I never cease to be amazed by the sheer beauty of vegetables and fruits! The gorgeous colors alone are enough to make me want to eat more but of course there are so many other reasons to eat the bounty Mother Nature has provided. I know you’re all fully aware of the incredible nutritional value of fresh produce so I’ll save my soap box for another day!
Last week I bought a bag of blood oranges at Trader Joe’s. It wasn’t until I got home and cut one open that I realized how beautiful they are–and so juicy and delicious too! Now, who wouldn’t rather eat one of these than some ugly old bag of chips made in a factory?
Remember when we took photographs with a camera that didn’t also double as a phone,computer and GPS? Remember how you had to finish the entire roll of film before you could open the back of the camera, take out the film, drive to the store to drop it off to be developed–and then drive back to the store to pick up your photos? Remember the excitement and anticipation as you opened the envelope and studied your pictures? Those were the good old days. (If you’re reading this and you have no idea what I’m talking about just try to imagine having to wait an entire week to see your pictures!)
Anyway…I digress. I love the fact that I can take and view instant photos of my food and meals and share with others. Last week I was making the black bean and sweet potato burritos from my daughter Emma’s (and her friend Elise’s) blog. I made a few changes so I’ll share the recipe with you here. This would work well for the vegetarian day in our Mindful March Challenge. Thank you, Emma!
Sweet Potatoes and Red Onions-So Beautiful Together!
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos
Ingredients:
2-3 small whole wheat wraps (TJ’s and WF’s have the least ingredients)
1 Tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into small 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 Can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 handful of raw kale or baby spinach
1/2 of an avocado, sliced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
a few twist of the pepper mill
1/4 cup broth or more as needed.
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a large skillet (no teflon please, it’s bad for you). Add the chopped potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes until a little softer. Add the onion and continue cooking for 2-3 more minutes. Now toss in the beans to the pan along with a small amount of broth to loosen things up and help the potatoes cook. Sprinkle in the salt, cumin,garlic powder and pepper. Cover the pan and cook on medium high for another 8-10 minutes (stirring often) adding broth as needed. When the potatoes are soft add the greens and cook a bit longer until wilted; 1-2 minutes.
Warm the wraps then divide the mixture evenly between them. Add the sliced avocado, fold in half and press lightly to mush everything together! I like to heat my burritos in the oven for about 10 minutes on 350 but if pressed for time you can skip this step.
Serve with a big green salad topped with cherry tomatoes, red onion slices, shaved carrots (or whatever vegetables you have) and a little home-made balsamic vinaigrette and you’ve got yourself a scrumptious, nutritious meal that’s sure to be a big hit!
After rinsing roughly chop the sprouts and throw them in a bit of heated coconut oil. I like to use my cast iron pan which was given to me by a good friend and fellow healthful eater. Stir-fry the vegetables on medium high heat for about five minutes then add 1/2 tablespoon of tamari. Cover the vegetables and let them steam for one minutes or so. While the vegetables are steaming crack an egg in a cup and beat it lightly. Then remove the cover and pour the egg evenly over the vegetables in the pan. Stir constantly until the egg is cooked and the vegetables are coated. Transfer the mixture to a plate and top with avocado slices; I used about 1/4 of an avocado.
