Curried Spinach and Sweet Potato Stir-Fry

Green and orange are the most nutritious and beautiful colors of the vegetable palate. Here they are together in a fresh, gentle, surprisingly sophisticated curry that takes, seriously, five minutes to make. I love it for lunch, with sprouted grain toast spread with peanut butter, and a clementine. Full disclosure: Darwin isn't a fan. What can I say? He doesn't like everything, every time. (This time, he spit it out and said, "you [I] don't like that bite.") I still serve it, and wait, more or less patiently, for him to come around.

The trick to serving up this dish quickly is to have baked sweet potatoes already in the fridge. I make a point of keeping already-baked sweet potatoes around anyway, because they're such a treat, so fast and healthy. Baking them couldn't be easier: prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and place them on a foil sheet in a 400 degree oven. Bake for 45 minutes or so, then slide the whole foil sheet onto a plate, cool a bit, and wrap them in the foil for refrigeration. No dishes! Except maybe that plate.

I usually leave the skins on sweet potatoes, because a lot of nutrients hang out in and just beneath them, and because they caramelize a little during baking, and taste delicious.

Spice snobs like me: you can grind your own curry powder to use in this and any other recipe that calls for it. Enjoy!

Curried Spinach and Sweet Potato Stir-Fry

10 minutes - Serves 2

1 large baked sweet potato, sliced into half moons

2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 Tbls. virgin coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp. good quality curry powder

In a large pan with tall-ish sides, or a large pot, heat coconut oil over medium heat and fry garlic for one minute (do not brown.)

Add spinach and curry powder and cook, stirring, often, until spinach just begins to wilt.

Add sweet potato moons and toss gently to heat and combine.

Remove pan from the burner when the spinach is fully wilted, but still bright green. Serve immediately.