Healthy Loaded Sweet Potato

Since going gluten free, sweet potatoes have become one of my favorite foods. The are delicious, packed with nutritional value, and are versatile enough to be used in both sweet and savory dishes. In a pinch they can also be cooked in the microwave in less time than it takes to make rice or pasta. Another thing I have learned is that complex meals can be made quickly as long as one or two of the components are either prepared ahead of time and kept on hand, or are store bought in the prepared form. For instance, I used a store bought frozen bag of seasoned corn for this recipe, but made everything else fresh.  This might be my favorite sweet potato recipe to date!

Ingredients:

-1 large sweet potato

black bean hummus:
-1-15oz can of black beans
-1T lemon juice
-1t white wine vinegar
-1t sea salt
-1t black pepper
-1.5t cumin
-2-3T tomato juice (Any liquid will work, I used reduced sodium V8 because I had it on hand)
-3-5 dashes of Tabasco sauce

 toppings:
-Corn: I took the easy route and used a microwaveable bag of Safeway grilled corn with cilantro and lime, you could substitute with fresh corn, cilantro, and lime juice if you would like
-1/2 of an avocado, diced
-sprinkle of shredded cheese

*Makes two servings

Directions:

Sweet Potato:

Quick version: Wash the outside of the potato well, pierce a few times with a knife, and place in the microwave on a plate for ~10-15 minutes (until soft)

Alternative: Can wash the potato and bake it in the oven (400 degrees for 45 min - 1 hour)

Black Bean Hummus:

1) Drain and thoroughly rinse one 15oz can of black beans
2) Place black beans in a food processor and add in the lemon juice, white wine vinegar, sea salt, black pepper, cumin, tomato juice, and Tabasco sauce
3) Process until smooth **If needed, add more tomato juice until creamy texture is achieved
***Note: there will be more of the black bean hummus than is needed for the potato. Save the rest and enjoy as a dip with veggies or crackers later!

Cilantro lime corn:

Easy option: Microwave a bag of Safeway frozen grilled corn with lime and cilantro for 5 minutes.

Alternative: Use ~1 cup of fresh corn and season with lime and cilantro as desired.

Assembly (can add as much or as little of each ingredient as desired!): 

1) Cut the sweet potato in half and put on separate plates
2) Mash the sweet potato as desired
3) Place ~1/4 cup of the black bean hummus on each potato
4) Put ~1/4 cup of the corn on top of the black bean hummus
5) Top with diced avocado and a sprinkle of grated cheese
6) Enjoy!