Vegan Mediterranean Sweet Potatoes

It has been a tough week. I have been working long hours, coming home and studying for my educators test then immediately falling asleep everyday. Yesterday I took some time to breath and to actually enjoy my Halloween, but sometimes it just feels like no matter what I do to try and take my mind off of things, the stress of it all just hangs above me. I just can't seem to shake this cumulus nimbus. If you live with any type of anxiety you know exactly what that means and just how painful it can be on your muscles and our mind. There is not enough de-stress tea in the world to help, BUT there are enough recipes to help steer my mind, even if it is just for an hour, away from my stresses.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 15 oz chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp each cumin, coriander, cinnamon, paprika
• dash of salt

Sauce:

• 1/4 cup traditional hummus
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp dill
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Water (for thinning)

Toppings:

• 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, cut into fourths
• 1/8 cup cilantro
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

When things are feeling a bit heavy I like to put on something that I can dance to, nothing heavy that will contribute to my moods, but something that tries to combat it. Who better to send to the font lines with his funky beats and sick dance moves, than Mr. James Brown himself? Get on up! He will berate your anxiety with so much soul, your stress won't know what hit it. So appropriately I will play Get up Offa That Thing.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Wash your potatoes then cut in half, rub with a little olive oil, then place open half down on the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes.
3. Mix together your chickpeas oil and spices until well coated, then bake with potatoes, for roughly the same amount of time.
4. To prepare your sauce, whisk together your sauce ingredients and add water if too thick.
5. While potatoes are cooking, you can also prepare your toppings. I just mixed together the cherry tomatoes, cilantro and lemon. Then just let it sit to marinade a bit.
6. When the potatoes and chickpeas are done, flip potatoes and smash down the insides to make a little crater. Then top with chickpeas, sauce and parsley-tomato.
7. Serve!

Happy Eatings Everyone!