I love the bright orange flesh of the yam/sweet potato. It screams of fall color and reminds me of warm wintry dinners. We always made sweet potato casseroles for the holidays (yes with the mini marshmallows), I know, but it was tradition. More recently, I have found that baking a yam like a big russet potato and finding new and healthy ways to stuff it in the skin has become a hobby for me. I love to microwave a yam and split it in half and eat it for lunch. I try to find something to top it that is not butter or bacon (which would be yummy but oh so much fat). This recipe is my latest rendition. Fully loaded it is really a filling dish loaded with veggies and protein that can be eaten for lunch or dinner.
Think of it as an opportunity to use up a few leftovers that are hanging out in the fridge. In this case, I had some fully cooked Andouille sausage, red kidney beans, and chopped celery. I decided to sauté some sweet onion and bell peppers to add more flavor. Thus my yam boat was ready to launch. Okay, bad pun, but it was the starting point for this recipe and they look like little dugout canoes! This recipe serves four when using a half of yam per person.
Yams and sweet potatoes can be a healthy addition to your family meals and the stuffing can be whatever you have on hand or sounds good to you. The sweetness of the yam is a great counterbalance to a spicy sausage or salsa. You can also use non-fat feta or plain yogurt as a topping. If you want to change out the green salsa for a red one, go for it. There are a lot of options, so use your imagination!
Gather
Step by Step
- In a large skillet heat the olive oil and add the onions and peppers. Saute until they are soft and starting to brown. About 15 minutes. Add the pieces of sausage and heat through. Then add the rinsed red beans and heat through. Reduce the heat to low and add the celery pieces.
- In the meantime, poke a few holes in each side of the yams and then cook in the microwave for 5-6 minutes until they are cooked through and tender. It is important to poke some holes so they don’t explode in the microwave!
- Place the yams on a cutting board and slice in half. Be careful to handle with oven mitts as they will be hot. Scoop out the meat of each yam and add to the skillet mix. Break them into smaller pieces if necessary. Keep enough flesh on the sides of the yam skins to keep them in tact and create the “boat”.
- Mix the yam flesh in the sausage mixture and then spoon into the boats. Pile them as high as you can. Place each boat on a plate or in a serving bowl.
- Finally, spoon the salsa verde on top of the mixture. Then sprinkle with the Queso Fresco cheese crumbles.
Nutrition
WW PP 10; Calories 390; Total Fat 17.5g; Saturated Fat 5.5g; Cholesterol 28mg; Sodium 1425mg; Total Carbohydrates 39.9g; Dietary Fiber 8.3g; Sugars 9.5g; Protein 18.8g
