I’ve discovered, in our local co-op, a sweet potato called Hannah Sweet Potato (sometimes called a yam) which has a lovely flavour without being overly earthy like the normal sweet potato. I found a recipe for Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potato by Simply Quinoa that looked interesting. Something easily adaptable to what I had on hand.
I was struck, as I made this while watching the rain come down for weeks on end, how lucky we are to have readily available ingredients. If we have a bad season in the garden it isn’t make or break. I’ve been watching Wartime Farm on YouTube which is a documentary about what the farmers had to go through in the UK during WWII. The historians living as they did in the ’40’s struggled with the wet weather. During wartime it would be catastrophic. If you like history and/or homesteading, it’s a fascinating 8 part series.
I do wonder how many people would thrive or survive in those conditions now. We live in a time of buying one use items, fast food, fast fashion etc. I do hope the trend of getting back to basics continues. There are a lot of skills that shouldn’t be lost.
Technique for Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potato
Here is my version of this dish based on what we had and what we like. But that’s the beauty of this dish, very versatile.
Roast the sweet potatoes and cook the quinoa according to the directions. Rinse the black beans and drain. Chop the veg. Heat up the olive oil in a skillet.
Start by sautéing the garlic, scallions and mushrooms.
Add the beans and corn. Cook for several minutes as the corn is frozen when tossed in. Add the spices and lime juice.
Near the end of cooking add the pepper. I always add the pepper so it just cooks but still stays crunchy. I really don’t like mushy peppers.
Once the sweet potatoes are cooked through cut them in half. Combine the quinoa, tomatoes and veg together. Spoon over the potatoes and sprinkle shredded cheese over the top. Add a dollop of sour cream and serve.
It’s a very inexpensive, very filling and very tasty meal.
Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potato
An inexpensive flavourful vegetarian meal.
Ingredients
- 2 Hannah sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 2-3 cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup black beans, drained and cooked
- 3/4 cup frozen corn
- 1-2 tbsp chili powder
- 1-2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp habanero flakes optional
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
- 1 tomato, coarsely chopped
- shredded cheese
- sour cream to top
Instructions
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Bake the sweet potato at 400F/200C in the oven until tender. Cook the quinoa according to instructions on the packet.
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Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Sautè the garlic, mushrooms and scallions for a couple of minutes.
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Add the beans and corn along with the spices, lime juice and cilantro. Cook for several minutes then add the pepper.
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Once the potatoes are cooked, slice them in half. Combine the veg, quinoa and tomato then spoon over the potato halves. Top with shredded cheese and sour cream. Serve while hot.
