Sweet Potato & Brussels Sprout Hash

Here in Baltimore, we are all trying to enjoy the last bits of great fall weather before the bitter cold hits :(  Carolyn decided to host a brunch, and we all eagerly accepted the invite.  We knew there would be awesome food and drinks and great company.  I for one was also determined to soak in any warmth the sun was willing to provide with some roof deck sitting. It ended up being a pretty perfect day out.

The only thing about brunch is that there tends to be lots of super heavy food that usually leaves me with zero energy for the rest of the day.  I very much dislike having to watch what I eat when I'm out, so my solution is usually to bring something that is healthy and filling.  I always eat this kind of stuff on my plate first, get most of the way full, then switch to savoring the other delicious sweet and/or heavy bites at the end.

For brunch, sweet potatoes immediately came to mind, and decided to throw some brussels sprouts in for good measure :)  I made this into sort of a "hash" in hopes that it would pair well with eggs, bacon, etc. It ended up being a great match, really helping to balance out all the flavors at the brunch.  Thanks for hosting, Carolyn!

Sweet Potato & Brussels Sprout Hash

• olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, diced
• 1 sweet potato
• ~1 lb brussels sprouts
• 1 handful fresh cilantro
• 1 handful fresh parsley
• 1 bunch spring onions
• sea salt & pepper

Heat up some olive oil in a pan over medium heat.  Saute the garlic and shallots, and season with some sea salt & pepper.

While the garlic and shallots are starting to cook, peel and cut up the sweet potato into small cubes.  The smaller the cubes, the faster they will cook.  Mine were about 1 inch cubes.

 

Once the garlic and shallots have started to brown just a bit, add in the sweet potato and season with salt & pepper.

Let the sweet potato cook while you cut up the brussels sprouts.  I like to cut my sprouts up into slices, usually about 4 slices per sprout.  This helps them cook quickly, and the smaller size helps each bite of the dish have pretty balanced flavors.

Go ahead and toss them into the mix and give everything a good stir.  Let this all cook for about 10 minutes or so, until some of the brussels sprouts have started to brown a bit, and you can easily stick a fork in the sweet potatoes.

Chop up the cilantro, parsley and spring onions, stir in to the mix, and cook for a minute or two more.

And...enjoy!

Kale, Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple Salad with Dijon Dressing

This salad was super easy to whip up on a weekday night for a healthy dinner with a lot of variety, and I enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day.  I could also see myself tossing a double batch of this together to take to a family gathering at my Mom's.  Over the years, I've had some trouble finding raw kale salads that I've truly enjoyed.  This is definitely one of them.  I've always enjoyed steamed kale as a side but thought raw kale was too tough in a salad.  One of the major ways I've turned this around for myself is slicing the kale into really skinny strips.  Something about doing that really changes the game for me and kale salads.

Kale is nice and sturdy so it will last a few days in the fridge even with the dressing.  Having some acid from the lemon juice in the dressing on the apples helps to keep them from browning as well, so I'd say overall this is one of the better salads I've made to be able to fully prepare ahead of time.

The combination of flavors and textures here also feels more substantial than just your average salad.  The hubs even gave it two thumbs up (literally)!

Kale, Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple Salad with Dijon Dressing

Adapted from Real Simple Magazine - September 2013

• 1 sweet potato - cut into 1" cubes
• 6 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper (I prefer sea salt)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 bunch kale (I used a flat leaf variety)
• 1 Gala or Fuji apple
• 1/4 C sliced almonds
• 4 oz shaved cheese (I used Swiss - next time I will probably try Gruyere)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Toss 2 Tbsp olive oil with the cubed sweet potato and season with salt and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until slightly browned and a fork easily pierces the sweet potato.

While the sweet potato is roasting, whisk together the remaining oil, salt and pepper to your liking, lemon juice and Dijon mustard.

Chop the kale by folding in half, cutting out the large stem and then slicing into thin strips.  Slice up the apple and toss in a large bowl with the kale and the sweet potato once it has cooled slightly.  Top with the almonds, cheese, dressing and lightly toss once more.  Enjoy!