This week has been a rough one. Monday went along like any other Monday - kinda meh, nothing too special. Although, now that I think back on it, Brando and I did get a nice little walk/run in that day, and that always makes for a pretty special day. :)
Tuesday through Thursday I was basically a zombie - there was a veritable construction zone in my head and I did little more than eat and sleep. I did manage to work Thursday, but I was only really physically "there" - not so much mentally. Side note: working as a "ghost" (no IM) for the day is pretty liberating! I wonder if I could get away with it more often...
Today's Friday and I've only just started feeling human again. To celebrate my body finally bouncing back from the ick, I wanted to have something fresh and nutritious for dinner. Luckily, I was able to sneak out to TJ's this morning (less than 20mins there and back - done!), so I had quite a few things to choose from, but the moment I spotted the sweet potatoes hanging in their metal basket by the sink, I knew. It took me roughly 30 seconds to mentally construct what followed - I love it when a plan comes together! ;)
I decided to use the air fryer to bake a couple of the sweet potatoes, so I didn't heat up the house too much (and I imagine it's more energy efficient?). I'd never done it before, but it won't be the last time - it worked beautifully! (I let them go for roughly 40-45 minutes on 400* and they were perfect.) While those cooked, I sautéed up some of my favorites with water - bell peppers (tri-color, of course), yellow onion, and shredded carrots with cumin, paprika, and salt. Once that all cooked down nicely and the onions were semi-caramelized (6-8mins), I threw in a can of black beans (drained and rinsed) and a couple handfuls of chopped kale. I also stirred together a quick, smoky, cheezy sauce from tahini, nooch, chipotle pepper, and salt (plus hot water from the kettle) in a small bowl that I'd use to top it. As with many of my meals, some assembly required...
As I envisioned plating the first potato, I realized there was a lot of smoky flavor and I like my dishes to have a little more dimension... should I make some sour creamish or ranchish sauce? "Ooh, no, I know!" I grabbed the perfectly ripe avocado half in the fridge and cut it up. Voila - dinner! :D
