Rhea's Rundown
It’s officially fall so we might as well start eating like it. Cilantro and cumin complement the subtle sweetness of sweet potatoes perfectly in this dish: think salty meets sweet with a twist. On a practical note, sweet potatoes can keep for a relatively long time, which is always a big perk in my world. The more time I have post-grocery run to make my meals, the better!
If you’re feeling creative you can apply this technique to apples or even pears, perhaps with different spices or sauces. I ended up doing two separate batches of sweet potatoes myself. I applied this recipe to my first batch and chili powder with maple syrup for the second. Try to cut the sweet potatoes thick enough so they don’t disintegrate during the roasting process, but not so thick that they don’t become tender throughout. Don’t stress the latter as much as they are going to roast for a half-hour or more.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 2 orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled
- Canola or grapeseed oil (olive oil can be used in a pinch)
- Ground cumin
- Kosher and freshly ground pepper
- Fresh cilantro
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut the sweet potatoes crosswise into rounds, about ½ inch thick. Rinse the slices with cold water and spread on a paper towel; blot dry with a second paper towel.
3. The original directions suggest coating the sliced sweet potatoes with oil in a bowl. I tend to avoid this method based on past experience (it can be tough to coat the surface of every disc since they tend to stick together) and instead tried two different approaches:
- Place sweet potatoes discs on a nonstick tray (I line with foil for easier clean up), drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with cumin. Use tongs to flip the discs and spread the oil/cumin around as evenly as possible. Add oil and cumin as needed.
- Put the sweet potatoes discs in a gallon Ziploc bag and pour in a little oil. Rub the discs from outside of the bag to ensure all surfaces are covered. Continue this process while adding cumin. Transfer to tray when all discs are coated as evenly as possible.
*Be careful not to allow too much excess oil in tray or the potatoes won't roast properly. If necessary, pour off excess into trash before putting in oven.
4. Roast the sweet potatoes, turning every 10 minutes, until evenly owned and tender, 30-35 minutes.
5. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a serving dish and sprinkle with kosher salt, a grinding or two of pepper, and the cilantro.
Adapted from: Jacobi, Dana. “Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cumin and Cilantro.” Good for You: Easy, Healthy Recipes for Every Day.Weldon Owen, Inc. and Williams-Sonoma, Inc. California: San Francisco, 2013. Print.