Remember me? I used to blog on a semi-regular basis.

It’s not just life with Baby G that is keeping me busy. I’m finishing up my certification in Nutrition with Ashworth College which I ambitiously started last January, not realizing that I would be out of commission for quite awhile after having a baby.

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I need to finish it before the end of the year, so any spare time I have is going for that. You know it’s bad when you are dreaming about the different carbohydrate molecules.

I am meal planning and cooking again. We have settled into a routine of one meal that requires time, thought, and energy, one meal in the slow cooker, one meal that is just a throw together meal, and one meal celebrating leftovers. And of course, one meal out or take out, because darn it, I cooked all week.

I have been teaching and assisting with classes at Orange Tree Imports, a job that is more play than work.

I have come to terms with my destiny: I am a coffee drinker. I have resisted this for so long, but it’s true. I look forward to my morning cup every day. It’s what helps me get out of bed this morning.

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All through our marriage, I thought Manatee was mean in the morning, it turns out I just needed coffee. Suddenly my husband is charming before 9 am. It’s amazing what caffeine can do….

As for Baby G, we are getting closer and closer to introducing her to real food and I couldn’t be more excited. I will try to share my baby food adventures with you.

But enough about us, let’s get on to this recipe. Nachos get a bad rap. Most people call them junk food, but for us, it’s just a salad with a little cheese and a lot of chips.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Nachos

These nachos are a perfect Halloween dish. Not only are they packed with seasonal produce, but they’re also orange and black.

I am not a huge sweet potato fan, but I love them in these nachos. The sweetness of the potatoes is balanced out by the spicy peppers, smoky paprika, and the tomatoes. I love serving these as a main dish with lots of shredded romaine lettuce and dollops of fat free Greek Yogurt. Can’t do dairy, skip the cheese and yogurt and enjoy this salad with warm tortilla chips.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Nachos

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Ingredients
3 medium sweet potatoes, chopped into 1 inch slices
2 poblano peppers, large diced
2 jalapeno peppers, large diced
1 cup sweet peppers, diced OR 1 medium sweet pepper, diced
2 medium onions, large diced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 cups fresh tomatoes, diced OR 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
Tortilla chips
cheddar cheese, shredded
pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 bunch green onions, sliced (green and white parts)
fat-free Greek yogurt
1 8-ounce can black olives, sliced

Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Line a lined cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place sweet potatoes on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
Add peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Bake for 15 additional minutes. Meanwhile, mix tomato sauce with cumin, smoked paprika, tomatoes, and black beans.
When potatoes are tender, remove from oven. Mash potato, pepper, onion, and mushroom mixture until coarsely mashed. Combine with tomato sauce mixture in a 9 x 11 cake pan. Bake for 15 minutes, until heated through.
Meanwhile, line another cookie sheet aluminum foil. Place tortilla chips on pan. Spoon on sweet potato mixture. Cover with cheese. Place another layer of tortilla chips. Top with sweet potato mixture and cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Top with Greek yogurt, green onions, and black olives. Serve immediately.

Badger Girl Learns to Cook by Kimberly Aime https://learntocookbadgergirl.com/

I made these for a recent Orange Tree Imports cooking class and I think the students were impressed with how easy this comes together. Yes, it does take awhile, but it’s a great recipe to make when you are watching football. Festive, but still healthy.

Even with making two big trays of nachos for the class, we still had some leftover filling. The filling is great for enchiladas, tacos, or even just eating with chips.

This has been and will be our go-to football watching recipe. It makes us feel like we are indulging, uses up lots of CSA produce, and is healthy to boot. I hope you enjoy it!

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What is your favorite type of fall produce?

 

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