Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pistachio-Cilantro Pesto

Breanne and I love ALDI! Sadly, you Utah folk don't get to experience it, but we'll try to share recipes from time to time so you can at least benefit from it somewhat! This is another incredible recipe from their website. When I saw it, I knew immediately it was something we would love, but when I made it Sam and I were both blown away! This flavor combination is fantastic. Well worth the time it takes to shell all the pistachios. (A fabulous activity for 4-year-old fingers, by the way.)

Recipe slightly adapted from ALDI

Sweet Potatoes
4-5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
1 Tbsp. olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. chili powder
zest of 1 lime, divided

Pesto
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 bunch cliantro leaves
1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese
1 1/4 cups pistachios, shells removed, divided
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 c. olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Toss with oil, seasonings, and half of the lime zest. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender and carmelized. Meanwhile, prepare pesto. In a food processor, combine ingredients (except 1/4 c. pistachios) and chop until desired consistency is reached. Roughly chop remaining 1/4 cup pistachios. Toss warm potatoes with pesto. To serve, sprinkle potatoes with remaining pistachios and lime zest.

Sweet Potato Salad

I made this salad one night when the sisters were coming over and it was a huge hit! I made it again on Christmas Eve but I used white sweet potatoes, which changed the taste quite a bit. I like it a lot better with orange sweet potatoes (I think they differentiate between yams and sweet potatoes out West, but I've never seen yellow sweet potatoes here). I got the recipe from Aldi, my all-time favorite grocery store. Here's another reason to love them!

Picture courtesy of aldi.com

Ingredients

6 pounds small sweet potatoes (orange or red), peeled and diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, divided

1/4 cup vinaigrette

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 pinches chili powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice

1/2 cup thawed corn (canned also works, but frozen is better)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup diced red onion

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

In a large bowl, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Spread onto a large baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until tender. Refrigerate.

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette, cumin, chili powder, paprika, lime juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the corn, black beans, red onion, bell pepper, cilantro and chilled sweet potatoes to the vinaigrette. Toss until well combined.

Mango Quinoa Salad

I have really been enjoying the mango-red pepper-black bean-lime taste lately, so I thought I'd add to the abundance of recipes like this already on the blog. This is more of a summery dish, but since at least one of us lives in a place with eternally cheap prices on mangoes and peppers, I thought I'd post it anyway. For the rest of us who will have to wait until these summer fruits and vegetables get back to a reasonable price, this salad is worth the wait! The zing of the pepper, the nuttiness of the quinoa, and the fruityness of the mango makes this salad a big winner. 

Original recipe from Our Best Bites

Salad:

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 can of black beans (rinsed)

1 mango, diced

1 red pepper, diced

6 sliced green onions

1 handful chopped cilantro

Dressing:

4 T red wine or apple cider vinegar

3 T olive oil

2 T fresh lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Toss the salad ingredients together and then pour the dressing over and mix in. This recipe tastes best chilled--give it a couple of hours so the flavor of the dressing can soak in.

Zucchini Salad/Salsa with Corn and Cilantro

The other day my friend invited me over for dinner (she made fish tacos--so delicious!) and asked me to bring something with zucchini. I was a little nervous about this dish because the only thing I ever really make with zucchini is zucchini bread, but this was really good. It can be eaten as a salad or as a salsa dip with chips or crackers, and tastes better warm. (I tried it cold a couple of days later and the zucchini was kind of slimy.)

Original recipe here

1 tsp olive oil

3 1/2 cups cubed zucchini (about a pound)

1 cup frozen corn

1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

2 tsp fresh lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Cook zucchini and corn in oil until the zucchini is crisp-tender (it is better a little on the crispy side--otherwise it gets a little soggy). Remove from heat and stir in cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper.

Watermelon Feta Salad with Mint

My friend made this salad for my going away/already gone party in Columbus, and it was delicious! It is so light and refreshing and has so many different surprising flavors (I would never think to pair feta cheese and watermelon, but it works!). This is a great summer dish.

Original recipe here

1 7-8 lb. seedless watermelon

1/4 cup olive oil

Juice from 2 limes

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup chopped mint leaves

1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese

Chop watermelon into 1-inch cubes. Drain the excess juice. 

Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper to create the dressing. Pour dressing and mint over the watermelon and toss gently. Mix the crumbled feta cheese in to the salad.

This is best if served within an hour of preparing.

Asparagus Salad

This "salad" is really not a salad but it sounds better than "asparagus with feta cheese." It's super easy to make and pretty delicious. I found asparagus on sale the other day and bought it on a whim, even though I rarely cook with this vegetable. I looked up some recipes online and, since I also happened to have feta cheese, I went with this one. It was a good choice.

