There are days when breakfast is not optional. Ordinarily, I would turn to leftovers. But alas, I have absolutely nothing pre-prepared today. So, I must fend for myself in a sea of mismatched ingredients in my pantry. Or moreover, bowls of fruits and vegetables because, let's face it, none of this actually came out of the pantry. What I did manage to have on hand without having to go grocery shopping or really put much effort into cooking something, is sweet potatoes, yellow bell peppers, garlic, and avocados. While this may have been helped with a scrambled egg or piece of toast or something, I couldn't be bothered! Nor do I tend to actually have toast on hand. Which is how you can see that I ended up with this hodge-podge. Everyone has those lazy day, but I actually need to eat something meals. And this is a great one because it really doesn't take much time at all to chop up some fruits and vegetables, heat up in the skillet, and run. Hence the Fried Sweet Potatoes.
These kinds of dishes also serve to show that every meal is worth celebrating. With the emphasis on "girl dinner" and "boy dinner" on social media lately. The most important part of cooking is just making something! It's feeding yourself and being happy with real foods that you're putting into your body. I don't tend to eat fast food and rarely find myself eating at a restaurant that I don't work at. And it definitely helps to be reminded sometimes that, you don't have to go to the moon and back. You just need 20 minutes and a skillet.
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Variations of Fried Sweet Potatoes
If you do have extra time or additional leftovers, I'm rather partial to mixing random produce that I have lying around with scrambled eggs or quinoa. Especially with the sweetness of the sweet potatoes, the slight bitterness of the quinoa helps to balance the flavor profiles. It's also incredibly easy to whip up some scrambled eggs or reheat some quinoa. In a pinch, quinoa is also great chilled or at room temperature, if you really need to eat on the go or grab something quick and easy for lunch.
Preheat a skillet on medium with a splash of olive oil.I use a cast iron skillet and don't need a lot of oil. Particularly because sweet potatoes don't absorb as much oil as other types of potatoes do. If you're using another type of skillet, you might need more oil. I like to start with a very thin layer, just enough to cover the skillet, and then add more as needed while cooking.
Meanwhile, dice the sweet potato and bell pepper.I cut the sweet potatoes into 6 slices, like a pizza. This is how I end up with triangles. But you can chop them however you like.
Add sweet potato and bell pepper to skillet. Stir to coat with oil. Cook covered for about 15-20 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned. Making sure to stir frequently.If it browns too quickly, add more oil and lower the temperature. If it doesn't brown quickly enough, increase the heat.
Once cooked, add salt, pepper, cumin, and coriander to taste.
Top with freshly sliced avocados and serve immediately.
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