Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Dried Cranberries & Pine Nuts

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Dried Cranberries & Pine Nuts

Oh my!  You are gonna love this sweet potato salad. Colorful, tasty, and filling.

I created it from memory based on a dish my friend Lucia had made a couple of years ago as a side.  I served it over a bed over lettuce to give it a little more dimension.  For variations, I think you could sub chopped pecans for the pine nuts or scallions for the red onions.  To add more protein, I think drained black beans would be a tasty addition too!

Enjoy!

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Dried Cranberries & Pine Nuts

2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 or 4 medium), peeled and cut into small 3/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
Juice of one lime
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil and cumin. Season with salt and pepper to taste. On a baking sheet, even spread the potatoes in a single layer. Bake until the potatoes are cooked but still firm, about 30 to 35 minutes. Refrigerate to cool.

Place the cooled sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the red onion, cranberries, and pine nuts and toss to combine. Add the lime juice and fresh cilantro and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over a bed of lettuce as a main or as a side salad.

Serves 4.

Cooking Tip: I like to line my baking sheets with parchment paper. The paper liner prevents sticking and helps make clean-up easier.

Variation: Chopped pecans would be a tasty substitute for the pine nuts.

Vegetarian & Vegan

Advertisement

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole

This is the Sweet Potato Casserole that I grew up eating at the Holidays.  Baked sweet potatoes mixed with a generous amount of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and topped with a gooey layer of marshmallows. Yum!

The marshmallows on top make the dish.  When baked until golden brown, the marshmallows create a delicious topping – crispy on top with a sinfully melty interior. Super sweet and super good. We don’t add marshmallows to the sweet potatoes though … we find it gets too sweet if its in the potatoes and on top.

My good friend Allison Lemm makes a delicious Bourbon Pecan version of this recipe. She stirs 2 tablespoons of bourbon into the sweet potato mixture and add a 1/4 cup of toasted chopped pecans to the marshmallow topping. I am tempted to try it that way this year.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra to grease the baking dish
8 sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups baby marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 2 1/2-quart baking dish with butter and set aside.

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet and bake until fork tender, about 1 hour. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and, using a spoon, scoop the flesh into a large mixing bowl. Discard the skins. Using a potato masher or fork, mash the potato flesh until smooth. Add the butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon and level the mixture into the prepared dish. Evenly top with a single layer of marshmallows. Bake until the marshmallows are puffed and golden and the potatoes are heated through, about 30 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8.

Do-Ahead: This can be made a day ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Return to room temperature before baking. 

Time-Saving Tip: I prefer the flavor of freshly baked sweet potatoes. But if you are short on time, you can boil peeled and cubed sweet potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes, and drain well. Precooked sweet potatoes, which can be found in the grocery freezer section, are another short cut.

 

Sweet Potato Casserole

People either love the idea … or hate it.  But in my opinion, sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving must be topped with marshmallows!

This is the recipe that I have been enjoying at our family’s table since I was a little girl.  Without a doubt it will be on our Thanksgiving table this year.

My good friend Allison Lemm makes a delicious Bourbon Pecan version of this recipe worth trying. Stir 2 tablespoons of bourbon into the sweet potato mixture and add a 1/4 cup of toasted chopped pecans to the marshmallow topping.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra to grease the baking dish
8 sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups baby marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 2 1/2-quart baking dish with butter and set aside.

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet and bake until fork tender, about 1 hour. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and, using a spoon, scoop the flesh into a large mixing bowl. Discard the skins. Using a potato masher or fork, mash the potato flesh until smooth. Add the butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon and level the mixture into the prepared dish. Evenly top with a single layer of marshmallows. Bake until the marshmallows are puffed and golden and the potatoes are heated through, about 30 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8.

Do-Ahead: This can be made a day ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Return to room temperature before baking.

Time-Saving Tip: I prefer the flavor of freshly baked sweet potatoes. But if you are short on time, you can boil peeled and cubed sweet potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes, and drain well. Precooked sweet potatoes, which can be found in the grocery freezer section, are another short cut.

Sweet Potato Fries

I never met a fry I didn’t like! 

Crinkle, shoestring, thick-cut, curly…doesn’t matter.  I just can’t resist a French fried potato.

But deep-frying potatoes every day would not only be extremely unhealthy…but would also make a big mess to clean up! So I have decided to leave the deep-fried variety to an occasional indulgence when eating out. (Let those restaurateurs deal with the messy fryer!)

Instead, I have turned to oven-baked fries. It is so much easier, less mess, and equally delicious.

I just slice up the potatoes in the shape I want (thin, thick, wedges,…), toss them in oil and a little seasoning, and then throw them in the oven.  That simple!

For an interesting twist, I often use sweet potatoes in lieu of the traditional Russet potato. 

Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite sides…but I often don’t have the time to wait over an hour for them to cook.  This is a quick an easy way to enjoy this delicious spud in half the time.   As a side bonus, sweet potatoes are healthier than their white counterparts.  Despite their sweeter flavor, they actually rank lower on the glycemic index as well as offer more vitamins and fiber.

Be sure to generously season your fries with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.  I throw fresh thyme sprigs over the top to impart a little “sophistication” and flavor to my fries. Rosemary would also be a delicious substitute.

Enjoy!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

5 sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 sprigs fresh thyme

Pre-heat the oven to 395 degrees.

To make the fries, peel the potatoes and cut each potato lengthwise into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the slices lengthwise into strips about 1/2 inch think.

Toss the potatoes with the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Evenly spread the fries out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Scatter the thyme over the fries. Bake until the fries are tender and golden brown, turning occasionally, about 30 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

Back-to-the-Basics: The fresh thyme adds a little “sophistication” to these fries. Feel free to omit the herbs or to substitute baking potatoes.

Roasted Lime Sweet Potato Wedges

Serves 4 

3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds total), peeled and sliced into rounds about ¼-inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lime zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Place the sweet potatoes and oil in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and then toss until well coated.

Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tender.

Season with the lime zest and juice.  Serve warm.

Back to the Basics:
Lime doesn’t go with your main course? Then just omit it and you have simply delicious baked sweet potato fries.

Food Fact:  
Sweet potatoes are not only sweeter in flavor than their white counterpart, but they are also nutritionally far superior.  Packed with vitamins and fiber, sweet potatoes are ranked the number one vegetable by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.  For those concerned about sugar, this complex carbohydrate also ranks extremely low on the glycemic index…despite what its “sweet” name suggests.