Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

IMG_4087I’ve been wanting to make sweet potato and black bean enchiladas for a while, but I was waiting until I found the perfect recipe. I knew that I wanted a red sauce on top, traditional style, but a lot of the recipes I saw called for lime crema. Not cutting it.

Then I realized that I could make the enchiladas of my dreams using my own recipe. Well, part of my own recipe.

I have a good enchilada sauce in my repertoire from when I made roasted corn enchiladas with my friend Steph a few years ago. I decided to pair that with a straightforward roasted butternut squash and black bean enchilada recipe that I found, except I subbed in sweet potato for the squash.

All I can say is, hola enchiladas. I cried tears of joy when these babies came out of the oven. For the first time in my life, I managed to fold the enchiladas correctly so the corn tortillas didn’t break. And the sauce to tortilla ratio was on point.

I would highly recommend making these as soon as possible. They’re best enjoyed while they’re hot, but I found that the leftovers (even served cold) are delicious, too.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas (adapted from here and here)

Ingredients

For filling/tortillas:
3 cups (420 g) cubed sweet potatoes
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt and black pepper, divided
1 15-ounce (425 g) can black beans, slightly drained
1/2 tsp ground cumin, divided
7-9 white or yellow corn tortillas

For sauce:
2 large slicing tomatoes, roughly diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2-1 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Toppings:
Goat cheese or queso fresco (I used goat cheese)
Cilantro
Avocado
Lime

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and position a rack in the middle of the oven.

Add cubed sweet potatoes to a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tbsp oil and a pinch each salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Set aside to cool. Also reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F.

In the meantime, prepare sauce. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and slightly browned and translucent – about 4-5 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and add the tomatoes, chipotle power and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes, covered (to prevent splattering).

Transfer sauce to a blender and blend well for a completely smooth sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.

Place same skillet used earlier back over medium heat and add black beans. Season with a little salt, pepper, cumin and stir.

Once bubbling, remove from heat and add the roasted potatoes and 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce. Stir to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.

Wrap tortillas in damp paper or cloth towel and microwave to warm for 30 seconds to make more pliable. (Alternatively, place tortillas directly on oven rack for 1 minute to heat through.)

Pour a bit of sauce into the bottom of 9×13-inch (3 quart | or similar shaped) baking dish. Spread to coat.

Take one corn tortilla and lay it down in the dish. Fill with generous amount of squash-bean filling (there should to be plenty for 7-9 tortillas), then roll up tortilla.

Place seam side down at one end of dish. Continue until all tortillas are filled and wrapped, then pour remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas in a stripe down the middle. Use a spoon to distribute the sauce into the cracks.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until warmed through. Top with desired toppings and serve.

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Love Letter to Avocado Toast

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

IMG_4074They say that true love finds you, and you don’t find it. Cliché, I know. But that’s what happened with me and avocado toast.

I can’t even tell you when we met or when I first tried it. All I know is, it’s been true love ever since.

The concept is simple: Toast a piece of good, hearty bread. Take an avocado and mash it up with some lemon and sea salt. Spread the mixture on the bread, sprinkle with some pepper, and top with your greens of choice. Adding a poached egg takes things to the next level, but if you’re in a crunch for time, you can leave it out.

It only takes minutes to make, but you’re left with something fresh, delicious and pretty. I’m a big believer in making food look good. It can still taste delicious if it doesn’t. But when a dish looks beautiful, you’re more apt to enjoy it.

I also think having quality bread helps. I’ve heard a million times that the key to a good sandwich is having good bread, and it’s so true. There’s nothing worse than soggy or stale bread, so you need something that will hold up to whatever you put on top. I usually go with a whole wheat, whole grain or some variation.

So yeah…toast is pretty amazing. I would encourage you to create the toast of your dreams. Having it in your recipe repertoire is the equivalent of having a good friend. It’s always there for you when you need it, and rarely does it disappoint.

Avocado Toast with Poached Egg (from me)

Ingredients

2 pieces of thick bread
1 avocado
Half a lemon or a whole, depending on how lemony you want it
Pinch of sea salt
Handful of micro greens (or whatever greens float your boat)
1 egg
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350. While the oven is heating, put the avocado in a small bowl and squeeze some lemon juice over it. Put in a pinch of sea salt. Mash up the mixture with a fork until there are some large chunks but everything is combined.

