Roasted Sweet Potato and Onion Salad with Steak

The original recipe for this salad calls for white wine vinegar, honey, and molasses. My version uses apple cider vinegar and dates for sweetness, along with the orange juice. This was originally intended to be served on top of arugula, but my fresh beet greens were just begging to be used. It was a great combination, but you can use what you have on hand. Kale or spinach would be great, or serve it over arugula or mixed greens. It's sweet and yummy!

Adapted from foodandwine.com.

Serves 3-4.


Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1/2 inch slices
4 small yellow onions, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices
1 Tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, divided (I use Bragg.)
1/4 cup pitted dates, finely chopped (about 6)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
pinch of ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1-2 large bunches beet greens (or kale or spinach), roughly chopped
3-4 of your favorite steaks

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Melt coconut oil in a rimmed baking sheet. Carefully remove from oven and add potatoes and thyme. Gently toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, turn potatoes, and continue to cook until soft, approximately 30 more minutes. Remove from oven; keep warm.
3. Warm 2 Tbsp olive oil in a cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp cider vinegar. Place onions in skillet and brown, without turning them, for about 20 minutes. Turn onions and let brown for an additional 20 minutes or until soft. Transfer onions to a plate and reserve any liquid in skillet (there won't be much).
4. Season steaks with salt and pepper and grill over medium high heat to your desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat, tent with foil, and let rest while you finish preparing the salad.
5. In the meantime, warm 3 Tbsp olive oil in a small saucepan. Add garlic and cook until golden. Remove garlic from oil. Add orange juice, cumin, red pepper, dates, and 1 Tbsp vinegar and simmer 5 minutes, returning garlic to saucepan for the last 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Saute greens in pan liquid, adding a little olive oil, if needed. When they are barely wilted, add sweet potatoes, onions, and dressing. Toss gently to coat. Saute over low heat for 2-3 minutes or until warmed through.
7. To serve, divide mixture evenly among plates. Serve with steak or your favorite protein.

Chicken Sweet Potato Hash

This recipe is an example of how adaptable the original chicken and veggie hash recipe can be. I wanted to use up some sweet potatoes and portobello mushrooms, and was in the mood for comfort food. Add a little bacon, rotisserie chicken, and fennel...and there you have it: melt-in-your-mouth comfort food. Be careful with this one that the bacon doesn't overcook before adding the rest of the ingredients. If you already have cooked bacon on hand, just crumble it in with the veggies and chicken and saute it all in olive oil, coconut oil, or reserved bacon fat. You can really substitute whatever vegetables you have on hand, but it's especially good with squash or sweet potatoes. Saute the leftovers with a couple of eggs for breakfast. Yum!

Serves 4.

Ingredients
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped in 1-inch cubes
2 fennel bulbs, fronds and ends removed, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
2 portobello mushroom caps, stems and gills removed, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Tbsp coconut oil
4 cups shredded, cooked chicken
6 slices of bacon, chopped
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds or fennel powder

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Melt coconut oil in a jelly roll pan (you can also divide between two pans, if too crowded). Carefully remove the pan from the oven and add vegetables. Toss them in the oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fennel seeds or powder. Toss to coat.
3. Carefully return hot pan to oven. Roast sweet potatoes, fennel, and mushrooms until just fork tender, about 30 - 40 minutes.
4. In the meantime, cook bacon in a large skillet until just crispy. Spoon out all but about 2 Tbsp bacon fat from the pan and reserve for another use.
5. Add roasted vegetables to bacon and toss in bacon fat to coat. 
6. Add chicken and toss to combine. Saute mixture for 5 - 10 minutes or until heated through.
7. Garnish with fennel fronds before serving.

Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet potato fries are a great accompaniment to burgers, steaks, or any casual meal. I prefer mine spicy, but even the fries seasoned with just salt are delicious. I have a hard time making these crispy without burning them so keep a close eye on the fries near the end of your cooking time to make sure they don't burn.


Serves 4.

Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick matchsticks
1 - 2 Tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
Spicy Version
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
freshly ground black pepper


Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. If using coconut oil, melt the oil in a large, shallow pan. Carefully remove hot pan from oven and toss sweet potatoes with oil. (Or toss potatoes with olive oil.) Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp sea salt. 
3. For spicy fries, combine optional spices and sprinkle over fries. Toss to coat.
4. Bake until cooked through and crispy on the ends, about 30-40 minutes.
5. Add additional salt, to taste.