This sweet potato salad (Broke Bank Vegan) is way more substantial than a limp lettuce leaf, and a few slices of cucumber and tomato. Inspired by rich tastes of the USA’s Deep South, this pairs sweet potato with corn, tinned black beans, red onion, peppers, lime and chipotle power. Then sweetened with maple syrup. This is real salad, for men with big appetites!
Read up on food safety for people & pets (garlic and onion are unsafe near animal friends). Just bin allium scraps (onion, garlic, leeks, scallions, chives) as like citrus and rhubarb scraps, acids could harm compost creatures.
This salad uses tinned black beans, but you can sub with any kind of beans. All tinned beans are high in protein and calcium, and cheap to buy. Black beans are common in Mexican food, often added to tacos and burritos. If you can’t find them, just sub with tinned kidney beans or any other beans you like (this recipe likely won’t work with baked beans though!)
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Bake
This sweet potato and black bean bake is a lovely Mexican-style dinner, made with easy-to-find and affordable ingredients. The beans also means it’s rich in calcium and protein. After preheating your oven, bake sliced sweet potatoes (drizzled with oil) for around 20 minutes.
While they are cooking, fry onion and pepper, with garlic, cherry tomatoes and spices, then stir in tinned tomatoes, tinned beans and some water. Cook for 15 minutes or so.
Layer the baked sweet potato slices on top and grill for a few minutes, then serve with fresh coriander, vegan yoghurt and a slice of lime.
As this is a Mexican meal, treat yourself to a no-alcohol margarita from Pentire Drinks – made in Cornwall!
Homemade Sweet Potato Fries Recipe
Sweet potato fries (Broke Bank Vegan) are nice served with ketchup, made in an air-fryer with little oil. Did you know that KFC fries are cooked in the same oil as their chicken? And although fries are vegan here, abroad McDonald’s fries are not abroad? And although their fries are vegan, Burger King ‘plant-based whoppers’ are again cooked alongside the meat?
Avoid fries for young children and swallowing difficulties.
Not only are sweet potatoes versatile, they’re brimming with vitamins while boasting a natural sweetness that can elevate any dish. Sweet potatoes have more nutrients than white potatoes, with a lower glycemic index (so less ‘sugar rush). And beans are cheap and tasty, and packed with protein and calcium.
Did you know that abroad, McDonald’s fries are not even vegetarian, as they are fried in animal fat? That’s not the case here. But the bad news is that both KFC and Burger King both fry their chips in the same oil as meat. Considering they make a meal about their ‘vegan bacon burger’ (which is also cooked with animal fat), it rather defeats the point, doesn’t it?
A Warming Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie
Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie (Short Girl, Tall Order) is a nice change from the all-too-common berry smoothie recipes. This blends oat milk with vegan yoghurt and frozen sweet potato (or add ice to pureed sweet potato) and sweetens with maple syrup.
Keep nutmeg/mace away from pets.
You can make a nice simple smoothie by blending pureed sweet potato flesh with nut butter, plant milk, ginger/cinnamon & grated carrots, sweetened with dates.
If you make a lot of smoothies, it’s worth buying a good blender, to avoid the motor burning out. Choose a good brand and it should last you years. It’s UK law that the shop you buy from, has to take back and recycle the old one.