Heat water in saucepan over high heat until bubbles start forming in the bottom of the pan and steam is rising. Add a pinch of salt or a splash of white wine vinegar to help the egg stay together. Turn down the heat slightly so the water doesn’t boil, and start making a funnel by stirring the water with a spoon. Carefully pour an egg into the hole you’ve created in the middle of the water. Things will look crazy for a few seconds, but the white should start to cover the yellow yolk and it will calm down.

Meanwhile, toast your bread. Spread the avocado mixture on the slices and sprinkle with some ground pepper. Put some micro greens on top and then add the poached egg. Enjoy immediately.

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Maple Glazed Tofu with Soba Noodles

Posted on February 28, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

mapletofuMy friend Rachel just pointed out that I forgot to put up the recipe for this maple glazed tofu with soba noodles. GLARING OMISSION.

I have a love/hate relationship with tofu. Tofu done right is amazing: It’s the perfect blank canvas and you can get creative with flavors. I like how it starts to take on the character of whatever you add to it.

Bad tofu, though, is very, very bad. It can either be too mushy or too firm, so you have to tread lightly. There’s a reason they made the song Killer Tofu.

In the past, I’ve shied away from cooking with tofu. But then I saw this recipe for maple glazed tofu and it seemed too good to pass up. It comes from Lottie + Doof, and I trust Tim’s judgement. He hasn’t led me astray thus far.

I’m glad that I went with my gut, so to speak. The maple/tofu pairing is out of this world, and the soba noodles are the perfect backdrop for the tofu and veggies. And the sliced avocado on top takes the dish to the next level. I would have never thought to add that but it’s a good contrast to the other, more dramatic flavors in the dish.

Maple Glazed Tofu with Soba Noodles (from Lottie + Doof)

Ingredients

14 ounces extra-firm tofu
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Freshly ground pepper
6 ounces soba noodles
1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
3 carrots, peeled and julienned into long strips
1 seedless cucumber, julienned into long strips (avoid the seedy core)
1 bunch of cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 large avocado (or 2?)

Dressing
1 tablespoon yellow miso paste (if you have a darker color, just use less)
1 (3-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon honey
zest and juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1-2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce (plus more for serving)

Directions

Drain the tofu and press out excess liquid in a clean dishcloth. In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and add them to the hot pan. Saute gently until the edges begin to brown. Add the soy sauce, maple syrup, and a healthy dose of black pepper. Stir and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are crisp and the tofu is nicely browned. Set aside to cool.

Cook the soba noodles according to package directions, and rinse well in cold water, and drain. Put the noodles, bell pepper, carrot, and cucumber in a large bowl and toss together.

For the dressing, put all of the ingredients into a small jar with a lid and give it a good shake.

When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the veggies and noodles, add the chopped cilantro and toss well to coat. Top the bowl with the green onions, sesame seeds, and tofu. Serve each portion with a quarter (or half!) of an avocado.

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Blueberry Porridge with Toasted Coconut Flakes

Posted on February 27, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

blueberryporridgeSometimes, I wish I could just sing to you about these dishes. But no one really wants that, trust me. I’ll just tell you about it without musical accompaniment.

This is some of the best oatmeal I’ve had in a while. I thought the slow cooker banana bread oatmeal from a few weeks back had clinched first place. Then, I had this porridge and I adjusted my power rankings.

There’s a lot going on in this bowl but it works to its favor. I love the flavor and texture combination: toasted coconut, tart, juicy blueberries, sweet bananas and a little crunchy granola to top things off. What’s not to like?

This dish is perfect for a cold winter morning when you wake up with icy toes and you don’t want to get out of bed. It will warm you and also remind you of a tropical paradise where no one’s toes are cold.

Here’s a beach-inspired theme song (In-N-Out gets a cameo).

Blueberry Porridge with Toasted Coconut Flakes (slightly adapted from Rebel Recipes)

Ingredients

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup milk of choice (I used almond milk)
1 tsp maple syrup
Toppings;
Banana
Chia seeds
Granola (I used vanilla maple)
Toasted coconut flakes

Directions

Add the oats, blueberries, milk and maple syrup to a saucepan, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook your oats for about 5 minutes, or until they are nice and creamy.

Add more milk if you like them a little looser and more maple syrup if want it sweeter.

Top with bananas, chia seeds, granola and toasted coconut flakes and enjoy!

