Thai it up

In a potato-less world, sweet potato has been a beacon of light; I can still get my starchy fix, but this tuber is subtly sweet and wonderfully carrot-colored - feast with the eyes, first.

This dish is ridiculously simple - 4 ingredients and salt; it's the quickest Thai-inspired dish you'll ever make. You can easily substitute any leafy green instead of the spinach, like swiss chard or kale, but I prefer the spinach that melds into the coconut cream. You can also use red or green Thai curry paste or Tom Yum soup paste (for all I like the Thai Kitchen brand) - note that some brands have garlic or onion. Don't mistake a yam for a sweet potato, which I used to do; the consistency of a yam is entirely different, it's sort of like a giant carrot, fibrous and not smooth.

If you have it, you can add fresh a lemongrass stalk (hard to come by) and/or grate fresh ginger in and even garnish with a sprinkle of fresh basil.

Sweet Potato, Spinach & Coconut Milk Curry
Serves 2

2 medium organic sweet potatoes
bunch of fresh organic spinach, cleaned or 1 bag of frozen
3/4 - 1 can coconut milk
Red or green curry paste, or Tom Yum soup paste, to taste (I usually like about 2 heaped tsps, which makes the dish a bit spicy and very fragrant)
sea salt (to taste)

- Peel sweet potatoes and uniformly dice in one inch cubes.
- Clean spinach well, if fresh.
- Add sweet potatoes to a heavy bottomed pot with the salt, curry or soup paste and 3/4 can of the coconut milk (the tops of the sweet potatoes should just peer above the coconut milk).
- Cook over a medium-low heat until the sweet potato is cooked and creamy; it shouldn't be falling apart, but it should be tender and soft.
- Add the spinach, fresh or frozen, and mix in until it is wilted (if fresh) or defrosted (if frozen).
- If you prefer a 'saucy' curry, add the remaining 1/4 can of coconut milk.
- Check for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

Serve as a meal or with brown rice or rice noodles.