Spice Crusted Sweet Potatoes

May 29, 2014

With weekends becoming filled by bbq invitations and outdoor dinners, I find people are always challenged with what to make for side dishes. There is the standard grilled corn (yawn), coleslaw (ew), occasionally a nice amped up potato salad or marinated grilled veg selection. But sometimes it’s nice to go outside the box and do something with a little spice or flair. Use a vegetable that you might not normally see at a bbq, and something that you will want to make double of just to have extra on hand! Not to mention, something that is easy because when the weather is nice who really wants to spend all day in the kitchen? (I mean, even I have limits….)

Sweet potatoes are one of my all time favorite foods, seriously. I eat them about every other day. Tossed into a salad, roasted whole and mixed with some ghee and maple syrup, whipped into a frenzy with coconut milk, and now my most recent recipe. Roasted sweet potatoes have always been a simple go-to in our house and especially for my clients. So this week I did a riff on the regular old sweet potato and added some yummy spice and just a smudge of sugar to it, just enough that it gets a nice crust caramelization while roasting.

Plus, it’s a great recipe to build off. I leave you with a few suggestions of how to amp it up even more but let your imagination go wild! After all, it’s summer and we should all be barefoot and crazy….

Forgive the photo, lovelies…it’s been a bit busy around here and I didn’t have my good camera!

Spice Crusted Sweet Potatoes

Gluten free, Dairy Free, Vegan

Serves 4 as a side

· 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled

· 1 T. ground cumin

· 2 T. coconut sugar or organic cane sugar

· 1 T. 2 t. garlic powder

· olive oil

· salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut the potatoes in half, through the thickest part of the middle (not lengthwise) so you and up with two short ends. Cut each end into 4-5 wedges. Toss into a large bowl.

2. Drizzle 2-3 second count of olive oil over the potatoes, you want them to a have a pleasant coating of olive oil. Sprinkle the cumin, sugar, garlic powder and a nice pinch of salt and good crack of pepper on top and, using tongs, toss the potatoes around so they are all coated in the yumminess.

3. Place on a large parchment lined baking sheet and put in a 375 degree oven for 25-35 minutes, tossing once, until they are lightly caramelized and smell divine.

These potatoes are delicious tossed with asparagus and then some of my harissa cashew cream for a yummy meal, or if you can eat dairy they are quite lovely when topped with feta and some lemon dressed micro greens.

happy, healthy eating! ~kendra