Thanksgiving Cooking - SWEET POTATO!

My second contribution to the Thanksgiving feast was a sweet potato dish. But different from the traditional casseroles this was closer to a salad - Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Black Bean Dressing, to be exact.

Ingredients:

- 3 large sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs.), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

- 1 large red onion, chopped

- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

- 2 tbsp minced fresh hot pepper (I used jalapeno)

- 1 clove garlic, peeled

- juice from 2 limes

- 2 cups canned black beans, drained

- 1 red pepper, seeded and finely diced

- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

- salt and pepper

Directions:

- Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Put sweet potatoes and onion a large baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tbsp oil, toss to coat, and spread out in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 30-40 minutes, turning halfway through, and until potatoes begin to brown and are just tender inside. Remove from oven; keep on pan until ready to mix with dressing.

- Put jalapeno in a mini food chopper with garlic, lime juice, 1/4 cup oil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Process until blended.

- Put warm vegetables in a large bowl with beans and bell pepper; toss with dressing and cilantro.

- Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve warm or room temperature, or refrigerate for up to a day.

I made this earlier in the day, refrigerated it, and served it cold. It was a success! Definitely something different than traditional sweet potato recipes, but also something appropriate for any day of the year - not just Thanksgiving! We also warmed it up for leftovers the next day and it was just as good warm!

Again, I didn't point this out, but we probably got close to 20 servings and I used less oil than the original recipe called for. That's the only thing that brings this up in points value - the oil. But I think it's worth it. With black beans and sweet potatoes there's not much to mess up!

So cooking for my first Thanksgiving holiday was indeed a success!