Original recipe here

Asparagus
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Feta Cheese

Chop the asparagus stems in half; mix them in with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake at 500 single-layer on a pan for 8-12 minutes (it took mine about 15) until they are soft when poked with a fork.

Remove from oven and sprinkle on feta cheese.

Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Cauliflower

This is more a baking method than it is a recipe--we do this with lots of veggies. But we especially love cauliflower prepared this way, which came as a bit of a surprise to me. Normally my boys won't touch plain veggies, but they gobble up piles of this stuff! They think it's hilarious to pretend the chopped florets are "white trees," and much giggling is involved when this is part of the dinner menu.

Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

1 head cauliflower

3-4 Tbsp. olive oil

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

kosher salt and pepper

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

Chop cauliflower florets into slices about 1/4" thick. Mix olive oil and garlic and heat in the microwave for about 20 seconds to more evenly distribute the garlic flavor. Toss cauliflower with olive oil/garlic, sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper, and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Toss with a spatula and bake for another 10 minutes. Top with parmesan cheese and bake just until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Grandma's Grape Salad

Grandma Campbell used to make this salad for family gatherings and I think I'm the only one who has the recipe. It's even more delicious when you don't think about how much cream cheese is in there!



Grapes (one large bunch)
2 cubes cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
Juice from one lime or lemon
Chopped walnuts

Cream together the cream cheese, sugar, and lime/lemon juice. Pour mixture over grapes and gently stir together. Stir the walnuts in last.

When I served this at a dinner party everyone raved over it, and someone asked me if it was made with Greek yogurt. Unfortunately, it wasn't that healthy! However, I think it would also be delicious with just one cube of cream cheese and a container of Greek yogurt.

Mango Jicama Salad

This delicious salad is like a party in your mouth. The sweetness of the blueberries and mangoes balances out the blandness of the jicama and the spicyness of the chile powder. Just a warning, though--it takes forever to chop up the mango and jicama into thin strips! I think if I ever make this again, I'll just cube everything (and it will be easier to eat, too). I think it tastes better with more lime juice and less chile powder (this is reflected in the recipe below).

Recipe originally from Whipped the Blog.

1 mango, peeled and cut in slices
1 jicama, peeled and cut in 1/4 inch strips
1/2 cup of blueberries
Juice of 1 lime (6 Tablespoons)
1 teaspoon chile powder (mild or spicy, whichever you prefer)
1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro
Sea salt

Put the mango, jicama and blueberries in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine lime juice and chili powder. Drizzle the dressing over the fruit. Sprinkle the cilantro on top. Gently toss together and season with sea salt to taste.

Green Beans with Cashew Honey Sauce

We're on a veggie-eating spree. In the past, when I thought of preparing vegetables as a dish in and of themselves I generally thought of opening a can and heating it on the stove or chopping up veggies and eating them raw. Neither was a particularly appealing prospect to me. And smothering them with cheese seemed a bit counter-productive. So I started searching for delicious, nutritious ways to prepare vegetables. I've found a bunch, so be expecting lots of veggie posts! These beans are terrific!

Recipe from The Sisters Cafe

1 lb fresh green beans (I trim the ends off)
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. coarsely chopped cashews
2 Tbsp. honey

Steam green beans until tender. In a small skillet, saute cashews in butter over low heat for 5 minutes. Add honey and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Pour sauce over beans and toss until coated.

Spinach Blackberry Salad

 My friend made this salad for a bridal shower that I hosted (it was actually the bride--I made her bring a salad to her own bridal shower!) and I LOVED it. It's sweet and tangy and crunchy, and the feta cheese mellows everything out. This is a great summer salad but we thought it was wonderful in snowy February.

Ingredients:

Spinach

Arugula

Grapefruit chunks

Blackberries

Feta Cheese

Mint Leaves (optional)

Make sure the grapefruit and blackberries are in bite-sized chunks and mix it all together. 

Two hints: I made it once with arugula and spinach but no mint, and once with mint and spinach but no arugula. I personally thought the mint was a little too strong in the salad (I only put a few in, torn into pieces) but my friends didn't notice it. The arugula was a great addition (as long as the arugula is good), but it is ok with just spinach too if arugula is too expensive (it is for me!).

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Vinaigrette

This was frequently my lunch for a while when strawberries were on sale. I love this salad! Sweet, tart, tangy, and fresh all at once. It's always a hit when I take it places...and you have to love all of those colors! It makes for one pretty salad. :)



Adapted from Our Best Bites

Spinach
Strawberries
Feta cheese
Toasted almond slices or slivers
Cucumbers
Lemon poppyseed vinaigrette (see below)

Layer ingredients in desired fashion and enjoy!


