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This recipe is an explosion of sweet flavors! Among sweet potato, caramelised onions, sweet spiced chickpeas, asparagus and tahini…can’t get any sweeter than that (at least for a savory dish)! I tried to combine ingredients that may go well together and I’ve found interesting combos. For instance I’d never tried coriander and tahini together (note: I love tahini and eat it by the spoonful).
This is a complete meal: it has carbs, proteins (legumes) and vegetables accompanied by herbs and a dressing that make everything taste really nice.
Batatas’ nutritional benefits are many: they are rich in vitamin C, dietary fibers and potassium; the skin helps reduce cholesterol and the flesh is rich in beta-carotene, a pigment our body needs in order to produce vitamin A. Sweet potatoes can be eaten steamed, boiled, sautéed, baked and fried (although I don’t like frying) and they’ll always be delicious! The pulp and skin both range in color – from white to yellow to orange, red and deep purple.
Did you know? Sweet potato, or batata (not yam!), is a root vegetable native to the tropics (in South America it was domesticated over 10.000 years ago!) and is only very distantly related to the common potato. The first Europeans who tasted these vegetables were among Columbus’s expedition (1492).
SWEET POTATOES STUFFED WITH ASPARAGUS, ROASTED CHICKPEAS AND CARAMELISED ONION {vegan, gluten free + grain free}
by Marta Giaccone
Recipe
4 servings
prep time: 25 min, cook time: 1 hr 20 min, total: 1 hr 45 min
4 sweet potatoes
1 bunch asparagus
lime/lemon juice
handful fresh coriander
Caramelised onions
2 onions, any color
1 tbsp maple syrup (or other sweetener)
evoo
salt
Roasted chickpeas
1 can chickpeas
½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp cumin
evoo
salt
Dressing
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp water
pinch salt
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C if fan-assisted). Line an oven tray with parchment paper.
- Scrub, wash and prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Bake for 60 minutes or until they are soft (try then with the back of a fork).
- In the meantime prepare the chickpeas for roasting: rinse and drain, then transfer to a bowl together with 1 tbsp olive oil, pinch of salt, cumin and curry. Toss to coat.
- Steam the asparagus: cut off the sturdier ends, place in a steamer pan set (or in a strainer) over a small pot over boiling water. Let steam for about 10 minutes (or more depending on their thickness), until tender. Remove from heat.
- Make the caramelised onions: chop onions, add 2 tbsp evoo to a pan over medium heat, add onions along with a pinch of salt, stir. Let cook, covered, over low heat for about 15 minutes or until translucent. Add 1 tbsp maple syrup, stir and keep cooking for 5 mins more. Remove from heat.
- When the potatoes are ready, remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature. Slice each in half. Leave the oven on.
- Line another (or the same) oven tray with parchment paper and roast the chickpeas for about 20 minutes, stirring them once halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool at room temperature.
- Make the dressing by whisking all dressing ingredients with a fork in a small bowl.
- Serve each potato with caramelised onions, chickpeas, asparagus, more chickpeas and onions! Drizzle with the dressing, fresh coriander and a sprinkle of lime. Enjoy!