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Chickpea Pizza with Harissa and Kale

Posted on February 27, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

IMG_4040Every now and then, I like to switch things up.

I wanted to make regular pizza for dinner tonight, but then I thought I would try something different. I haven’t cooked with chickpea flour in a while, but the last time I did, it was a success. So I decided to try this recipe for chickpea pizza, albeit with a few substitutions.

The original recipe calls for spinach and onion, but I had leftover kale from when I made lentil stew the other night. I’m also more of a shallot fan than an onion fan, so I subbed that in.

Everything worked out well in the end. I love the kale-shallot combo. And harissa is one of my favorite sauces of all time. It’s spicy and flavorful, and it takes dishes from “meh” to amazing. I had never paired it with cheese, but now that I have, I’m going to keep doing it. I see a kale-harissa-cheese panini in my near future.

The one word of caution I’d give for this recipe is to make the pizza as soon as you’ve made the batter. I left my batter by the side of the stove while I made the caramelized shallots and I found that it thickened up a little, which made it harder to spread into the pan later.

Another good addition (which I didn’t think of until later) would be sprinkling a little Maldon sea salt or drizzling some olive oil on top.

My sister was listening to this song today and I copied her. I keep hearing “dosas and samosas” instead of “doses and mimosas.”

Chickpea Pizza with Harissa and Kale (adapted from Molly Yeh) (makes 2 pizzas)

Ingredients

1 cup chickpea flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
a few cracks of black pepper
1 cup water
olive oil, to coat the pan
About 2 tablespoons harissa* (this amount may vary depending on your taste and how hot your harissa is)
2 large shallots, chopped and caramelized
1 cup packed fresh kale, chopped
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to high broil.

In a medium bowl, combine the chickpea flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper, and then whisk in the water. Whisk until you have a smooth batter.

Heat a large oven safe skillet on the stove over medium heat and coat the bottom with oil. Pour in half of the batter and tilt the pan to distribute it evenly. It will be about 8-10 inches. Cook for a few minutes, until the bottom is browned and comes away easily from the pan, and then flip to do the same on the other side.

Remove the crust from the heat. Spread on the harissa and top with half of the shallots, kale, and mozzarella. Place in the oven for about 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Repeat with the other half of the batter and toppings. Leftovers are great the next morning cold!

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Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate

Posted on February 27, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

IMG_4045This recipe is brought to you courtesy of my friend Tanya.

Tanya moved to New York last year and I miss her dearly. It’s rare to find a friend who’s willing to go on almost every food adventure that you cook up, but Tanya is that person for me. We both have a sweet tooth, so we would usually end up sharing dessert at the end of the meal or walking a mile out of our way to get a slice of cake.

Tanya knows all about my love for (read: addiction to) hot chocolate, and she’s very supportive. When she sent me this recipe, we were having a few warm days in D.C. Then, today, the city decided it was winter again. So I decided to give the recipe a go.

Two warnings about this recipe: One, it makes enough to feed two people, plus another small human with half an appetite. Two, it is not very straightforward. I’ve never seen a hot chocolate recipe that involves two saucepans, but this one does. You use one pan to whisk the cocoa powder into water, creating a hot fudge-like substance. Then you use the other pan to heat up the milk, sugar and chopped chocolate. You combine everything into the latter pot, et voila. Hot chocolate, chocolat chaud…or whatever you call it.

After you take a sip, you’ll forget about the backbreaking labor. I can honestly say, without exaggeration or dramatics, that this is one of the best hot chocolates I’ve ever tasted. It’s rich and creamy but not cloyingly sweet. The chocolate flavor is there, but it’s not overwhelming or watered down. The end result is nothing short of perfection.

I would also recommend making the meringue to go on top. I almost skipped this step, because let’s be real: Who wants to wait for hot chocolate? But it’s one of the easiest things to make. All you do is mix 3 tbsp of sugar into one egg white, and let the whisk attachment on the mixer do the hard work. If you don’t have a stand mixer, it will still come together quickly with a hand mixer. I loved the thicker texture of the meringue on top of the hot chocolate.

I better stop myself before I get carried away. Here is good soundtrack for hot chocolate making. Or if French music isn’t your jam, I also highly recommend this track.

Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate (from The New York Times, with one small addition)

Ingredients

For the chocolate:
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 15-ounce can coconut milk
¼ cup dark brown sugar
Pinch kosher salt
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped about 1/4 cup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the meringue:
1 large egg white
3 tablespoons superfine sugar

Directions

In a small saucepan, whisk cocoa into 1/3 cup boiling water.

