It’s May and I know I should have visions of asparagus and strawberries dancing through my head but yesterday it was so grey and cool out that I simply wanted a warm, comforting meal.

I had a large sweet potato on the counter and then remembered that I picked up black beans in bulk at the store last week. Black beans and sweet potatoes are a match made in heaven, don’t you think? I pulled out a few other veggies and basic seasonings to get my creative juices flowing.

Once I laid out the base ingredients I began to think about spices. My homemade vegetable stock was made with apples (thanks to a tip from a chef ) so I wanted to build on that subtle sugary flavor when choosing my spices. I went with cinnamon and garam masala – the result was a thick, stew-like, savory dish with just a hint of sweetness.