Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad

So many of the food blogs I follow create such labor-intensive, elaborate foods. Cooking for hour upon hour, multiple-day steps, tragic stories of one tiny mistake ruining the entire recipe. While I certainly appreciate, and often enjoy, mastering new techniques in the kitchen, I so often find that the most enjoyable meals are simple, fresh, and require no real skill whatsoever.

This is certainly the case with this salad. Every time I make it, I expect to be disappointed because I have built it up to such amazing flavors in my head, and yet each time, it's every bit as flavorful as I was expecting.

If you have a knife and an oven, make this. It's fast, it's easy, and it's unbelievably delicious.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad
adapted from What Would Cathy Eat?

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 1 bunch scallions, green and white parts, chopped
• 3 red bell peppers, chopped
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• juice and zest of 1 lime
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Spread the sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender and brussels sprouts are crispy.
3. Add the roasted sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts with the red peppers, scallions, and black beans.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lime juice, lemon juice, mustard, and basil. Whisk in the olive oil.
5. Mix the dressing with the salad, adding additional salt, pepper, or lime juice to taste.

Update: I made a summer version of this salad for a 4th of July picnic, using what I had in hand… no brussels sprouts, but 4 red peppers, 2 yellow peppers, and  2 green peppers.  I loved it even more, with the crunch from all the peppers, and it was a perfectly light and colorful addition to the picnic!

Spicy Squash "Salad"

The term "salad" applies here very loosely -- the original recipe off of which it is based is served on a bed of arugula, making it kind of like a salad. And the original version looks very tasty, indeed... but I wanted something with more of a nutritional punch. I'm tired of playing the game where everything is so tasty that I want seconds, but can't fit it into my calorie count. Instead, I'm packing everything so full of vegetables now and making everything so nutrient dense that I can have seconds -- or thirds -- if I want!

The original recipe calls for three tablespoons of olive oil and a cup of goat cheese, both of which have been reduced. It also calls for 4 cups of arugula, which I swapped out for 2 pounds (approximately 8 cups) of cooked turnip greens. Why turnip greens? Well, they were recently on sale at my grocery store, so I decided to give them a whirl. I had no idea what a nutritional superfood they are -- one cup of turnip greens brings 5g of fiber, 2g of protein, 220% of daily Vitamin A, 66% vitamin C, 20% calcium (!!), and all for a mere 29 calories. Needless to say, I'm hooked, and have been eating my way through bags and bags ever since. Turnip greens have one of the highest calcium levels of the cruciferous vegetables, which contributes to its bite -- a definite peppery taste. I thought it would pair perfectly with a spicy dish, and this sure didn't disappoint.

As far as eating my fill, I ate until I was stuffed, roughly a fourth of the "salad", weighing in at 332 calories, 12 grams of fat, and 17 grams of protein. Imagine eating until the level of being "stuffed" on pizza or a pasta dish -- easily, quadruple the calorie count, and half the nutrients.

Spicy Squash "Salad"
Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup green lentils
  
• 4 cups cubed butternut squash
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus olive oil spray
  
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  
• 1 tablespoon paprika
  
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 pounds (~8 cups) turnip greens
  
• 4 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
  
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  

Directions:

1. Soak lentils in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain, then cook in boiling water until tender but firm, about 30 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain.
   
2. Preheat oven to 375F. Toss butternut squash with cumin, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and salt. Spread in a single layer on baking sheet and spray lightly with olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes, flip squash, and roast another 10 minutes.
   
3. Place turnip greens in a large (very large) stock pot with one cup of water. Cover and heat over medium-low heat until wilted, 10-12 minutes.
   
4. Combine lentils, squash, and turnip greens, and crumbled goat cheese in a large bowl. Toss with olive oil and red wine vinegar.