#header-inner {background-position: center !important; width: 100% !important;}

Friday, October 7, 2011

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Toasted Pecans and Dried Cranberries

Pin It
Is it too soon to start thinking about Thanksgiving? I'm not one to wish time away and rush toward the Holidays; you won't find me listening to Christmas carols in August (though you will find me buying candy corn the second it appears in stores!). Still, it can't hurt to plan ahead, especially if you want to try out your menu before serving it to friends and family in Thanksgiving...which is why I'm sharing this recipe with you today. Are you tired of serving the same sweet potato dish every year? Though I'll never get sick of my mom's sickly sweet pecan-topped casserole or Ryan's grandma's apple and marshmallow filled casserole, it's fun to change it up sometimes.

This sweet potato salad has a hint some sweetness from the honey in the dressing, which is a good match for the pecans and cranberries its tossed with. I think my favorite part was the rosemary roasted potatoes. Don't over-roast them--you don't want your salad to turn to mush--they should still have a bit of firmness to them.

Tell me, what's your favorite sweet potato dish? I'll be making them all fall long!

One Year Ago: Gingersnaps (an all-time favorite in our house!)


Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Toasted Pecans and Dried Cranberries
From Eating Well, Living Thin
*makes approximately 4-5 side dish servings

Ingredients:
-2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
-1 tsp olive oil
-1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
-kosher salt & freshly grated black pepper
-2 tbsp finely diced sweet onion
-2 tbsp chopped, toasted pecans
-2 tbsp dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
-1 tbsp minced fresh parsley (I omitted)

for the dressing-
-2 tbsp olive oil
-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
-2 tbsp honey
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/8 tsp black pepper
-1/8 tsp ground chipotle pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Place diced sweet potatoes in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat. Roast for 25-30 minutes, just until fork tender. Allow to cool slightly.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl and stir in onions, pecans, cranberries, and parsley. Drizzle with dressing and gently stir to coat. Can be served warm, room temperature, or cold.