Quinoa, Cheese, and Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

6 small sweet potatoes
⅓ cup quinoa
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 small red pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, pitted and finely chopped
½ teaspoon of salt
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons of ground hot pepper
1 ½ teaspoon ground smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 can of black beans, put in a colander and rinsed under running water
½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

We recommend serving with: spicy tomato salsa, diced avocado (or guacamole), low-fat Greek yogurt (or sour cream), fresh cilantro.

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking tray with foil. Peel and drain the sweet potatoes; poke with a fork. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Remove from the oven and allow the potatoes to cool. Leave the oven on.
2. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa (according to package instructions). Set aside.
3. Prepare the filling: heat the olive oil in a large, deep non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and salt. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the onion begins to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, ground smoked paprika, and cumin. Stir to coat the vegetables with the spices, then cook until the spices are fragrant (about 30 seconds). Stir in the black beans and quinoa. Remove from heat. Stir in Greek yogurt, lime juice, and 1/2 cup cheese. Taste and add more spices if necessary.
4. When the baked sweet potatoes are cool enough, make a slit in the top of the potatoes. Pierce the potatoes with a fork and make room for the filling. Place the prepared filling inside each sweet potato. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, then return the sweet potatoes to the oven. Bake until the filling is heated through and the cheese is melted (about 5 minutes). Serve with toppings of your choice. Delicious!
Yield: 6 stuffed sweet potatoes
Recipe: wellplated.com