THE Sweet Potato Flavor Fiesta
With my culinary training in Japanese homestyle cuisine, designing menus through the lens of Washoku is my second nature. So when Thanksgiving rolls around, you won’t find cloyingly dishes like sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows on my table. Instead, I focus on incorporating a full spectrum of tastes, colors, and a balance of fresh and cooked elements for maximum delight and digestibility.
Case in point: Here’s a dish I created for my Oaxacan-Inspired Thanksgiving menu to celebrate the ingredients and recipes indigenous to the Americas —Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecan Salsa Macha & Lime Yogurt Sauce.
This isn’t just a side dish—it’s a whole experience! We’re talking 5 colors, 5 tastes, and a mix techniques that give way to a symphony of umami, nutty & zesty notes to complement the natural complex sweetness of the sweet potato.
Perfect as a stunning vegetable side dish or a vegetarian centerpiece, all the components come together simply, making it as easy to prepare as it is impressive to serve!
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Salsa Macha & Lime Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup avocado oil
- 25g dried chiles, stems removed -- I used one chile pasilla and a handful of chiles de arbol because that is what I had on hand, and it turned out great, but traditionally you would use moritas, guajillo and/or ancho
- 55g pecans (~1/2 cup)
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 cup olive oil
- Salt, to taste (~1/2 tsp)
- 1000g Garnet sweet potatoes (about 2#)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup plain yogurt -- if you're in Austin, seek out Mother Culture, it's my favorite yogurt of all time, so thick and creamy!
- 1/2 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 clove garlic, grated on a Microplane
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 6 Medjool dates, pitted
- Flaky sea salt, to taste
- Olive oil, to drizzle
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Cook & Cool: Add avocado oil to a pot over medium low heat. When hot, add pecans, chiles, garlic and sesame seeds. Stir until nuts start to turn brown, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool.
- Grind & Season: When mixture has cooled completely, transfer to a blender and run for about 1 minute, until ingredients are semi ground. Add olive oil and salt to taste.
- Store: This salsa keeps well refrigerated for a year, and is great to keep on hand at all times!
- Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Arrange the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet, and coat their skins evenly with olive oil and salt. -- Most recipes also tell you to prick potatoes with a fork to keep them from exploding when they're roasting. I've literally never done that and my sweet potatoes have never exploded, but if you want to play it safe go ahead and prick 'em! :)
- Roast until tender and natural caramel is oozing from the potatoes, about 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing.
- In a small bowl, combine yogurt, lime zest and juice, grated garlic, olive oil, salt, onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix together until homogenous.
- Broil Sweet Potatoes and Dates: Set broiler to high heat. Cut sweet potatoes into rounds and lay across a baking sheet in a single layer along with the medjool dates. Drizzle with olive oil and flaky salt. Broil until sweet potatoes and dates are warmed all the way through and the edges begin to char.
- To Plate: Transfer sweet potatoes and dates to a platter. Top with several tablespoons of salsa macha, 6-8 hearty dollops of lime yogurt sauce, and fresh cilantro.
Notes
- Harmony in Every Bite: The balance of creamy yogurt, crunchy salsa macha, caramelized sweet potatoes, and fresh herbs creates a delightful medley of textures and flavors that makes every bite deeply satisfying.
- Make Ahead: Both the salsa macha and lime yogurt sauce can be prepared ahead of time for easy assembly.
Thanks for being here!
If you have any questions about this recipe (or any of the others), feel free to leave a comment below. I really appreciate your interest and love hearing from you!