Posts

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad

/in , , , , /by

A relatively easy salad with wonderful textures, this serves one as a main course or two as a side. Great for packed lunches, but pack the dressing separately so that the lettuce doesn’t become soggy.

250g baked and cooled sweet potato, cubed
1/4 cup cooked black beans
5 leaves romaine/cos lettuce, shredded
2 scallions/spring onions/green onions, diced
2 tbsp unsalted pistachio nuts, shelled
1 tsp each toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
2 tbsp dressing of choice (e.g. Miso-Ginger dressing)

Directions
1. Add the romaine lettuce to a large bowl. Top with sweet potato. Sprinkle over black beans, scallions, nuts, seeds.
2. Top with dressing. Toss, and sprinkle with nutritional yeast.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tortillas with a Green Lime Dressing

/in , , /by

Although this dish looks quite involved, it takes under 30 minutes to prepare, and is incredibly flavoursome. Serves 2.

Ingredients

For the Spice Mix

1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper

For the Tortillas

2 small sweet potatoes (about 350g), peeled and cut into smaller-than-bite-sized chunks
1/2 red onion, medium dice
1 bell pepper, medium dice
1 400g can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp vegetable stock
4 mini flour or corn tortillas

For the Dressing

1/2 cup soy or coconut yoghurt
2 tbsp lime juice
50g kale
Handful spinach
Soy (or other plant) milk, as needed, to thin to desired consistency

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C. Prepare the potatoes. Bring the sweet potatoes to a boil in a pot of cold salted water, and allow to boil for just 5 minutes, to soften. Meanwhile, line a baking tray with aluminium foil, parchment, or a silicone mat. Drain the potatoes, and toss with the tbsp vegetable stock and a few generous pinches of the spice mix. Place in a single layer on the baking tray, and roast in the oven for 10 minutes, turning once.
2. Meanwhile, in a nonstick frying pan over a medium-low heat, sauté the onions and peppers until starting to soften. Add the beans, the stock, and 1-2 tsp spice mix, to taste. Allow to cook gently until the liquid is evaporated and the beans are soft. Mash the beans slightly with the back of a fork or a potato masher.
3. Make the dressing by combining the yoghurt, lime juice, kale, spinach, 1-2 tsp of the spice mix in a blender. Blend until smooth, adding some plant milk 1 tbsp at a time to thin to desired consistency. You will have leftover dressing, but you can save it for salads.
4. Warm the tortillas according to package directions. Drizzle with the dressing, and top with the sweet potatoes and the bean mix.

Shoestring sweet potato, black bean, and kale bowl with caper aioli

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A fairly simple but rich bowl with sweet potatoes, kale, black beans and caper aioli. This makes a good size bowl for 2 or a small side dish for 4.

Ingredients

For the sweet potatoes
3 cups sweet potato, peeled and spiral cut
1T sriracha (or similar or to taste)
1/2T curry powder
2T tamari
1/4t coarse sea salt
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the mushrooms, kale and black beans
2T water
1/4t coarse sea salt
2 scallions, minced
1/2 cup maitake mushrooms, finely chopped
1 cup cooked black beans
2 cups green curly kale, coarsely chopped
1/2T lemon juice
2T nutritional yeast
1/4t black pepper, freshly cracked (or to taste)
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the aioli
2T sesame seed butter
2T white pickling vinegar
1t lemon juice
1T fresh garlic, minced
1t prepare brown mustard
1T pickled capers, minced
1/2T dried green herbs (I use herbes de Provence)

Optional: Shoestringing the potatoes will require a spiral slicer, although a mandoline will give you something similar. If you have neither, dice the sweet potatoes 1/4″ and adjust the cook time as noted below. If you make the beans from scratch, start with 1/3 cup and 1 cup of water (or make them in a batch). I stew them with kombu. A little sun-dried tomato added with the kale would also go well in this dish.

Method

Start the sweet potatoes, and then make the kale and then the aioli.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut the sweet potatoes. Mix the sriracha, tamari, curry powder and sea salt. Toss the sweet potatoes in the mixture until well coated. Bake evenly distributed on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper on the middle rack until crisp. Expect about 30 – 40 minutes. Stir periodically to ensure even coverage. Remove from heat when done.

Not, the potatoes should be well-distributed to increase the amount of air flow available to them (so that they crisp). The more open air they get, the better. If you dice the sweet potatoes, bake until fork tender. Ovens vary; use the colour and texture as your guide.

At the 25 minute market, mix the ingredients for the aioli in order, up to but not including the capers, until emulsified and fluffy. Add the capers and green herbs, stir to combine and let stand while you saute the kale.

Bring a large frying pan to heat on medium. Add the scallions, sea salt and water. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the maitake mushrooms and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add the kale and stir fry for another 2 minutes. Add additional water by the tablespoon if the pan gets too dry.

Add the lemon juice and deglaze the pan. Remove from heat. Toss with the nutritional yeast and black pepper. Let stand to cool while you plate the sweet potatoes.

To plate, add the sweet potatoes in an even, shallow layer. Season the beans, kale and mushrooms to taste and layer on top. Dollop with the aioli and serve.

Tempeh, coconut milk stroganoff with red sweet potatoes

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

A simple, lovely dish with mushrooms, cabbage, and kale.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/4t coarse sea salt
1/4t black pepper
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 ‘spring’ dried kombu (about 1″)
2T tomato passata (or puree)
2T white pickling vinegar
1T prepared brown mustard
2T coconut sugar
2T smoked paprika
1T fresh garlic, minced
1/4 cup scallions, minced (3″ – 4″ green reserved for garnish)
125g tempeh, cut into 1/2″ cubes
2 cups cremini mushrooms, stemmed, 1/4″ slices
2 cups red sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into about 1″ cubes
2 cups shredded green cabbage (I use coleslaw mix)
1T arrowroot powder dissolved in 1T water
1 cup green curly kale
2T nutritional yeast
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: Replace the 125g tempeh with 250g tofu if you prefer, but in that case, reduce the coconut sugar to 1T (or leave it out entirely if you prefer). Flour and brown the tempeh cubes separately and then add them to the overall mix for something more traditional.

Method

Preheat the oven to 450F. Mix everything up to and including the scallions in a medium bowl. Let stand about 5 minutes. In a roasting pan or a baking sheet with sides, add the tempeh and potatoes, then the mushrooms, then the cabbage on top in even layers.

Pour the sauce mixture over the vegetables. Roast for about 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes. Stir periodically to ensure even cooking. Ovens vary; use the colour and texture as a guide. The pan should be a rich, reddish brown, and the sweet potatoes should be tender. If the pan dries before the potatoes are tender, add a little water or stock as necessary.

When the potatoes are tender, remove the kombu. Drizzle the arrowroot mixture over the vegetables and stir to distribute. Roast for another 5 minutes or so until the arrowroot has thickened.

Remove from the oven. Stir in the kale and nutritional yeast. Let stand 5 minutes. Season to taste. Spoon out, garnish with scallion green sliced on an angle, and serve.