Yams, chorizo and kale equal a dinner that’s tasty and nutritious – and fast

One of the things I love about being a food writer is that food doesn't discriminate. Everyone needs food. Everybody eats. Everyone deserves to be fed and nourished. Food is one of things that all of humanity shares in common. Food doesn't care where we are from, what color our skin is, what our social class is, what religion we practice or don't practice, whether we are female or male or non-binary, old or young, whether we have a disability or not, or what our sexual orientation is. The very act of gathering and preparing food is an act of taking care of oneself and taking care of others. Cooking has hospitality and generosity at its very core.

Whether I'm writing recipes or cooking in a restaurant kitchen, I get to take part in the nourishing of people. I don't know the names or the faces or the backgrounds of most of the people who make my recipes and eat my food. The same is true for a great many food writers and restaurant chefs working hard behind the line back in the kitchen. There's something tremendously beautiful about that, about getting to feed the faceless masses. As far as I'm concerned, whoever you are, you matter. You deserve to be fed. You deserve to be nourished. And I'm glad that I get to be even a small part of it.

As the school year begins early next week, many families will be in need of quick and easy nutritious dinner ideas to get everyone fed at the end of a busy day. Stuffed potatoes are a wonderful option. You can get your protein, vegetables, and starches all in one place. I popped some yams into the oven for 45 minutes while I went about doing other things around the house, but you could also cook them in the microwave if that's your preference. Then, about 10 minutes before the yams were done, I put a pan on the stove and browned some ground Mexican chorizo along with some chopped onion. Then, toward the end, I tossed in some chopped kale to wilt and saute in the pan with everything else, so that they were coated in all that great flavor. When the yams came out of the oven, I stuffed them with the smoky chorizo and kale mixture. The sweetness of the yam is a nice counterbalance with the spiciness of the chorizo.

This dinner was incredibly simple, with only four ingredients plus some salt and pepper, and only 10 minutes of work.

Yams stuffed with chorizo and kale

Serves 4

4 medium yams, washed

1 pound ground Mexican style chorizo

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 cups chopped kale

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pierce the yams with a fork and place them onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until tender in the center.

Ten minutes before the yams are done, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo and chopped onions to the pan. Cook until the chorizo is completely browned and the onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the kale to the skillet, and saute the kale until tender, deep green, and wilted, another 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the yams from the oven. Using a knife, split the yams lengthwise down the center to form an opening. Spoon a heaping amount of the chorizo and kale mixture into the center of each yam, until all of the filling is used and all of the yams are full. Serve while hot.

Maya Wilson lives in Kenai and blogs about food at alaskafromscratch.com. Have a food question or recipe request? Email maya@alaskafromscratch.com and your inquiry may appear in a future column.

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