I had to get blood work done this morning. In addition to the natural nervousness I had regarding a needle that was about to be jabbed into my vein, I also couldn’t eat for 12 hours beforehand. As a dedicated daily breakfast-eater, this was the most upsetting part of the whole affair.

I used to never eat breakfast, however, (I have since learned the error of my ways) so I was able to make it through the agonizing 20 minute walk to the clinic with an empty stomach. Okay, it wasn’t actually all that agonizing: there was less marijuana-smell and blaring construction than I’m used to experiencing on the streets of southside Berkeley. But I digress.

Once I got home, I decided to treat myself to something more exciting than my usual miniature bowl of berries and soymilk. It was around brunch time at this point, and I had a sweet potato in my fridge, so I figured, why not splurge a bit?

Turns out my splurge was actually really low calorie, and only took 10 minutes to put together–which made the brunch even more satisfying! It also ended up more versatile than I expected: I can see myself eating this at Thanksgiving dinner.

Also, for all you skeptical non-vegans out there: it doesn’t taste vegan, or particularly low calorie, for that matter. It in fact tasted eerily similar to the butter & heavy cream filled version I made for my family this summer.

Maybe I should get blood drawn more often.

Recipe source: My head, and the sweet potato in my fridge.

Makes double the amount pictured: about 1.5-2 cups.

Serving size: 1/2 of recipe. Calories per serving: 250-300

Ingredients: (Approximate amounts–feel free to tweak things to your tastes)

1 Sweet potato

1 tbs Earth Balance Vegan Margarine

About 1/2 cup unsweetened Soy or Almond milk (If you use a sweetened kind, use less maple syrup)

2 tbs maple syrup

1/4 cup chopped or broken walnuts

Directions:

1. Poke holes in sweet potato with a fork, and microwave for about 1.5-2 minutes, or until you can chop it into small chunks without difficulty. Remove skin if desired. (I leave it in because it’s delicious and has extra nutrients!)

2. Melt vegan margarine in a pot over medium heat. Add sweet potato chunks to pan, and stir to coat with margarine.

3. Add the milk and 1 tbs of the syrup. Stir to coat. Cover pot with lid, and stir occasionally so the chunks don’t brown.

(I used a pan that I had a lid for. Either works as long as it can be covered.)

4. Continue cooking until the chunks are tender enough to be easily smashed with a wooden spoon. If they start to become dry, add more soymilk or margarine.

5. Remove from heat once tender. Mash with a fork or masher to your desired consistency–I went for chunky, but you can also make them smooth–and add the walnuts. Add the last tablespoon of syrup, or to taste.

And the most important step of all: enjoy your guilt-free meal!

Happy cooking,

Michelle