Sweet Potato Bowls
serves 4
Sure, you could make each of these components individually, and they would be fantastic as side dish to a main course. But together, especially when served with scrambled eggs, they make the most comforting, flavorful bowl of goodness.
Beans and rice are an all time favorite of mine. When I lived with a host family in Costa Rica, most mornings started with a bowl of gallo pinto, a beans and rice dish that is so savory and filling and the perfect start to the day. The beans and rice in this dish are my homage to my host moms version of gallo pinto, but if you want an authentic gallo pinto recipe, try this one!. The coconut collard greens and roasted sweet potatoes don’t have a nostalgic origin, but they add a richness and subtle sweetness that elevates to the bowl to the next level. Make sure that you are roasting your potatoes until they are really golden and getting crunchy on the edges, you don’t want to miss out on that texture!
Finally, don’t forget to smother this in hot sauce. I recommend a vinegar based hot sauce to cut through the richness of the components, and I especially recommend my habanero hot sauce. But, any hot sauce will do the trick!
beans + rice
ingredients
1 cup brown rice
1 15 ounce can black beans
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
method
Place the brown rice, black beans (with the liquid from the can!), salt and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 40 minutes, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Turn off the heat, and keep covered for another 20 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.
Fluff with a fork before serving.
coconut collard greens
ingredients
1 13.5 ounce can full fat coconut milk
½ onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 bunches collard greens, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon salt
method
Scoop the thick, fatty part of the coconut milk into a large sauté pan over medium heat.
Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Add the collard greens, salt and remaining coconut milk to the pan and sauté for another 5-10 minutes, until the greens have wilted and are tender.
roasted sweet potatoes
ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, cubed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon salt
method
Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit
Place the sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet and toss in the oil, cumin powder, chile powder and salt. Roast the potatoes for 45 minutes, tossing them halfway, until they are nicely browned and completely cooked through.
To serve, scoop a generous amount of the beans and rice, coconut collard greens, and roasted sweet potatoes into wide, shallow bowl. If serving with scrambled eggs, add some of those to the bowl as well. Top with a heavy sprinkle of hot sauce and enjoy!
