B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin and due to their orange color--rich in carotenoids.These bad boys are low in sodium, low-fat and have fewer calories than white potatoes. Unfortunately, they are higher in sugar that white potatoes.Sweet potatoes are almost always incorporated into our nightly meals not only because they are delicious, but also for how easy they are to make. A lot of the time, I just throw a few in the oven when I get home from work to have as a simple side dish but lately I find myself adding as many protein and nutrient-rich additives to my foods as I can. Mainly because I have ADD and get annoyed by repetition but also because I find a way to incorporate as much protein as possible to every meal. It physically makes me feel better, gives me more energy and keeps me fuller longer. If you know me well, you know I am like a newborn baby and require a meal or snack every 3 hours. Now that I know I am not absorbing my meals fully, this makes much more sense.When it comes to cooking in my home, I like to choose simple recipes...4-5 ingredients tops and nothing fancy. The stuffed sweet potatoes pictured above were quite the hit and I will be cooking them much more. What makes this side dish fun is that you can change the theme up in so many ways. The night I cooked this, we had a more "southwestern" theme. A few peeps have requested this recipe, so here you go!

SOUTHWESTERN STUFFED SWEET POTATOES

Feeds 2-4

  • Sweet potatoes (4)
  • 1/2 can of black beans
  • 1 ear of fresh corn
  • 1/2 cup shredded mexi-cheese
  • Avocado (1)
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
  2. Wrap the sweet potatoes in foil and place directly on the rack. The sweet potatoes will cook anywhere from 60-90 minutes depending on size. In the meantime, go hang on the couch, workout, get some work done, etc. etc.
  3. I prefer the freshest ingredients possible so that is why I chose an ear of corn vs canned corn. To save time, feel free to use canned corn. If you want deliciously crunchy and fresh corn niblets, fire up that grill and get it ready for your ear of corn. Once the grill is hot, place the corn (still wrapped in its husks) directly on the grill and cook until ready. Cook time ranges anywhere from 10-20 minutes so start grilling the corn when your sweet potatoes have around 20 minutes left in the oven.
  4. While the corn is on the grill, empty half of the canned black beans in a sauce pan, turn heat to low/medium and cook until corn is ready. Make sure you are stirring occasionally so that the beans don't thicken up and dry out.
  5. Once the corn is fully cooked, place the corn vertically on a plate and with a serrated knife, cut downwards removing the delicious corn niblets. For this recipe I only used 3 out of the 4 sides in the corn. If you want more or less, that is up to you. Now, add the corn to a mixing bowl.
  6. At this time, your sweet potatoes should be done cooking. Remove them from the oven, unwrap them from the foil and let them cool down before you stuff them.
  7. Remove your beans from the stove, strain the excess juice and then add the beans to your mixing bowl of corn.
  8. While stirring the corn and beans together, slowly sprinkle in your desired amount of shredded cheese until melted into mixture.
  9. Open up your sweet potatoes and scoop out a small portion in the middle with a spoon, making room for your stuffing.
  10. Add the mixture to your sweet potatoes, stuffing them as full as you would like
  11. Top with sliced avocado
  12. Stuff your face and enjoy!

This was just a side dish to our meal that night, but if you add quinoa to it and a side salad, that is all some need for a meal. Not to mention, the leftovers make for a quick lunch the next day. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did! Happy Friday!-C  

Kari Olson Co.Comment