In a saucepan, combine coconut milk, brown sugar and salt. Simmer, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Whisk in hot cocoa and chocolate until smooth. Stir in vanilla.

In bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg white on medium speed until it begins to foam, about 1 minute. Add superfine sugar tablespoon by tablespoon as mixer is running. Beat until egg white stiffens to soft peaks and is shiny, 5 minutes. Dollop onto cups of hot chocolate. Garnish with chopped chocolate or chocolate shavings if desired.

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French Lentil Stew with Mushrooms and Kale

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

IMG_4027Sometimes, all you need is comfort food.

That’s how I felt tonight when I was walking home. It was cold and windy, and my hands felt like ice by the time I got to the train. I knew that I needed something thick and warming that would make me feel like I wrapped my most comfortable blanket around my shoulders. So I decided to make this French lentil stew.

Part of the reason I like to make lentil stew is because of the way the white wine, shallots, lentils and thyme smell when they’re cooking. It’s almost indescribable. It’s rich and intense, but also a little sweet from the shallots and earthy from the lentils and thyme. Usually I get more excited about the way baked goods smell (see, fudge brownies), but this savory combo does not disappoint.

I thought it was a little weird that this recipe called for coconut milk, and I was worried about how the end product would taste. But don’t worry–the coconut flavor disappears under everything else that’s going on in the pot. You’re left with a comforting stew that’s perfect for a cold, blustery wintery night. Or whenever you need the food equivalent of a blanket.

Here are some French-inspired tunes to get you going. My sister just recommended the track and I’ve been jamming out to it all day.

French Lentil Stew with Mushrooms and Kale (ever-so-slightly adapted from The First Mess)

Ingredients

¾ cup French green lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium shallot, fine dice (roughly 1/3 cup diced shallot)
1 lb (454 grams) mixed mushrooms, stemmed + sliced
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
2 tablespoons white wine
½ teaspoon gluten-free tamari soy sauce
1 ½ cups vegetable stock
1/3 cup unsweetened plant milk—I find carton coconut-based milk is preferable here (this one + this one are my go-tos)
3-4 kale stalks, stems removed + leaves sliced (1 ½ packed cups of sliced kale)
fresh bread or toasts, for serving

Directions

Bring a medium saucepan of water (equivalent to 3/4 cup lentils, so just shy of 4 cups) to a boil. Add the lentils to the water along with a fat pinch of salt. Simmer the lentils until they’re just-tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a braiser or medium soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots to the pot and stir. Cook the shallots until slightly softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and let them sit for a full minute. Stir the mushrooms up and season with pepper. Let the mushrooms sit in the pan another full minute.

Stir the mushrooms until they start glistening slightly. Season the mushrooms with salt. Add the garlic and thyme to the pot and stir. Once the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds, add the white wine and tamari to the pan. Stir the mushrooms. Add the vegetable stock and plant milk to the pot. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil.

Ladle half of the mushroom mixture into your blender pitcher, ensuring that you include enough of the liquid. Blend on high until completely smooth. Scrape the blended mushroom mixture back into the pot, along with the cooked lentils. Add the sliced kale and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil and check it for seasoning. The texture should be like a thick and creamy stew.

Serve hot with toasts or other accompaniments of your choosing.

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Orange Dreamsicle Smoothie with Toasted Coconut

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

IMG_4006One summer in college, I worked in a gelato store to make extra money. It was one of the best jobs I’ve ever had.

Not many customers came in during the day because the shop was in a weird, tucked away corner in a grocery store parking lot. So I would sit in the back of the store all day reading until I heard people come in. Or my friends would come visit and I’d talk to them and let them try all the flavors.

Another thing I liked to do was experiment with flavor combinations. I put dark chocolate and coconut together on a spoon and discovered that it tasted like German chocolate cake. The strawberry gelato and lemon sorbet tasted like strawberry lemonade. The options seemed endless.

One of my favorite combinations was blood orange and vanilla gelato. It tasted exactly like a dreamsicle bar. And it was a great way to sell the blood orange flavor, because people either had never heard of, or were freaked out by the words, “blood orange.” But once you said the word “dreamsicle,” their eyes lit up. Everyone knows what a dreamsicle is.

