Springtime Inspiration: Baby Greens Salad With Roasted Sweet Potatoes
I have a little kitchen crisis every year when the weather turns nice. I want to maximize time outside goofing off and I don’t feel inspired to cook. Or at least I don’t want to cook complicated, heavy food. I develop a yen for convenience food (hello, Trader Joe’s?) and a devil-may-care attitude that leads me to consider feeding my kid dinner from the ice cream truck. But I know I need to get it together, because I feel crappy when I eat out too often, and frankly, I even find take-out to be boring after too many nights. So as I resolved to eat more soup this winter (and sure ‘nuf, I’m souped out), I resolve to find more quick-but-delicious items for this spring and summer.
This salad’s a start. This is a salad that’ll make you psyched to eat salad. It’s got a unique collection of ingredients and a tangy yogurt dressing. It’ll all go together in 40 minutes or fewer, and it won’t mess up your kitchen too much. I’d put this in the springtime category, though, because you need to use your oven . . . and who wants to do that when the weather gets hot?
Baby Greens Salad With Roasted Sweet Potatoes (adapted from Everyday Food Magazine)
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 medium red onion, cut into 6 pieces 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 (10 oz.) package frozen cut green beans, thawed 1/3 c. walnuts, coarsely chopped 1 c. plain non-fat Greek yogurt 3 T. white vinegar 1 clove of garlic, crushed 10 oz. mixed baby greens
Preheat the oven to 450. Toss together the potatoes, onion and oil and spread on a large rimmed baking sheet that’s been covered in foil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Add the beans and the walnuts to the potato mixture and toss to incorporate. Roast about 5 more minutes, or until the beans are tender.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, vinegar and garlic. Season the dressing with salt and pepper to taste.
Top the lettuce with the roasted veggies and drizzle with the dressing. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Do you have some protein lovers who might feel snubbed by this as a main course? It’d pair nicely with some pre-cooked chicken sausages – choose a mild flavor – apple, cherry and apple, etc. Or if you’re veggie, you could bake some tofu steaks alongside your potatoes and serve those alongside.
© 2010, Sarah. All rights reserved.
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