I was starving. I needed to make something fast and fulfilling, and I knew I had two sweet potatoes that were long overdue for some cooking. So, I grabbed kale (which you should always have lingering in your fridge), because I love that combination. I wasn't sure what else to add to my meal, but I had black beans (canned) and could use some extra protein. I had half an avocado and orange pepper in the fridge to use up, and my recipe was ready...almost. How could I forget onion! Now that I had my ingredients, I could start cooking. This took maybe 20 minutes to make altogether. It turned out delicious, especially with Sriracha, which makes any dish sizzle. Here's the recipe! Vegheads Enjoy! 

Sweet Potato Kale Hot Pot

1 large yellow onion, diced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into cubes
1 bunch of kale, torn into pieces
1 can of black beans
1/2 orange pepper (or whole if you have it!)
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive Oil
Lime Juice
Avocado- slices
Sriracha to taste

1. Sauteé onion in a LARGE skillet until translucent and a bit browned on medium heat
2. Add orange pepper and cook until softened.
3. Add cubed sweet potatoes and cook uncovered for several minutes, then cover and cook until soft. (This takes around 10 minutes- do a fork test)
4. Add black beans, kale, coriander, and cumin
5. Stir all ingredients until well mixed
6. Cook until kale is just wilted- keeping it a little crunchy is a nice contrast to the soft sweet potato. Season with salt and pepper. 
7. Pour into bowls. Add sliced avocado on top and squeeze fresh lime juice to taste and add some acidity.
8. Add a little drizzle of Sriracha and enjoy!

To be honest, just looking at the picture above gives me a little bit of anxiety! Navigating the American Supermarket can be a challenge, especially if you are trying to eat healthy. Realistically, the food industry is big business and you are the consumer ($$$). So, navigating the aisles in search of something that is actually GOOD for you is near impossible. Here are a few tips:

1. Graze the perimeter. Doing so eliminates the temptation and frustration of having to avoid unhealthy choices. Realistically, the produce and fresh items are generally along the edges of the store. Everything in between is filled with highly processed, sugary, fatty foods.
2. Avoid labels and packaging. The fresher, the better. If an item is fresh, the packaging will be minimal. The exception would be Trader Joe's, which packages even their produce. 
3. Read. If you have to venture away from the perimeter for a labeled item take the time to read. It's sad to think that many of us spend more time reading People Magazine or TMZ than the labels of the food we are buying at the store. Read the ingredients - you'd be surprised what is in your food. I was recently cooking and needed to use breadcrumbs. I happened to glance at the ingredients and could not believe how much random crap is in there (for example, Niacin!). Yuck! No thanks!
4. Educate yourself. After you've actually taken the time to read the labels, take some time to do a little research. For example, there is no DV% for sugar on ANY label (interesting), so you have to do the research to learn how much sugar you can actually consume each day.
5. Try to avoid the supermarket all together. Find a more local store. Graze a farmer's market.