Sweet Potato Barbecue Bowls

By Kathy_Hester

Sweet potatoes and pinto beans team up with a smoky barbecue sauce in this lip-smacking bowl of goodness. Use the shredding disk on your food processor to make short work of shredding the sweet potato. (Recipe printed with permission - from More Quick-Fix Vegan by Robin Robertson: http://www.amazon.com/More-Quick-Fix-Vegan-Delicious-Recipes/dp/1449446132/)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 small red onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely shredded
• 1 1/2 cups home-cooked pinto beans, or 1 (15.5-ounce) can, drained and rinsed
• 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 cups chopped fresh spinach or baby kale

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the sweet potato, cover, and cook until softened, about 7 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the pinto beans, chipotle chiles, tomato paste, ketchup, mustard, maple syrup, tamari, chili powder, liquid smoke, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in as much of the water as needed to make a smooth sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, to heat through and blend the flavors, about 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook for a few more minutes, until wilted. To serve, divide the mixture evenly among serving bowls.