U2 throwbacks aside, sweet potatoes are my saving grace–and likely my new favorite food–while on the paleo diet. Regular potatoes are a no. Sweet potatoes, they’re game. Why is this? Take a look here. It’s a bit complicated.

Basically, you’re not supposed to eat them all the time due to the high carbs and high glycemic index value; everything in moderation. Just one day in with the paleo diet though, I was already craving some type of carb for dinner, and turned to a small sweet potato for inspiration.  To be honest, it’s going to be hard keeping the cravings for this at bay.

Sweet Potato and Sausage Hash

Details:

• Time? 30 minutes
• Serves? 2
• Difficulty? Slim to none
• Make it healthier: Add even more spinach or brussels sprouts

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive or coconut oil
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 small apple, peeled and diced
• Ground cinnamon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small vidalia onion, diced
• 2 lean sausage links (I used organic chicken), removed from casing and cut/crumbled
• 3 large handfuls fresh spinach, or 1 cup frozen
• Optional seasonings: red pepper flakes, rosemary, basil, thyme, etc.

Directions:

1. heat oil in pan over medium heat, x2
2. In one pan, add diced sweet potatoes, apple, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Stir occasionally to evenly cook (I like my sweet potatoes lightly browned)
3. In a separate pan, cook sausage and onions until onions are clear and sausage is no longer pink. Add optional seasonings (red pepper, basil, thyme, etc)
4. When cooked through, combine both pans, and stir in handfuls of spinach until wilted (takes about a minute).
5. Add any last minute seasonings and enjoy!

I can see this being amazing for breakfast, with bacon instead of sausage and eggs on the side! You could always make this more of a dinner dish by using regular chicken instead and adding brussels sprouts for extra veggies. Either way, you’ll definitely want to make enough for leftovers…and to share. Come to think of it, I really should have doubled the recipe.

~A~