Comfort Food Change Up

{Image via Pinterest}

It's been windy and pretty chilly in San Francisco the last couple weeks. Definitely feels like winter has hit the city. On these colder nights, I've been craving comfort foods: pasta, soup, mac and cheese, basically anything warm and not entirely great for you. I bought a sweet potato a few weeks back at the Farmer's Market and last night I finally put it to use. I've seen several recipes for stuffed sweet potatoes, much like the photo above, but I decided to wing it and was pleasantly surprised with my creation. Here is a very rough estimate of what I through into this concoction:

1 medium sweet potato

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 carrot chopped

1/2 cup kale, chopped into smaller pieces

1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

Red Pepper Flakes for a kick

Balsamic (optional)

Heat oven to 350. Pierce several holes into the Sweet Potato. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Place warmed Sweet Potato on baking sheet and bake for another 15-50 minutes or until soft in the center. While Baking, saute garlic and onions in olive oil. Add carrots and kale and saute for another 3 minutes. Finally add tomatoes until flavors combine. Add red pepper flakes if you like. Season with salt and Pepper. 

After sweet potato is done baking, let cool and cut a slit down the middle. Place the saute mixture inside the sweet potato and drizzle balsamic on top. Top it off with shaved Parmesan or Pecorino cheese for an added taste.

This meal was incredibly easy, filling and comforting all at the same time. It's a great twist on the common baked potato and twice as good for you. I'm always on the hunt for creative ways to spice up my meals. Do you guys have any favorite comfort food recipes I need to try? Hope your weekends were full of Holiday fun! Happy Tuesday! xx