And I am done! My first four years of college are complete and I have graduated with a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics! Now it’s time to relax and regroup before I start back up again! In August I will be balancing working on my dietetics internship and masters degree in Nutrition Therapy. It will be quite a whirlwind, but I am beyond excited to be one step close to reaching my goal of becoming an Registered Dietitian!

Since I have a little bit more free time on my hands, I am going to try and stay consistent with the website and share as many fresh recipes and healthy living tips as possible! I cannot wait to get the ball rolling and share with you the ideas that have been coming to me over the past few months.

The first recipe I have decided to share with you all is a simple dish that makes such a statement! It is my recipe for sweet potatoes with black beans and mango salsa and it definitely has a fresh, south of the boarder feel! The sweet potatoes are baked to caramelized perfection and topped with spicy green chili black beans and a refreshing mango salsa!

Now let’s talk about these ingredients.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes are by far one of my absolute favorite foods. They are so versatile and can be made in large batches to be used throughout the week. I find that sweet potatoes provide a sweet foundation for innumerable flavor combinations, yet they are just as delicious on their own thanks to their natural ability to caramelize when baked. Plus sweet potatoes are jam-packed with nutrition!

mango salsa

This mango salsa is out of this world and will be my go-to for backyard BBQs and get-togethers this summer. I found myself continuously picking at it throughout making this dish, and finally just gave in to using a spoon. It’s made with Altualfo mangoes (also known as champagne mangoes) which are sweeter and have almost an apricot undertone. I am incredibly partial to these mangoes and would highly recommend using them if you can find them! I paired the sightly tangy fruit with jimica to give it a refreshing crunch!

You might be thinking “What the heck is Jimica?”. Let me tell you. It’s actually a South American starchy root vegetable that is similar in texture to a water chestnut. Its watery and neutral in flavor but is overall really refreshing. I love cutting the vegetable into sticks, and drizzling them with lime juice and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.

Anyways, this vegetable provides an amazing crunch to the salsa! I added other traditional ingredients such as lime, red onion, jalapenos peppers (seeded, to reduce their heat), cilantro and some spices to jazz it up. I decided to top the sweet potatoes and black beans with the salsa but you could definitely just serve it on the side or with organic corn chips!

I have no doubt that you’ll love this dish (especially the salsa). I recommend serving it with fresh avocado slices or topping it with hemp seeds for a good dose of healthy fats to round out your meal.

Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans and Mango Salsa

Baked sweet potato topped with black beans and a refreshing mango salsa. I recommend serving with avocado slices, guacamole, or hemp seeds.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cup black beans (1, 15oz can, cooked + 1/4 cup of cooking liquid)
2 tablespoons chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin

For the Salsa*

3 altualfo mangoes (~2 cups)
1 cup jicima (diced)
1/4 cup red onion
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 bunch cilantro (1/2 cup not packed)
1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper (or cayenne)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

For the Potatoes:

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Wash potatoes and carefully poke the potato with a fork about 4 times on various sides (This allows for steam to escape). Set the on a foiled pan. When the oven is heated, place inside for 1 hour and 10 minutes (This depends on the size of your potato. You should see some of the sugar from the potato bubbling out of the holes).

For the Black Beans

Place a sauce pan on the stove at medium-low heat. Place the black beans, cooking liquid, green chilies, lime juice and spices in the pan and cover with a lid to warm.

For the Salsa:

Dice the mango into small pieces* and place in a large bowl. Using a peeler, peel the skin off the jimica and dice into small pieces, roughly the size of the mango. Place in the bowl with the mango. Chop the red onion in very small pieces and add it to the bowl. Add the chipotle pepper, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Trim the leave of the cilantro of the stem and roughly chop. Fold together with a spatula or large mixing spoon.
The mango salsa make extra. Store in a air tight container for 4-5 days.

Assembly:

When the potatoes are finished let them cool for about 5 minutes and slice long ways. Top each potato with the black beans and mango salsa.

Make sure to follow Nourished by Nutrition on Instagram. If you make this recipe tag #nourishedbynutriton so I can see what you have made and feature you!