For the vinaigrette, I combine equal parts of rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) and vegetable oil and add in lemon juice to taste (I think I generally use 1/4 c. each of vinegar and oil and almost 1/2 c. lemon juice, because I like a strong lemon flavor) and zest of a lemon. Add in sugar to taste, poppyseeds, and salt, and any other desired spices (I usually throw in some garlic). If you'd like a precise recipe, here is one similar to what I do. I just like mine sweeter and more lemony than that recipe, and I omit the onion. Other than that, they're pretty much the same.

Black Bean & Mango Taco Salad

For a fun, refreshing twist on taco salad, try this version!


Inspired by Two Peas and their Pod

Tortilla chips, crushed
Black beans, drained and heated
Romaine lettuce, chopped
Roma tomatoes, diced
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Mangoes, diced
Sour cream
Cilantro, chopped
Fresh lime juice

Layer ingredients in desired fashion. Enjoy!

Cookie Salad

Okay Breanne, this one is for you. Sorry there are no pictures but this tastes much better than it looks anyway.

4 cans Dole Tropical Fruit Salad
1 large can Pears
1 large can Peaches
2 cans Mandarin Oranges
Red Grapes
1 package Fudge Striped Shortbread Cookies

Sauce
1 small package instant vanilla pudding
1 cup buttermilk
1 9 oz. container Cool Whip

Drain and cut up fruit to desired size. Mix together.

For the sauce; mix pudding with buttermilk until dissolved. (It will be thicker than pudding generally is.) Stir in the Cool Whip.

Mix sauce and fruit. Break up the cookies into smallish pieces. Just before serving mix the cookies into the fruit-sauce mixture.

You can add whater fruit you want but this is the fruit I use.

Provencal Tomatoes

Ryan is about the least picky eater in the world. There's pretty much only two things he doesn't like: beets (eww gross, does anyone like these?) and raw tomatoes. He loves tomatoes cooked in things, tomato sauce, and these baked tomatoes. Funny how even just a few minutes of heat can change the tomato so that he loves it. This is one of his favorite sides - and one of my favorites to make since it's fast, easy, and cheap (when tomatoes are). Source - Julia Child in Julia and Jaques, Cooking at Home

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Ingredients

3 large firm ripe tomatoes (you want them to be round, not romas)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 to 1 1/2 C bread crumbs

2 Tbsp shallots, minced (I have substituted other onions and they all work)

1 tsp herbs de provence

3 Tbs grated parmesan cheese

2 -3 Tbs chopped parsley

3-4 Tbs olive oil

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Directions

Preheat oven to 400. Core the tomatoes and cut them in half crosswise. Squeeze each half gently to force out the seeds. With your fingers, clean the cavities of any clinging seeds. Arrange in a shallow baking dish, cut side up. Season with a sprinkling of salt and pepper to taste.

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In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, shallots, dried herbs, grated cheese, and chopped parsley. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, tossing well to moisten the crumbs evenly.

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Spoon the stuffing into the tomato halves, pushing it down into the cavities and mounding on top. Drizzle a scant teaspoon of oil over the top of each half.

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Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the topping has browned and the tomatoes are hot but still keep their shape.

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Note: The tomato halves can be stuffed several hours in advance and refrigerated before baking.

Delicata Squash and Kale Salad

Part of the reason I never post is that I always want to eat the food before I take its picture - and the times I do photograph my plate, well, let's just say no one will be paying me to take family photos any time soon. So if you'll endure some recipes without previews, I'll try to post a little more often. Maybe someone else can make the recipe and add a picture later. (Actually, I found this picture online, so you can enjoy your preview.)

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Anyway, Kaitlyn asked for some good vegetable recipes, so here's an amazing salad. When I wanted to make a really nice meal for Ryan on Valentines Day, we started with this beauty. It's easy enough to put together, but tastes absolutely heavenly. (source - The Wall Street Journal)

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Ingredients

1 medium squash

olive oil for drizzling

salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

zest of 1/2 an orange

1/2 shallot, minced

1/2 C raw kale, shredded in thin ribbons

1/4 C shaved parmesan (I like to use a vegetable peeler)

1 Tbsp shaved radish

1 Tbsp crushed pecans, toasted

1/2 Tbsp chives, chopped

3 tsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice

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Directions

Preheat oven to 400. Peel the squash skin off with a knife, not a vegetable peeler, then cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut it into pieces about 2 inches long and 1 inch thick. Spread the squash on a baking sheet lined with foil, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake for 25 minutes, until very tender.

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Remove the squash from the oven and toss with 1/2 the parsley, the orange zest, and a drizzle of olive oil. Let cool.

