Sweet potato medallions, chickpea and greens salad

Sweet potato

By Cat, April 1, 2017 (photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

Always on the lookout for something new and different to fix for dinner, I was intrigued by this recipe when I saw it featured in our local paper, the Daily Inter Lake. Salads can get boring – for example: greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, carrots with a vinaigrette or creamy dressing – so the addition of an unlikely veggie like sweet potatoes is intriguing.

I love garbanzos (chickpeas) and usually have some sprouted ones in my fridge. But the almond sauce made with almond butter is another matter – ever since my early 20s when all I could afford for lunch and dinner was a peanut butter sandwich, I have an aversion to nut butters. I could add almonds to the salad, but what to use for a dressing? Hummus (Garbanzo Dip), or creamy avocado dressing perhaps?

See also: 1. Salads menu; 2. Beans & Other Legumes: Soaking & Sprouting; 3. Basic Cooked, Dried Beans & Peas; 4. Soaking, Sprouting Nuts & Seeds; 5. Hummus (Garbanzo Dip)

Sweet potato medallions, chickpea and greens salad

This recipe is adapted from one in the March 30, 2017 Daily Inter Lake, originally from one by Jessica Banov in Raleigh NC’s paper:  The News & Observer (1), adapted from a Cooking Light article, What to Eat for the Other 29 Days of November (2).

The original cooks the sweet potatoes in a microwave, which I don’t even own, so I use my oven.

Options: 

If you opt to use a nut butter sauce on the sweet potatoes (as in original recipe) you could use almond, cashew, sunflower or peanut butter. I use my creamy avocado dressing (included below) or Hummus as a sauce.

If garbanzos/chick peas are not your thing, try other white beans such as cannellini (white kidney beans) or navy beans. I prefer to sprout mine before cooking, as that shortens the cooking time while increasing the nutrient value. Be sure to start the sprouting at least 2 days before, or a pre-soak 1 day before you plan to serve this salad. See Soaking, Sprouting Nuts & Seeds and Basic Cooked, Dried Beans & Peas for details.

This recipe serves 4, each arranged on a salad plate with 1½ cups salad and 3 sweet potato medallions with 1½ Tbsp sauce drizzled on top.

Ingredients & Equipment

Method

1. Chick-Peas: If sprouting them start 2 – 3 days before you plan to make this salad. Once they show tiny tails, rinse well and cook until done. Chill a bit before mixing with salad greens.
2. Sweet Potatoes: Preheat oven to 400°F*;
3. Prick potatoes all over with a fork, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil, and bake in preheated  oven about 45 – 60 minutes until just tender – don’t overcook; then cut into ½” rounds.
4. OR cut raw sweet potatoes into ½” thick rounds, then place on parchment-lined baking sheet, pour a little coconut oil over them, and bake in preheated oven until tender, about 25 minutes minutes until ‘just tender.’ Don’t over-cook.
5. Either way, once cooked, brush potato slices on one side with 1 Tbsp olive or avocado oil. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, cook potato slices, oil side down, until golden brown, or about 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the medallions.
6. Nut butter or Avocado Sauce: While sweet potatoes are baking, prepare either sauce as in recipes below.
7. Salad: For dressing, combine 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice and 2 – 3 Tbsp real olive or avocado oil, with salt and pepper in a small bowl or jar and whisk to combine.
8. Toss chickpeas, arugula/spring greens, with dressing in medium bowl.
9. Divide among 4 plates as follows: ½ cups salad topped with 3 sweet potato medallions. Drizzle with 1½ Tbsp nut butter or creamy avocado sauce for each plate.

‘* Or, if using a microwave for the sweet potatoes: place whole on a glass or other microwave-safe plate and microwave at high about 5 minutes, until just tender; then cut into 1/2″ thick rounds, peel-on.

Nut Butter or Creamy Avocado Sauce

Use either of these as a sauce over the sweet potato medallions. or use Hummus (Garbanzo Dip).

• Nut Butter:
• Combine the following in a small bowl
• ¼  cup creamy natural almond butter
• 3 ½ Tbsp warm water plus 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

OR

• Creamy Avocado Sauce: 
• 1 small clove garlic, peeled and minced
• ⅛ tsp unrefined sea salt, sprinkled over garlic
• Press salted garlic with side of knife blade until mushy
• Combine with the following in a blender or mini food processor
• ½ whole large avocado
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
• 1½ Tbsp real olive oil or avocado oil
• ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
• 2 – 4 Tbsp filtered water or more oil, for thinning to desired consistency

References:

1. Recipe by by Jessica Banov in The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) (newsobserver.com/living/food-drink/article140145613.html)
2. Cooking Light article: cookinglight.com/food/quick-healthy/november-dinners/view-all, and recipe for Nov 14: and cookinglight.com/recipes/sweet-potato-medallions-almond-sauce-chickpea-salad
3. Creamy avocado dressing: simplyscratch.com/2014/04/creamy-avocado-salad-dressing.html