The magic of sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are wonderful. Not only are they full of beta-carotene and fiber, they provide lots of other nutrients to keep you feeling sustained and nourished. They’re also quite delicious and probably my favorite vegetable. (Many of the recipes on this blog feature sweet potatoes!)

More running means more delicious calories

The Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon is less than two months away, so that means we’re approaching peak training. When training for a marathon, your caloric needs slowly increase as your weekly mileage does. You may need about 3,000-4,000 calories during the days that long runs are 12 miles or more—everyone has different needs, of course. Runners rely heavily on carbohydrates for energy more than anything else; protein and fat also help rebuild and restore the calories that have been lost, especially during a long run. With that comes eating more delicious food, such as this coconut milk-based lentil sweet potato curry with rice.

This curry is an easy dish to make, especially if you’re busy and don’t have much time to cook. All you need to do is gather the ingredients and throw them into a crock pot. And voila! Your dinner is ready for you when you get home from work or a long run. It even smells sweet and fragrant as it cooks, so you know it’s good.

I highly recommend using full-fat coconut milk for a creamier consistency. Rice is a great side dish that absorbs some of the flavor. Bon appétit!

You will need:

• 1 medium sweet potato, chopped into half-inch cubes
• 1 15-ounce can of full-fat coconut milk
• 1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 1 cup of dried lentils, rinsed
• 3 tablespoons of powdered or minced ginger
• 1 head of garlic cloves, crushed with a garlic press
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of curry powder
• 1 tablespoon of garam masala
• 1 tablespoon of turmeric
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• 1 cup of water

Other ingredients:

• 4 cups of water
• 2 cups of dried basmati rice

Combine all curry ingredients in a crock pot and let it slowly cook on low heat for 6 hours. 

Put the water and rice in a rice cooker and let it cook until it’s done. Easy peasy!

This whole dish makes 4 servings.