Very Easy, Very Vegan Dinners: Sweet Potato Nachos

Garden Salad and naked Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges

And now . . . Roasted Sweet Potato Nachos! Don't worry, the sweet potatoes are under there somewhere.

 Because now more than ever we need Comfort Food . . .

It's been a long day. You really just want to drink your dinner. Or maybe get immediately prone with Lifetime Movie Network. Or just go to bed without eating. Don't do it. You deserve a healthy and soul-satisfying dinner, one that nourishes and fulfills those indulgent cravings.

It's Cafe Drake HRV and our Sweet Potato Nachos to the rescue. You're gonna love these so trust us, add any ingredients you don't have to your next shopping list. Opening the door to a carefully-stocked pantry and fridge is key to making fast, easy meals a real possibility.

More a suggestion than an actual recipe, here's how to do it: Clean but do not peel 2-3 medium size sweet potatoes. Slice each sweet potato into 8 wedges. If some are much larger than others, slice horizontally. You want all of the wedges to be as close as possible to the same size. Toss very well with 2 T. olive, vegetable or coconut oil and sprinkle with salt, black pepper and chipotle or ancho chile powder. Place the sweet potatoes in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, using two if needed. Roast for 15 minutes in a preheated 400 degrees F. oven. Flip the wedges and continue to cook for another 15 minutes or until browned and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

While the sweet potatoes are roasting, simmer 1-2 cups of pre-made vegetarian chili for about 5 minutes. Since ease is our goal tonight, you can also microwave the chili until piping hot; a good quality canned chili is fine here. (Our favorite brands are Health Valley and Fantastic Foods and we always grab one without kidney beans. Another stand-by here is a cache of zip-lock bags of homemade chili in the freezer.)

When the sweet potatoes are roasted, transfer to a platter or individual plates and immediately top with the hot chili. Drizzle vegan or dairy sour cream or plain yogurt over all and then festoon freely with sliced jalapeno peppers, chopped cilantro and diced red onions. Sprinkle your favorite hot sauce over all and sit down and enjoy your guilt-less guilty pleasure.