Last weekend my husband was out late running some errands, and I was feeding our kids dinner, when he returned home with some delicious bread. ‘I want just a salad for dinner. And this bread with olive oil’, he said, holding up the mouth-watering freshly baked baguettes.
Torn between happiness at the him for bringing the superb bread and annoyance at now having to make something else, I realized that I couldn’t just go with my original plan to feed him the macaroni for dinner anymore. He offered to make a regular salad, but my mind was already wheeling for recipe ideas as I quickly finished feeding the kids, and went to rummage in the fridge and pantry to see what we veggies I could work with. I found one sweet potato, a jar of roasted red bell peppers and a few greens that I thought would go well together. The sweet potato went into the oven, the dressing ingredients were measured, experimented, tasted and perfected, and the greens were chopped. I even had time to clear the dishes, while my husband put the little one (who was in a pasta induced sleepy state) to bed.
The result was surprisingly good. The smoky peppers balanced well with the sweet potatoes, and the olives gave it that tang. The almonds lend the crunch element and the greens make you feel happy that you’re eating something healthy. I needed a few more opinions on this recipe before I wrote it up, so I had a couple of friends try it as well, and they okayed it to go on here:-)
If you’re looking for a new salad to add to your spring or summer time bbq this might be it. Healthier than the ordinary mayo filled potato salad, this salad is sweet, tangy, fresh and filling, and it would be delicious with your grilled meat or seafood. Try it with your next tikka, and don’t forget the fresh bread;-)
Here’s the recipe :
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Peel and chop one sweet potato into bite sized thin pieces. Place on an oiled baking tray. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper over the sweet potato pieces. Place in oven, and bake for 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.
3. In a blender put in 1/4 cup yogurt, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1.5 roasted red peppers, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and 1.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar. Blend well to make the dressing. Results in about 2 cups.
4. Chop 1.5 cups of broccoli. Microwave for 1 minute. Transfer to salad bowl.
5. Add 1 head of chopped romaine lettuce,1 cup chopped cucumbers, and 1/4 cup sliced kalamata olives.
6. Add the sweet potato to the salad bowl. Pour in 1 cup of dressing. Toss the salad well. Top with 1/4 cup sliced almonds and serve.
Note : Add more dressing if needed to your salad. The dressing can be kept up to 10 days in the refrigerator and could be used as a dip as well.