Baked Sweet Potato with Spicy Corn Salsa

The perennial problem with trying to "eat healthy," I've found, is that often the things that are the best for you just don't taste very good. But lately, I have really been making an effort to eat healthier. This is by no means because I want to go down a pant size of somethings like that. You will never catch me living off off flax seeds and berries or doing some crazy cleanse where all you drink is lemon and cayenne pepper. No way. 

Rather, the reason I want to eat healthier is literally to get more of the nutrients that my body needs to function at it's best. As humans, our bodies need certain amounts of vitamins and nutrients, such as calcium and magnesium, to do what they do. At a recently doctor visit, a blood test showed that my potassium levels were below normal, and the doctor strongly recommended that I get more potassium in my diet. While there are TONS of supplements out there that claim to provide the nutrients we need, the honest truth is that those pills are not proven to be effective, and the only sure-fire way to get what you need is to eat it. 

 

These amazingly delicious sweet potatoes are the answer to my prayers: tasty, full of flavor, 100% healthy, and chock-full potassium and other good stuff. I literally licked my plate clean. This dish is absolutely filling enough to be a complete meal all on its own - and you won't regret a single bite.

Ingredients:

4 small sweet potatoes or yams

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup corn (fresh, or frozen corn rinsed and well drained)

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

For the Vinaigrette:

1 lime

1 tablespoon oil

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo; I substituted a sprinkle of cayenne pepper)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Clean and dry the potatoes, then pierce each sweet potato several times with the tines of a fork. Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil and bake 45-60 minutes or until tender.

2. In a bowl, add the black beans, corn, onions, and cilantro. Stir to combine.

3. In a smaller bowl, mix together the lime zest and juice, oil, honey, adobo, salt and pepper. Pour over the black bean mixture and toss to combine.

4.Slice open the baked sweet potatoes and stuff them with the Black Bean & Corn Salad. Serve.