Baked beans loaded into sweet potatoes… NOM. Nutrient dense comfort food if I ever heard of it! Let’s get cooking gang, this recipe, is a super simple, quick and easy meal for a weekday or weekend!

Recipe (Serves 3)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp cooking oil of choice (I use extra virgin olive oil or rapeseed oil)
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely diced
• 1/2 tsp mild chili powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp of soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tbsp of honey or maple syrup
• 2 tbsp of water
• 1 red onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 red pepper, de-seeded and diced into 1 inch chunks
• 1 400ml tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 400g tin of cannellini beans
• 3 medium size sweet potatoes, washed and sliced down the middle (i.e. half them lengthways).

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C (fan oven). Line a baking tray with tinfoil greased with a little olive oil. Roast the sweet potatoes for 30-40 minutes – check them at 30 minutes, stick a fork in the middle, and if it comes out clean you’re good to go!
2. While the sweet potatoes are roasting, you’re gonna cook the beans!
3. Take a medium-sized pot, and heat the olive oil in it on a medium heat, then add the garlic and onion. Cook them for 3-4 minutes to soften the onion.
4. Add the spices next, and cook for another 3-4 minutes to coat the onions in them.
5. Add the tinned chopped tomatoes, soy sauce/tamari, water and honey.  Add the chopped red pepper, and stir to mix everything.
6. Add the cannellini beans next, and mix them in.
7. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat all the way down and simmer the beans for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a splash or two extra water if needed. Turn off the heat after 10 minutes.
8. When the sweet potato halves are done, remove from the oven (taking care in the heat). Pop two halves onto a plate per person (depending on the sweet potato size!), and scoop a serving of the beans on top. You’re good to go! Feel free to top the dish with some soured cream, or natural yoghurt (my favourite!).

Enjoy guys – tag me if you try this recipe out, @theirishbalance on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook!

Ciara 🙂 x