When we judge people less and step back from the voices in our head, we create a space where we foster empathy and kindness. Simply listening to someone could be the single most important experience for that person on that particular day. People want to feel heard, they want to feel seen, and they want to feel loved.
Do you offer this to the people that surround you? Truly listening takes practice and patience, and it has the power to completely shift someone’s day. Put the cellphone down, turn off the television, and simply sit with someone. Listen to what they have to say. You never know what it might mean to them, and you never know what you might learn from them.
What’s not to love about a recipe that facilitates that kind of connection? This is a wonderful dish to make when you’re having guests over, as you can get everyone involved in the assembly. It is loaded with protein, healthy fats, and a deep sense of satisfaction. Beyond the flavour, the coriander works to help detoxify the liver, while the healthy fats support heart health and cholesterol. This dish doesn’t just nourish you with healthy ingredients; sharing it with loved ones is truly good for your heart.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons coconut oil
4 medium-sized sweet potatoes (washed, not peeled)
½ red onion (sliced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
500 g cherry tomatoes (halved)
1½ cups cooked black beans
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
¼ cup vegetable stock
2 teaspoons brown miso paste (optional)
1 handful fresh coriander leaves (roughly chopped)
3 limes (quartered)
¾ cup coconut yoghurt or yoghurt of choice
1 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2–3 avocados (peeled and pitted)
juice of 1 lemon
¼ red onion (finely chopped)
½–1 red chilli (finely chopped)
8 cherry tomatoes (quartered)
1 small handful fresh coriander leaves (roughly chopped)
60 g raw almonds (toasted and roughly chopped)
5 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste.
The Process
Preheat your oven to 200°C. Lightly rub one tablespoon of the coconut oil over the sweet potatoes. Place them onto a roasting tray and bake for 1 hour. They are ready when they feel soft when pierced with a fork. Once finished, remove them from the oven and set aside to cool.
While the potatoes are roasting, heat the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes until translucent, then add the garlic and sauté for an additional 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the beans, ground coriander, cumin, and chipotle powder. Pour in the vegetable stock and allow the mixture to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once ready, remove from the heat and fold through the miso paste if you are using it.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the yoghurt, tahini, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Place the avocados and lemon juice into a bowl. Using the back of a fork, mash until you reach your desired consistency, a bit of chunkiness adds great texture. Fold in the onion, chilli, tomatoes, coriander, toasted almonds, and olive oil. Season to taste and set aside.
Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half. Carefully scoop out the flesh with a spoon, keeping the skins intact. Add two-thirds of that roasted sweet potato flesh directly into your bean mixture and mix until well combined. You can save the remaining third of the potato for another meal. Fill the empty skins generously with the bean and potato mixture. Serve each half with a dollop of the sour cream, a scoop of guacamole, fresh coriander, and a bright squeeze of lime.
Feast,
Melissa x