JICAMA, BLACK BEAN, AND MANGO SALAD WITH AVOCADO LIME DRESSING

Oh this salad was yummy!  It's packed with some of my favorite ingredients, and also very filling.  It was perfect as a meal on it's own. but you can certainly you can serve it as a side dish or appetizer as well. 

So many people stir away from eating avocados because they are high in fat and calories, but it is a huge mistake!  Avocado's fat is the 'good fat', the kind that our body needs. Plus it's a very alkaline food filled with so many nutrients. Of course, that doesn't mean you should have 5 a day, but a little bit here and there is definitely good for you. So please do not shy away from them. 

I left my dressing chunky as I like to eat pieces of avocados in my food, but if you would like a creamier version, just blend it longer. All I did was a few pulses in the blender to achieve the chunky version.
It really a matter of personal preference. 

JICAMA, BLACK BEAN, AND MANGO SALAD WITH AVOCADO LIME DRESSING

Ingredients:

For the salad:

3 cups of cooked black beans (about 1 1/3 cups of dried beans. Click here to learn how to cook beans)
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 mango, pitted and skin removed, diced
1 1/2s cup of jicama, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 jalapeno, seeded and copped very small
1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped
Sea salt and pepper to taste

For the chunky avocado dressing:

2 avocados, pitted and skin removed
1/3 cup of fresh squeeze lime juice
2 tablespoons of agave nectar
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Put all of the salad ingredients in a bowl.
In a blender put all of the dressing ingredients together and pulse a few timse if you would like it chunky, or blend until smooth if you prefer the dressing creamier.
Add the dressing to the salad, and mix until well combined.
Serve on it's own, or on a bed of lettuce.

Enjoy!

This will make 4 servings

STUFFED BAKED SWEET POTATO WITH SPICED BLACK BEANS AND CHIPOTLE-AVOCADO CREMA TOPPING

I have been wanting to create something with stuffed sweet potatoes for quite a while now, and oh boy... do I wish I had done it sooner!  This creation was sooo heavenly! In fact, my daughter has put this dish as one of her all time favorites. 

This recipe has a little kick to it, so if spicy is not your thing, lower the amount of jalapeno, cumin, and chipotle powder by half.  We are spice lovers in this household, so a lot of my recipes are on the slightly fiery side. This dish can be an appetizer on it's own, or a main course if served with a nice salad, quinoa, or rice. Either way, you will be glad you made it!




STUFFED BAKED SWEET POTATO WITH SPICED BLACK BEANS AND CHIPOTLE AVOCADO CREMA TOPPING


Ingredients:


For the stuffed potatoes:

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 4 medium sized sweet potatoes (yams)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 green pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped small
• 1 1/2 cups of cooked black beans (about 2/3 cup of dried beans. Click here to learn how to cook beans)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of cumin powder
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

For the chipotle-avocado crema:

• 1 ripe avocado, pitted and skin removed
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle powder
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

For the sweet potatoes:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F 
2. Pierce each sweet potato with a fork several times
3. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil
4. Bake until tender about 45 minutes
5. Remove from the oven

For the spiced black beans:

1. In a large saute pan, heat up the olive oil under medium heat
2. Add the onions and garlic, and saute 3-4 minutes until the onions are translucent
3. Add the green pepper, the jalapeno, and the tomato, and cook for about 10 minutes until the peppers are softened
4. Add the black beans, cumin powder, salt, and pepper, and cook a few more minutes until everything is heated through

For the chipotle- avocado crema:

1. Put all of the ingredients into a high speed blender and mix until very smooth

To assemble:

1. Slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise but not all the way through, just so they open up, almost like a butterfly.
2. Stuff the sweet potatoes generously with the spiced black bean mixture
3. Top with the avocado crema

Enjoy!!

This will make 4 servings