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Saturday, November 16, 2013

Arugula Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Beets


Have you ever rummaged through the pantry for potatoes only to find that your potato has sprouted roots??  Obviously, our potatoes don't get used all that often.  However the last time we discovered a sweet potato garden in the pantry, Liv said, "What would happen if you planted it?"  Good question... it would grow, right?  Right indeed! 


Producing a gorgeous, green vine, sweet potatoes don't require much care.  Actually, after planing our one potato I totally forgot it were there until weeks later my husband asked what that green vine was.  Leaving them to flourish for a few months I was surprised the other day when I actually took a moment to look and low and behold we had tips of sweet potatoes poking out of the ground.  Harvesting a few, I promptly roasted them with onions sending a simply amazing aroma through the house.

And perfect timing too.  Back from vacation, my waistline is in dire need of healthy food after two weeks of pure indulgence on our cruise.  Wendy, The Weekend Gourmet's Salad Bar Group is posting today, and the subject just happens to be sweet potatoes.

Tossing our roasted potatoes with dressed arugula, beets and a sweet crunchy sprinkle of sugared walnuts, this salad proved to be just with I needed to get back on track.  Thanks Wendy for for the perfect timing!


Arugula Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Beets
While we used Trader Joe's ready to eat beets, you could just as easily roast beets with the sweet potatoes.  While we chopped our potatoes into fairly small pieces, you could also leave them a little bigger and use them as a lovely side to dinner.  Or, tossed with a little goat or feta cheese, the roasted beets, sweet potatoes and onions make a nice light lunch.
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Roasted Sweet Potatoes
sweet potatoes
onions
olive oil
sprinkle of oregano (about 1/4 tsp)
salt and pepper to taste

Salad
arugula
prepared beets (we use Trader Joe's)
olive oil
white balsamic
dash of dijon mustard (we love Maille!)
walnuts or pistachios (I love sugared nuts!)
feta or goat cheese
dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Chop sweet potatoes and onions into a small chop and place on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with dried oregano.  Salt and pepper to taste, then toss the vegetables to coat.  Place baking sheet into the oven and roast for about 15 minutes.  Stir at about the 10 minutes point and adjust time (baking times may be different due to the size of the potato pieces).  Remove from the oven when vegetables are soft and slightly browned.  Cool.

To prepare the salad, place the arugula into a bowl.  Mix together a vinaigrette of oil and vinegar (I do about 1 Tbs olive oil to about 2 Tbs of vinegar with a dash of Dijon to brighten the flavors... but use any recipe you like).

Add the cooled roasted vegetables over the arugula and add some prepared chopped beets.  Dress with desired amount of dressing and toss.  Place on plates and top with nuts and cheese.  We also loved a sprinkle of dried cranberries for a holiday feel.  Enjoy!


8 comments:

  1. So easy and delicious and I LOVE that the sweet potato came from your own garden! I've been guilty of having sprouting potatoes in my own kitchen, so I'm going to try planting one in my own garden next time. Can't wait to try this-yum!!!

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  2. Your roasted salad is gorgeous. I love the addition of the walnuts. The hubby would like the beets, but not me. :)

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  3. Oh, I love how you roasted the sweet potatoes! Great idea! Makes for a lovely salad.

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  4. I love the sweet potatoes in the salad with arugula. Such a delicious combination!

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  5. Your salad is gorgeous, Kim...glad to have you in the group!

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  6. This sounds absolutely scrumptious. I just happen to have a whole bunch of sweet potatoes at the moment, and I'll definitely be roasting some. :-)

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  7. Looks so fresh and vibrant Kim, YUM!

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  8. That's how we grew potatoes :) Love the vibrant colors and great salad for the Thanksgiving table!

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