RED BEANS AND SWEET POTATO HASH

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
2 garlic cloves very finely chopped
1 large sweet potato (8 ounces), cooked (see Chef’s Tip), peeled, and diced
1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt
ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, then stir in the sweet potato, thyme, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Place the beans in a bowl and mash them with a fork or potato ricer. Add the mashed beans to the skillet and stir to combine with the onion mixture. Cook, turning frequently, then pressing the spatula down on the mixture, until the bottom is lightly crisped and browned when turned, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.
CHEF’S TIP: For this recipe, the sweet potato should be tender but still firm enough to dice.

To bake sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork in three places. Wrap each sweet potato in foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the size of the potatoes) or until tender.

To microwave sweet potatoes: If you don’t have a cooked sweet potato (or the 45 minutes to an hour it takes to bake one), you can microwave one in minutes: Pierce the sweet potato with a fork in three places. Place the potato on a microwaveable plate and microwave on high for 5 minutes, rotating halfway through. You may need to microwave it a minute or two longer, depending on the size of the potato, until it is tender.