This time of year I need a quick and easy meal to get me through the busy holiday season, nourished and satisfied. Meet the Dressed to the Nines Sweet Potato from Meghan Telpner’s new book, The UnDiet Cookbook. You can bake the sweet potatoes in advance for a super quick meal or cook them while you’re whipping up the delicious protein-rich filling…or catching up on your email (which never happens, right?)
Not only are sweet potatoes amazingly delicious, they are also amazing sources of carotenoids, which prevent cellular damage from oxidative stress, protecting against lung, skin, uterine and cervical cancers; heart disease; macular degeneration and cataracts among other conditions.[1] Bonus – unlike regular potatoes, they help to balance blood sugar by improving insulin response!
Including a little fat with your sweet potato helps the body to assimilate the fat-soluble carotenoids. For this recipe, I’ve added a hefty dollop of my Power Pesto, but even a nice pat of ghee or drizzle of olive oil will do the trick. Add a little protein and you’ve got yourself a super satisfying, complete meal in a cute little package.
Reviewing The UnDiet Cookbook
I remember when I first stumbled upon Meghan Telpner’s website years ago. I was just beginning my journey to a healthier lifestyle and I remember thinking that she was a little “out there” but her unique personality, humor and zest for life were so different and refreshing. It kept me coming back for more. Before long I was hooked on real food and feeling amazing.
Fast forward a few years and Meghan has totally changed my life, or rather she has inspired me to change my own life. In fact, it was Meghan’s Culinary Nutrition Expert program (which is now the Academy of Culinary Nutrition) that inspired me to start my blog, teach cooking classes and coach other students through the certification program. And you’ll find this same inspiration to create your own greatness in everything that she does.
“You are amazing. [..] By choosing to feed yourself with the very best food, your amazingness is only going to shine brighter, bigger, and better.” –Meghan Telpner
Her latest book The UnDiet Cookbook, is nothing short of what I’ve come to expect from Meghan. It is full of simple, delicious, gluten-free, plant based recipes with sample meal plans, travel and entertaining tips and what it means to UnDiet. There’s even a chapter of edible beauty care recipes.
Total Eye Candy
Being a visual person, I love how this book is bursting with color, drool-worthy photography and bright little logos identifying nut-free, soy-free, grain-free, raw and protein-powered options. As if that weren’t enough, there are also anecdotal stories and culinary nutrition tidbits accompanying each recipe.
Some of my favorite recipes from the book:
- Uncoffee (a delicious, chocolatey morning brew without the jitters)
- TLT Deluxe Sandwich (with an awesome tempeh bacon)
- Miso Hungry Soup (a quick hearty soup that’s satisfying any time of day)
- Almond Veggie Burger Bundle (a grain free veggie burger filled with, you guessed it, veggies!)
- Unshephard’s Pie (great for a potluck or make ahead and freeze)
- Rawmazing Key Lime Pie (who doesn’t love pie?!)
Living the Undiet Life
The UnDiet Cookbook is more than just a cookbook. You really get a feel for how Meghan lives (and eats!) and how you can take these same principles and apply them to create your own awesome life and healthy body. That’s what I love most about the approachable UnDiet philosophy—it works for everyone, no matter where they are in their lives.
“UnDiet is breaking free from the rules we think we’re meant to follow, and doing what is the very best for our individual health.” –Meghan Telpner
Interested in the CNE program?
If you are interested in finding out more about the Academy of Culinary Nutrition, I wrote a post a while back about my experience earning my certification, including the reasons you may (or may not) want to enroll. Check it out!
Nut-free • Soy-Free (option) • Grain-free • Protein Powered (option)
Ingredients
- 4 organic sweet potatoes
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil, coconut oil or organic ghee
- ½ red onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- one 14 oz can organic beans of choice, drained and rinsed*
- 6 cups greens, trimmed and sliced into ribbons
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon sambal, red pepper flakes, or your favorite hot sauce
- Sea salt
- Hemp seeds (protein bonus)
- Toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds
- Fresh sprouts (I used shredded lettuce)
- Power Pesto
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick them in a few places with a fork (this gives them room to breathe as they bake). Place them on a baking sheet and bake until soft all the way through, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- While the sweet potatoes are baking, heat the olive oil in a medium pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook until soft. Add the beans and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and stir in your greens (the heat will wilt them). Add your lemon juice, sambal, and sea salt to taste.
- Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven. To serve, slice each sweet potato through the middle and top with beans + greens mix and your optional add-ons.
Notes
* Make it Protein-Powered! Swap the beans for 1 lb pastured, organic protein of choice such as ground beef, chicken, or turkey. Cook the meat just until browned and then use in place of the beans.
Excerpted from The UnDiet Cookbook: 130 Gluten-Free Recipes for a Healthy and Awesome Life by Meghan Telpner. Copyright © 2015 Meghan Telpner. Published by Appetite by Random House, a division of Random House of Canada Ltd., a Penguin Random House Company. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
[1] Murray, Michael and Pizzorno, Joseph. The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. New York, Atria Books. 2005 p.139. Print
I was not paid to write this review. The views expressed here are my own. This post does contains affiliate links, however. Should you visit these links and make a purchase, a small commission will be paid to me to help pay for hosting all this awesome content here at sheenascott.com.
This recipe came at the perfect moment! I have everything on hand already – even the fresh rosemary in a pot on the table and leftover greens from last night so this will be a 5 minute prep for dinner tonight after roasting the sweet potatoes! Bonus!!
Yay! Don’t you just love it when that happens?