Stuffed Baked Sweet Potatoes with Green Tahini Sauce

I was really stoked for the lunar eclipse last night. Not only was it supposed to be amazing, it was going to happen during a normal time when I would be able to experience it in person without having to be up in the middle of the night. I eagerly ran outside last night, not even caring that the ground was saturated with rain. And then I saw the clouds covering the sky. Plenty of clouds but no visible moon. No beautiful moon whatsoever.

I could have taken this as an opportunity to get pissed off and complain. Or perhaps wallow in the disappointment and curse the universe. Instead, I chose to learn from the situation. It's how life works. We make plans and then something will happen that dictates otherwise. Adjust. Reset. Go with the flow. This seems to be a recurring theme in my life lately. Message received universe. Message received.

So let's get to this sexy sweet potato. I've made this dish a few times lately and this version was dictated by what was available at the farmers market. The filling is completely adaptable. Use whatever sounds good or is in season then pile it atop your potato. And, most importantly, make sure to give it a good drizzle of this green tahini sauce. If you take anything away from this post, make it this sauce. It's really that good.

I'll be on an ayurvedic cleanse for the rest of the week so I'm hoping to return to regular posting next week. Or, I might just decide to share a recipe from it here on the blog. You never know! Have a great week lovely friends. And for all of my fellow Houstonians, I've heard a myth about cooler weather coming soon. Fingers crossed!

Stuffed Baked Sweet Potatoes with Green Tahini Sauce

4 medium sweet potatoes

1 tbsp coconut or olive oil
1/2 a small red onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
large handful of walnuts, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 small bunches of arugula (or 1 regular sized bunch of the greens of your choice), chopped
sea salt to taste
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder (I used chipotle chili powder) or crushed red pepper flakes

green tahini sauce* and sliced green onions or fresh cilantro to serve

Preheat your oven to 375. Scrub the sweet potatoes well, then place them on a lined baking sheet. Once your oven has preheated, place the baking sheet in the oven and roast the potatoes for 40 to 50 minutes until they are tender.

While the potatoes are roasting, heat the oil in a skillet over medium/medium low heat. Add the diced red onion and a pinch of sea salt to the skillet. Cook the onions until they are just becoming translucent, then add the garlic, walnuts, and spices. Cook a couple of minutes until the spices become very fragrant and the walnuts are just starting to toast. Add the green onions and black beans to the skillet and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the chopped greens and a pinch or two of sea salt. Cook the mixture until the greens have just wilted, then remove it from the heat. Taste the filling and adjust for seasoning.

To serve, split open each potato and spoon a generous amount of the veggie filling on top. Finish with sliced green onions, cilantro, and a generous dollop of the green tahini sauce. Serves 4.

green tahini sauce

1/2 cup of plain tahini
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
juice and zest of 1 small lemon
1 1/2 tsp grade B maple syrup
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
3-4 tbsp nutritional yeast
packed 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 to 3/4 cups water, depending on your desired thickness

Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add more water to thin out the sauce as necessary to your liking. Makes roughly 1 1/2 cups. Keep leftovers in the fridge.