Most people know that I don’t eat a lot of starchy carbs, but when I saw this recipe in Shape magazine, I had to give it a shot. It’s a really interesting combination of sweet and savory. There’s lots of texture, and the garlic is a great foil to the sweetness of the potatoes. For you Vegans, you can use it as the main part of your meal with some greenery on the side. The peanuts give a touch of protein, too.
The first time I made this, I paired it with a simple roast chicken, but I bet they would be great with some grass-fed steak, too. It’s a little heavy for fish, I think. The best thing about this dish is that it’s fast-about 30 minutes all in, if you cut the potatoes in small enough pieces.
The other ingredients of this quick and easy dish
Savory Sweet Potatoes with Chiles, Peanuts and Lime
Ingredients
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 3" wedges or chunks
- Salt and pepper
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
- 1 red chile, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts, chopped (I used a bit more. I like peanuts!)
- 1/4 cup cilantro, torn
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450.
- In a blender, blend the garlic with the oil until the garlic is minced. Pour the garlic oil in a large bowl. Set the blender aside without rinsing. Toss the sweet potatoes with the garlic oil to evenly coat, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet (optional cover with parchment). Season with salt and pepper.
- Roast until tender and browned, about 20-25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in the blender, puree the lime zest and juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, chile and 1 tablespoon of water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread the sweet potatoes on a serving platter and drizzle with sauce. (Or, I put them back in the large bowl and tossed them with the sauce. It covers them more evenly.)
- Top with peanuts and cilantro.
