Southwestern Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

I love sweet potatoes. And black beans. And cumin. This was one of my first "fall-ish" recipes - and there will be many more to come. 

5-6 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes, to make 8 cups
3 tablespoons melted olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion (about half a medium onion), or more to taste
1 1/2 to 2 cups grape tomatoes
1 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 - 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder [original recipe says this is pertinent, but I used regular chili powder and it was still tasty]

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil. Sprinkle on the salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Stir to coat. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet with an edge. Bake for 45-60 minutes, checking after 30 minutes as some ovens heat differently (no need to stir). Bake until the edges start to brown. (The goal is to slow roast them to caramelized perfection.) Cool.

Transfer the potatoes to a large serving bowl. Add the black beans, red onion, tomatoes, feta and cilantro.

In a small bowl combine the olive oil, lemon juice and chipotle pepper powder. Pour over the salad. Stir gently to combine all the ingredients.

Can be eaten right away, but it tastes best if it's had at least one hour to chill.

Original recipe here

Black Quinoa with Vegetables and Feta

My friend Julie sent me this recipe the other day, and it was pretty intriguing so I had to try it. Both the black quinoa and the strange array of spices really piqued my interest. I would have made this sooner but I knew I would have to venture into Whole Foods to find the black quinoa. And that I did. A bag of black quinoa (about 2 cups, I think) was $7.99!! Outrageous. Maybe worth it about once a year. I need to read up on the health benefits of it and see if it's actually better for you than regular quinoa...

Anyway, this was a fun and easy to make recipe. I never cook with leeks, and I'm pretty sure I chopped them incorrectly, but oh well - tastes the same. I found a video on youtube that shows you how to chop leeks - if you're as unfamiliar as I am and would like to try this recipe, just type "chopping leeks" into a Google search.

Quinoa Ingredients:
1 cup black quinoa (uncooked)
2 cups vegetable stock
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. coriander
1/8 tsp. cumin
pinch cloves
pinch allspice

Quinoa Directions:
Place all items in 1 quart sauce pan, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes.
Let sit covered 10 minutes.

Vegetables & Feta Ingredients:
2 tsp. pure olive oil
1 ½ cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed well (1 small can of garbanzo beans works)
½ cup asparagus, cut ¾ inches
½ cup leeks, sliced ¼ inch
½ cup roasted red bell peppers
½ cup roasted yellow bell peppers, diced ½ inch
(* I found a jar of yellow and red roasted peppers at Trader Joe's, which worked perfectly)
½ cup vegetable stock
3 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese

Vegetables & Feta Directions:
Heat olive oil to the smoke point.
Add garbanzo beans, asparagus and leeks, saute until asparagus softens. (about 5 minutes)
Add red and yellow bell peppers with vegetable stock and heat well. (about 5 minutes)
Add feta cheese, toss and serve over hot quinoa.

(* Note: in my experience, it's very hard to buy a small amount of leeks or asparagus. After making this once, it definitely wouldn't have hurt to add some more vegetables. So, feel free to add at least a cup or so of each!)

Feta, Mint, and Strawberry Salad with Green Beans and Pistachios

Don't judge a book by it's cover - the above image isn't very pretty, but this salad is delicious! I generally don't enjoy strawberries on their own - but they are incredible in this salad. This was really easy to make and a great summer salad. The recipe is from the Organic Seasonal Cookbook, which I received from a college friend as a Secret Santa gift. She knows me well :)

Salad:
1 lb 2 oz/500 g fine green beans
1 lb 2 oz/500 g strawberries
2-3 tbsp pistachios
1 small bunch fresh mint leaves
1 lb 2 oz/500 g feta cheese

Dressing:
2 tbsp raspberry vinegar (or strawberry or red wine vinegar)
2 tsp superfine sugar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
pinch of salt
1/2 cup olive oil

1. To make the dressing, mix the vinegar, sugar, mustard, and salt together in a bowl until smooth. Slowly pour in the oil, whisking constantly until the mixture has emulsified. Cover and refrigerate until required.
2. Blanch the beans in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes, so that they retain plenty of crunch. Drain and quickly toss in a large, cool bowl. Hull and half the strawberries, then add to the beans. Stir in the pistachios and mint leaves. Toss the salad with enough of the dressing to coat lightly.
3. Break the feta cheese into chunks and scatter over the salad. Add a good grinding of pepper and serve immediately.