Baked sweet potatoes stuffed with black beans, corn, raw veggies, avocado, and a squeeze of lime. Perfect for easy meal prep lunch or dinner!

I’ve *reallly* been missing some of my favorite takeout meals lately, guys.

On busy recipe testing days when the sink brims with dirty dishes, my most delicious form of self care was to hop in the car and leave it all behind.

Indulge me in a little pre-pandemic nostalgia.

I drove to grab dinner; usually takeout and always packed with plants I didn’t prepare.

Coming home with a warm meal someone else assembled always made the full sink feel a little less intimidating.

Anyway, one of my favorite spots to get a quick clean meal was Naked Lunch.

I ordered their signature “Jammed Yam” frequently.

It’s plant-based comfort food at its finest: a sweet and tender baked yam halve loaded with black beans, raw veggies, cooked corn, and fresh herbs.

I recreated it in this copycat “Jammed Yam” that’s easy to bake and build with yams, cooked black beans, and a mix of raw and cooked toppings.

Let’s jam a yam.

I hope that you, like me, are trying new thing in quarantine.

There’s nothing like the changing landscape of the world as we know it to prompt us to venture into new activities and routines in our personal life.

I’ve started dancing!

Which lately looks like hopping on a streaming LIVE workout while shaking, well, everything, on a Zoom call with my girlfriends.

So, yes, new things.

I also tried cooking black beans from scratch for the first time.

Cooking Beans From Scratch

Have you ever made your own beans from scratch?

I used Farmer Direct Organic black beans to stuff these “Jammed Yams”.

These organic black beans are the solid pantry staple I never knew I needed until now.

Black beans are low in fat, high in fiber, and contain protein, calcium and other important nutrients!

Earthy and dense, these black beans are so versatile and go with so many types of cuisines.

And, unlike my previous fears, making them from scratch is far easier than expected with a little prep.

I recommend making a large batch and using the beans throughout your week in different meals!

Tips & Tricks for Cooking Beans

Last week my can opener tuckered out.

We had a good run.

Which was actually the push I needed to experiment with making my own black beans.

Confession: I’ve always wanted to be one of those proud people that makes beans and rice from scratch every week.

But somehow I felt like their level of bean-y mastery was far beyond my casual canned bean routine.

But friends, I was wrong!

The trick to making the best black beans is to sort, soak, and then cook on the stovetop for a few hours.

I recommend cooking them in a mix of vegetable broth and filtered water.

The addition of vegetable broth adds richness and depth of flavor to your beans.

Drain, rinse, and season to your desired taste with Himalayan sea salt.

That’s it!

Why Make Your Own Beans

I now *love* making my own black beans from scratch because you can control the tenderness, the quality and quantity, and the saltiness!

If you’ve been here a while, you know I prefer most of my meals to be low in sodium, and many times sodium-free.

This goes for my beans as well.

Ever bitten into cooked beans and felt they were just a little *crunchy*?

Yeah, me too.

If you prefer softer, more tender beans, like me, I recommend partially covering the beans as they cook for a creamier bean consistency.

Delicious.

How to Make Copycat “Jammed Yam”

Once your black beans are prepared you can start baking your yams.

For this recipe, I love halving the yams for quicker bake time.

You can brush them with avocado oil or leave them plain for a still delicious oil-free variation.

Bake them facedown on a parchment lined baking sheet until they’re oozing and browned on the underside.

Sexy.

I like to make good use of my time while they yams are baking and prepare all of my vegetables for topping.

Toppings for Your “Jammed Yam”

These jammed yams are super versatile in what you can “jam” them with.

Flip them over warm and stuff with your freshly cooked black beans, then get creative with toppings!

My signature custom creation from my takeout days includes diced bell pepper, cooked corn, shredded cabbage, a whole halved avocado, and cilantro.

The original menu item from Naked Lunch also calls for diced pineapple, jalapeños, and cooked quinoa with a spicy jalapeño dressing.

My Naked Lunch family was always cool about me leaving these off and substituting other veg instead.

Try adding any of these and more in to add sweetness and spice to your yams!

How to Serve Copycat “Jammed Yam”

Enjoy this Copycat “Jammed Yam” as a quick weeknight meal or lunch.

The recipe below indicates how to assemble a jammed yam for ONE.

However, I the homemade black beans recipe will make lots of perfectly seasoned and tender black beans, so I recommend baking several yams and doubling up on toppings to create multiple meals.

Try prepping the black beans, baked yam halves, and vegetable toppings in advance so you can assemble your jammed yams throughout the week for an easy weeknight dinner or lunch.

I often eat my jammed yams without dressing, but you can serve with a hummus, tahini, or even salsa.

Black beans, baked yams, and the fresh and cooked vegetables will keep in the fridge for 5-7 days, so serve them together or apart as you like.

Enjoy!

More Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

I Want to Hear From You

If you make this Copycat “Jammed Yam” recipe, let me know!

Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.

Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.

Check out my Pinterest page to pin more recipes like this one to make later.

Love this post and want more? Go to my homepage and subscribe to get updates delivered right to your inbox!

XO Lauren

Easy Black Beans From Scratch

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Author: Flora & Vino
Total Time: 45 minute
Yield: ~3 cups, cooked
Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

How to make easy black beans from scratch with dried black beans, filtered water, and vegetable broth cooked on the stovetop and seasoned with Himalayan sea salt.

Ingredients

1 cup Farmer Direct Organic Black Beans, dry and sorted
1 1/2 cups filtered water
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Soak black beans in 3 cups of filtered water for at least 8 hours.
Drain and rinse well.
Add rinsed black beans to a large pot with filtered water and vegetable broth.
Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender. Add more water or vegetable broth as needed the keep beans completely covered during the cooking process.
Drain and season beans to taste with Himalayan sea salt.
Store leftover black beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

Notes

For more tender beans, try partially covering the pan with a lid. For firmer beans, leave uncovered.

Prep Time: 8 hrs
Cook Time: 2 1/2 hrs
Category: Side
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Grain-Free