Southwestern Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

So you know I've been on a Sweet Potato kick right...so in trying to do better with meal planning and eating healthier I found this amazing cold sweet potato salad recipe. Do you like Southwestern flavors? Well if you do you will love this recipe! I'm not good with grilling so I roasted my sweet potatoes in the oven...imagine roasted sweet potatoes, fresh roasted corn, black beans, green onions, bell pepper and CILANTRO!!!  I added some small spears of chopped, lightly sauteed asparagus for crunch. The thing that pulls it all together is tossing it all in fresh lime juice...now that's love. I love, love, love the taste of cilantro...it just makes everything taste "fresh"...I know it probably doesn't make sense but just go with me here. I made this on Sunday and the picture below is the end result...isn't it beautiful! Bright, fresh and healthy..imagine that and it taste soooo good. Being from the south I have only had one kind of potato salad and it included white potatoes with eggs, mustard, pickles...you know the one...and yes it's delicious but this is an entirely different twist on potato salad! Try it...if you like CILANTROOOOO...you are going to love it! 

Southwestern Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

Yield: Serves 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes


Grilled or oven roasted sweet potato salad with black beans, sweet corn, red pepper, avocado, cilantro, and lime. This fresh and healthy potato salad is always a hit at summer BBQ's!
ingredients:


4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch slices (or cut in cubes if you will be roasting them in the oven).
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 ear sweet corn, husked
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 red pepper, diced
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 avocados, pit and skin removed, chopped
5 stems of asparagus chopped and lightly sauteed or blanched so they still have crunch
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, toss the sweet potato slices with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place the sweet potatoes on a grill over medium heat (or cut them in cubes before tossing them in the olive oil and roast them by placing them in a 400 degree oven until tender). Cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes on each side. When the sweet potatoes are close to being done, place the ear of corn on the grill (I also roasted the ear of corn on the cookie sheet with the potatoes) and cook for 3-4 minutes, rotating so the kernels get slightly charred. Let the sweet potatoes and corn cool to room temperature.

2. Cut the sweet potatoes into cubes and place in a large bowl. With a sharp knife, remove the corn kernels from the cob. Add the corn to the bowl. Stir in black beans, red pepper, green onions, cilantro, and avocado. Squeeze the lime juice over the salad and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve.

Note-the salad will keep in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Sweet Potato Crusted Spinach Quiche

Happy Summer Saturday! So lately I have had sweet potato on the brain....I loooove sweet potatoes and so I'm looking for different ways to eat them. Well TA DA! I found one! Sweet potatoes backed up as a crust for this quiche filled with onions, garlic, spinach, cheese and I will add some thinly sliced ham or turkey to kick it up a notch...YUM! You could even leave the eggs out and it would be delicious. I will be making this this week!

Sweet Potato Crusted Spinach Quiche

Ingredients:

• 6 small sweet potatoes
• Olive oil spray
• 1 bunch organic spinach
• 1/2 small onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup grated fresh mozzarella
• Spring herbs (dill, parsley, chives) to taste
• 1 tablespoon organic white miso (optional)
• 1/4 cup goat cheese
• 1/4 cup asiago cheese (to sprinkle on top)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Peel sweet potatoes and slice thinly with a food processor.
• Lay potato slices out in pie dish in a crust-like fashion, spray with oil, and bake on 400 degrees fahrenheit for 15 minutes. (After crust has baked, reduce oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.)
• Spray a saute pan with oil and saute sliced onion and crushed garlic clove until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in spinach and saute until wilted and tender, about 4 minutes. Drain spinach over the sink to rid excess liquid.
• Blend eggs and mozzarella in a medium bowl. Add herbs, goat cheese, and miso. (Miso makes everything taste better, but may be omitted.)
• Add spinach/garlic/onion mix to the egg/cheese mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place the combined mixtures in the potato crust. Sprinkle with asiago cheese on top.
• In a 375 degree oven, bake until the quiche is firm and the cheese has browned, about 40 minutes.
• Tastes best a little warm.