Moroccan-Style Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

The Hudsonian Student Newspaper Thursday, March, 28Thursday, March, 28 0 Comments Elizabeth Stenard, Food, Healthy, Recipe

By: Elizabeth Stenard

Creative Editor

This easy recipe is impressive with its array of spices and unique sauce to accompany it. Roasting sweet potatoes is an excellent way to bring out the deep, natural flavors and sweetness of the food. If you are pressed for time, you can roast the sweet potatoes the day before. In fact, all three elements of the dish can be made ahead of time, covered and stored in the fridge and reheated for easy meal prep.

Also be sure to use real maple syrup in the recipe, not the product made from corn syrup. Honey, agave, or any other liquid sweetener will work if maple syrup is unavailable, but these sweeteners will affect the flavor.

The delicious sauce made for this recipe ties the dish together. The key ingredient is tahini, also known as sesame seed paste, but another more neutral-tasting nut or seed butter can be substituted if you’re unable to find it or dislike the flavor. The best substitutes are: unsweetened sunflower seed, almond, or cashew butter. Peanut butter can also be used to create a type of “peanut sauce” similarly used in pad thai.

If you wish to truly elevate the flavors of the dish, use fresh grated ginger in place of the ground ginger.

This dish can be served with quinoa or brown rice. Serve up and enjoy!

Moroccan-Style Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Adapted from “Minimalist Baker’s” “Stuffed and Sauced Sweet Potatoes” recipe

vegan, can be prepared gluten free

Makes 2-3 servings

Ingredients:

1-2 medium/large sweet potatoes, washed, not peeled

(number of sweet potatoes depends on desired serving size and number of people)

Chickpeas:

1 Tbsp cooking oil (olive, coconut, grapeseed, etc.)

1 small medium onion, chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp coriander

½ tsp cinnamon

1 15oz can of chickpeas (~2 cups), drained and rinsed

1 Tbsp real maple syrup

1 Tbsp soy sauce (can sub gluten free tamari)

½ tsp hot sauce (optional)

Sauce:

1 tsp ground ginger

¼ cup tahini (another nut or seed butter can be subbed if unavailable)

2 Tbsp lime juice OR juice of 1 lime

1-2 Tbsp soy sauce (can sub gluten free tamari)

2-3 Tbsp maple syrup

½ tsp hot sauce (optional)

Hot water, if necessary

Preheat oven to 400° F
Cut washed sweet potatoes in half, lengthwise
Line a baking dish or tray with parchment paper and place all sweet potato halves cut-side down, into dish. Bake until all halves are tender, testing with a fork. Depending on size this will take between 30 to 50 minutes. Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve
While sweet potatoes are in the oven, heat cooking oil in a large pan on medium heat and add minced garlic and onion, cooking until translucent and fragrant.
Add the garlic powder, cumin, ginger, coriander, and cinnamon to the pan, combining and toasting the spices.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan: chickpeas, maple syrup, soy sauce and optional hot sauce. Stir all together on medium low heat until well combined and all is coated with spices.
Assemble the sauce by combining all ingredients in a bowl, mixing until smooth and pourable consistency. Add 2-3 Tbsp hot water to thin out the sauce during mixing if necessary.
Assemble dish by slightly hollowing out and mashing the inside of one sweet potato half, topping with chickpeas, and drizzling tahini sauce over. Serve with optional quinoa or brown rice.