Stuffed sweet potato recipe

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato, washed, dried and halved lengthways
• 1½ teaspoons sunflower oil
• Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• Oil spray
• ½ small onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground allspice
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 380 g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• 150 g tinned crushed tomatoes
• 2 large handfuls baby spinach leaves, shredded
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
• 1 large egg, lightly whisked
• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced

• 200 g low-fat plain yoghurt
• Pinch of sweet paprika
• Lemon juice, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/gas 6) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place the sweet potato, oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and toss to combine. Ensure that the entire potato is lightly coated in the oil. Place the sweet potato on the baking tray, cut-side up, and bake in the oven for 30–35 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and spray lightly with oil spray. Add the onion and carrot and cook for 3–4 minutes or until the onion starts to soften, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the garlic, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the chickpeas, maple syrup and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Stir through the spinach and half of the coriander. Set aside.
5. Leaving the sweet potato shell intact, scoop out the flesh and place in a bowl. Roughly mash the flesh with a fork. Add the egg and sweet potato mash to the chickpea and tomato mixture and mix until well combined.
6. Spoon the sweet potato and chickpea mixture into the sweet potato shells and return to the lined baking tray. Spray the top lightly with oil spray and bake for 15 minutes, until heated through and light golden in colour.
7. To make the spiced yoghurt dressing, whisk the yoghurt, paprika and lemon juice together in a small bowl.
8. To serve, place the stuffed sweet potato halves on two serving plates. Sprinkle over the sliced spring onion and drizzle with the spiced yoghurt dressing.