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In a mixing bowl, toss the cooled squash with shallot, kale, parmesan, radish, pecans, parsley, chives, and lemon juice. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

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Serves 4

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Since there's plenty of moisture in this salad, you don't want to save it. If you want to make a bunch to have leftovers, prepare the squash and store it separately. Then mix together the veggies and herbs, but leave out the lemon juice and olive oil. Store this in its own container. Right before serving, toss in the squash, lemon juice, and finish off with a drizzle of oil and some salt and pepper. Kale is a pretty rugged green, so it keeps for quite a while.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Feta Rounds

We just love these! My Mom introduced them to us as part of the South Beach Diet, but they are a wonderful appetizer or side dish for non-dieters as well. The feta and sweet potatoes complement each other beautifully, and the feta isn't too overpowering as it sometimes can be.

3 long, thin sweet potatoes

olive oil

salt

1 pkg. feta cheese (I believe I use a 4 oz. pkg, but it might be 6 oz)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut sweet potatoes into discs about 1/2 inch thick. Scoop out a small dish-shape in the middle of each disc, being careful not to cut through the bottom of the potato. Toss with a small amount of olive oil and salt to taste. Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast for 15-25 minutes until tender. (But not too tender! You'll still be cooking them a bit more, so take that into account.) Combine feta cheese with a couple of teaspoons of olive oil to make a thick paste. Scoop a small amount into the center of each sweet potato round and bake at 350 degrees for another 5 minutes until cheese is heated through.

Cheddar Bacon Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

This salad is a staple at White family gatherings. Even those who don't like raw broccoli and cauliflower (namely me) love this salad!

1 head broccoli
1/2 head cauliflower
1 pound bacon
1 pound cubed cheese

Sauce
1/2 c. Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
1/4 c. sour cream
1/8 c. milk
seasoning salt and sugar to taste

Cut up broccoli and cauliflower into small, bite-sized pieces (really tiny pieces are best so all the parts of the salad come together in one bite). Cut up bacon and fry. Mix with cheese, broccoli, and cauliflower. Mix 1st 3 ingredients of sauce until smooth, then add seasoning salt and sugar and mix with salad.

Swiss Bacon Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

This is another one of those BYU cooking class recipes. The original recipe says to marinate 1 1/2 c. thinly sliced mushrooms in the dressing for a while before mixing them into the salad with the dressing, but I still despise mushrooms, so I put in toasted almonds instead. But if mushrooms are your thing, feel free to take that route! It also calls for 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced (which I didn't use this time around). This is one of my favorite salads...so yummy.

1 large pkg. spinach, coarsely chopped

3/4 lb. grated Swiss cheese

3/4 lb. cooked and crumbled bacon

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

3/4 c. toasted almond slivers

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. If you have a glass salad bowl, layering the ingredients creates a very pretty effect. I like to spoon the cottage cheese over the spinach, then top with the remaining ingredients and repeat the layers.

Poppy Seed Dressing

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. grated onion (not dry onion. Use actual onion and grate.)

3/4 c. oil

1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

Combine all ingredients except oil and poppy seeds. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Slowly whisk in oil and beat well. Stir in poppy seeds. Cover and chill. Start by topping the salad with 2/3 of the dressing mixture and add more as desired.

**Note: this salad needs to be served right away since the dressing and cottage cheese will make the spinach wilt. We ate it with rolls for dinner one night and used it as a main dish, or you could obviously cut the recipe down to make the amount you need.

Sweet Potato Fries with Ranch BBQ Sauce

I have such fond memories of Guru's because that is where Sam and I went on our second date. He recommended the cilantro-lime quesadilla, and I was highly impressed with him and the food. So when Mom wanted to take me out to lunch one time, I suggested Guru's, and while we were there she made the enlightened decision to order some sweet potato fries. That was the beginning of the end of our days in Provo, sadly, but Mom and I managed to get those fries at least a couple more times.

Although these fries aren't anywhere near as good as the fries at Guru's, they are a good alternative. The dipping sauce tastes somewhat similar to theirs, but once again, theirs is much better. Really, if you haven't gone to this eclectic little cafe, please fix that as soon as possible. :)

1 lb peeled sweet potatoes cut into 1/4" match-sticks (you want one pound after they are peeled and cut with the ends and short pieces discarded, so buy 1 1/4 pounds or so. Fries should be fairly equal in length.)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
 1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 t. basil
1/2 t. oregano
additional seasonings as desired

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle olive oil over the top of potatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle seasonings on potatoes and toss again. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes and carefully flip with a spatula. Bake for another 15-20 minutes or until browning on the ends. Enjoy!

For the sauce I just combine equal parts honey bbq sauce and sour cream mixed with this seasoning (1 small carton to 1 Tbsp. of seasoning).

Even Talmage loves these (probably because they are dipped in sour cream), so they must be good!