Meatless Mondays: Chipotle Sweet Potato and Black Bean Hash

<Meatless Mondays is a national campaign that asks people to cut out meat from their diets one day a week in order to improve personal and environmental health. Change.org provides a seasonal, vegetarian recipe every Monday. For more Meatless Mondays meal options, see here, here, here, here, here, and here.

I recently bought a bushel of potatoes from my local farmers' market, and I've been trying to find new ways to use them. For a long time, I only thought of hash as a breakfast side dish or a meat-filled entree (i.e. corned beef), but with a few extra ingredients, it becomes a filling, cheap, and easy meat-free dinner.

The great thing about this dish is that it's flexible. Try using another kind of potato, or ditch potatoes altogether and use winter squash. Switch up the beans, spices, or vegetables, and you could have a completely different meal.

I've found this works best with a cast-iron skillet, but if you don't have one, any large skillet will do (you might just need a little extra oil to prevent sticking). I've written the recipe for canned beans, but if you have dried beans (remember how to cook them?), feel free to substitute. This is also a little spicy, so if you're not that into heat, you might want to tone it down a bit. Serve this dish with a simple green salad for a hearty but healthy meal.

Chipotle Sweet Potato and Black Bean Hash
Serves 2-3

3-4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed
2 large sweet potatoes, washed and diced
1 white or yellow onion, sliced
1 green or red pepper, cut into large chunks
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle powder (or other chile powder)
1/4 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (if you have it)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup vegetable stock or water
15-ounce can of black beans, drained (or about 2 cups cooked beans)

1) Preheat the skillet over medium heat and warm the olive oil. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add the onions and peppers, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes until the potatoes have a nice crust on them.

2) Add the garlic, spices, and stock, and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and let cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10-to-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. The hash should have a little moisture to it, so if it's too dry, add a little more stock.

3) Add the beans and stir. Cook for another 1-to-2  minutes until the beans are warmed. Serve garnished with chives or parsley, if you'd like.

Photo credit: NatalieMaynor via Flickr