I saved this recipe for a rainy day (literally), and I’m glad that I did. It’s bright and zesty and reminds me of summertime.

IMG_4004

Orange Dreamsicle Smoothie with Toasted Coconut (slightly adapted from Hungry Girl por Vida)

Ingredients

1 cup canned coconut milk or almond milk
1 Siggis coconut yogurt
2½ cups frozen or non-frozen mango chunks
1 orange, peeled
½ frozen banana
2 tablespoons toasted, unsweetened coconut
1 tablespoon hemp hearts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Garnish with extra hemp hearts and toasted coconut. Enjoy!

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Blackberry and Banana Baked Oatmeal with Coconut

Posted on February 21, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

bakedblackberryoatmeal

This is the best breakfast I’ve had in a while, bar none.

I almost couldn’t believe it myself. After all, I made lemon cornmeal pancakes with roasted blackberries last week. And I still haven’t forgotten about my cinnamon raisin brioche French toast from a month ago. That was a highlight.

But this baked oatmeal was a cut above the rest. It combined two of my favorite fruits, blackberries and bananas, and one of my recent obsessions, coconut. I used to hate the taste and texture of coconut, but I’ve really come around to it lately. It adds some crunch and variety to a more basic dish, and the smell of it when it’s toasting in the oven is unreal.

I subbed in almond milk for coconut milk because I forgot to get a can at the grocery store. I’m happy that I did, though, because the coconut flavor was more subtle that way.

Also, the original recipe calls for slicing up two bananas to line the bottom of the pan, but I found that using one banana was enough. Then, you can slice up the second one and use it for serving.

The best part about this dish (besides eating it) is the smell when it comes out of the oven. Imagining opening a present and smelling a pancake, a muffin and baking bread all at once. It sounds like a dream, but that’s pretty much what happens here.

I found that drizzling the top with some maple syrup only adds to the effect.

Here are some tunes to get you going.

Blackberry and Banana Baked Oatmeal with Coconut (slightly tweaked from Cookie + Kate)

Ingredients

2 cups / 7 oz / 200 g rolled oats
½ cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Scant ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
14 oz almond milk
⅓ cup / 2 oz water
⅓ cup / 2 oz / 60 g pure maple syrup (or raw sugar)
1 large egg
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 large ripe banana, cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup blackberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the top third of the oven.

Butter or spray cooking oil on the inside of an 8-inch square baking dish.

In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, coconut, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, coconut/almond milk, water, egg, half of the butter, and the vanilla.

Place the banana slices in a single layer on the bottom of the baking dish.

Arrange two-thirds of the berries on top of the bananas.

Cover the fruit with the dry oat mixture, then drizzle the wet ingredients over the oats. Wiggle the baking dish to make sure the milk moves down through the oats.

Sprinkle some extra coconut on top.

Bake for 45 minutes, until the top is golden. Remove your baked oatmeal from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Serve with sliced bananas and maple syrup.

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Loaded Sweet Potato with Roasted Chickpeas

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Emily Wasserman

sweetpotatoroastedchickpeasFew things say “heaven” more than a loaded sweet potato. What’s not to like? The sweet potato is subtly sweet and is the perfect blank canvas for whatever you want to put on top. In this case, I added some crispy roasted chickpeas with paprika, brown rice, chopped almonds and chives.

The original recipe calls for baking the sweet potato for 25 to 30 minutes. But I had a massive sweet potato that was the size of my face, so it took around an hour to cook. I could have left it in even longer, but I got too impatient and hungry after the 60 minute mark.

Feel free to get creative with toppings. A scoop of Greek yogurt or labneh with olive oil and paprika would be delicious.

Loaded Sweet Potato with Roasted Chickpeas (from The First Mess)

Ingredients

1 sweet potato
cooked chickpeas
oil of your choice
smoked paprika
salt + pepper
1/3-1/2 cup cooked brown rice
6-7 almonds, chopped
3-4 blades of chives, ripped up

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Pierce the sweet potato a couple times with a fork, wrap it extra good in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile, toss the chickpeas in enough oil to coat, salt and pepper to taste and a little smoked paprika. Spread them out on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast in the 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until crispy and golden. Set aside to cool.

To serve: Split open the sweet potato and season the flesh with salt + pepper. Place the cooked rice, some of the chickpeas and chopped almonds on top/inside. Garnish with the chives and an extra sprinkle of smoked paprika.

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