photo by Lea Kriesberg
Everybody deserves to know that you can cook a sweet potato in the microwave. This “recipe” requires a little bit of preparation and just 5 minutes. Cook a big pot of any grain (whole grain pasta, brown rice, quinoa) at the beginning of the week, add a can of beans, and cook your sweet potato in the microwave. If you wanted to pay a little more you can also find frozen brown rice which can also be microwaved. Keep the rice and beans in the fridge for the week and you’re set with a filling and healthy meal. Beans are a great source of protein and the brown rice and sweet potato are both sources of healthy, slow-releasing carbs that will keep you full and satisfied for longer. It’s also so easy to get in some greens by letting them steam with the rice. You can throw in any vegetable you want such as broccoli, asparagus, green beans, or spinach.
If you want to take this simple meal to the next level, spread some nut butter on the sweet potato (trust me on this one), add avocado, or throw in some spices with the rice (I like cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder).
Prep: 20 mins
Ready in: 5 mins
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
- brown rice (2 cups)
- water (1 cup)
- can of black beans, rinsed
- sweet potato
- broccoli
Supplies:
- fork
- small pot
- can opener
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small pot.
- Add one cup of brown rice and bring the heat down to low to simmer the rice (you should see lots of small bubbles) for around 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.* In the last 10 minutes of cooking, put the broccoli in the pot and keep the lid closed so the steam can cook it.
- Poke holes all around the sweet potato and microwave it for 5 minutes.
- When the rice is cooked, mix in the can of black beans after rinsing the beans.
- Slice open the potato and add the rice and beans to a bowl. Save the leftovers for the week.
Notes: Cooking time will depend on what kind of rice you use. Regular brown rice can take around 40 minutes to cook, but I used instant brown rice which takes less time.
recipe by Lea Kriesberg