Jerk Spiced Black Beans and Sweet Potatoes

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Mine was perfect: family, food, and food...I am quite certain nothing is better than that.

A long, long time ago my family and I visited my brother in Oregon and at one of the restaurants we went to my Mom had Jamaican Jerk Spiced chicken on top of a giant sweet potato. I thought it was wonderful and vowed to recreate it. Since my decision to go meatless greatly affected the chicken part I decided to make it with black beans. The jerk seasoning was perfectly spicy and the cinnamon and allspice really brought out the flavor of the sweet potato. As soon as I finished eating I started asking Brad when was too soon to have it again.

2 medium sweet potatoes or yams (about 8 oz each) washed and wrapped in tinfoil

1 can no salt black beans with 1/2 liquid reserved

1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips

1 small red pepper, seeded and sliced into strips

1 tsp olive oil

2-3 tablespoons fresh cilantro roughly chopped

Jerk Seasoning
(adapted from: Cooking Light)

1 tbsp Splenda brown sugar blend

1/2 tbsp paprika (smoked if you have it)

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp thyme

1/8 tsp all spice

1/8 tsp or less cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 F
Bake sweet potatoes for about 1-2 hours depending on shape and size. They are done when they are tender and give when lightly squeezed

While the sweet potatoes are baking mix beans, 1/2 bean water, and jerk seasoning in a pot and warm over low heat, I let mine simmer the entire the time my sweet potatoes were cooking so the flavors really had a chance to meld

When the sweet potatoes are almost done sauté the peppers in the olive oil over medium heat

Cut open your potatoes, stir cilantro into the beans and then divide between the two sweet potatoes and top with sauteed peppers

Servings 2

Per serving (1 sweet potato, 1/2 beans, 1/2 sauteed peppers, 1/2 cilantro) 575 calories