Easy, flavorful, and adaptable; a psychedelically colorful meal.
Hey friends!
I'm back at it again with the sweet potato recipes. Are we tired of them yet? I hope not - because I'm certainly not.
I have 3 words for this week's dish - Super dang good.
This is a filling and endlessly riffable bowl. Really quick to prepare and you'll have tons of leftovers for lunch the next couple of days - and those will be YUMMY leftovers, I promise. The heartiness of the lentils is perfectly balanced with the sweetness of roasted sweet potatoes; but honestly, any hardy vegetable you have on hand would be just as delicious. Feel free to spice it up with delicata squash, cauliflower, or eggplant if you're feeling adventurous.
To take this dish a level up, I decided to add some homemade pickled onions, which gave the dish a wonderful crunch and a little hit of acid.
I have used Harissa paste once before, and I remembered how much I loved it. I'll have to start putting Harissa paste in other stuff now.
If you can't find Harissa paste, you can also make your own.
First off, "what is Harissa paste?" you might ask. It's a north African condiment that helps to add add depth and a smokeyness to things like meats and roasted vegetables. It's made from dried chilies, garlic, olive oil and toasted cumin seeds, caraway seeds and coriander seeds.
Harissa paste (the long way)
Ingredients
4 oz dried chilies (mild, med, hot, smoked)
6 - 8 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
2 tsp caraway seeds
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 ¾ tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
Bring chilies to a boil in a large pot of water, turn heat off, cover, let sit 1 hour or overnight. Toast spices and grind them.
When the chilies are soft and rehydrated, drain and remove seeds and stems. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until desired consistency. If you want it more runny you can add more oil.
To store, place in sealable jar and drizzle olive oil over top after each use, to preserve.
It will last 1-2 months in the fridge.
Harissa paste (the quick & dirty)
Ingredients
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 ¾ tsp cayenne
1 ¾ tsp salt
10 garlic cloves, finely minced
Instructions
Mix the following together in a bowl.
I've included both an authentic version of Harissa Paste, and a quick and dirty version; because we all know that sometimes we have the urge to make a recipe and then realize that we don't have one of the ingredients. Whichever version you choose, I'm sure that you'll love it.
I am absolutely adding this into the rotation of favorite meals. Like I mentioned, this recipe makes a ton of food; but I'm sure you will enjoy it (all of it).
LENTIL AND HARISSA-ROASTED SWEET POTATO BOWL
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
2 tsp sea salt
2 cups lentils, rinsed
½ tsp ground coriander
5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp harissa paste, divided (see above notes)
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large sweet potatoes (about 1½ lb.), scrubbed, cut into ½" pieces
2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
½ cup chopped parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 425°. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil; add lentils. Reduce to a simmer, and cook for 25-30 mins. Drain and transfer to a large bowl; let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, whisk coriander, 2 Tbsp oil, 1 Tbsp harissa paste, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Arrange sweet potatoes and tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with harissa oil (reserve bowl for dressing). Roast, tossing once, until sweet potatoes are tender and browned on some sides and tomatoes burst (about 25-30 mins).
Whisk vinegar, honey, and remaining 1 Tbsp harissa in reserved bowl. Stream in remaining 3 Tbsp oil, whisking constantly until emulsified; season vinaigrette with salt.
Add half of vinaigrette to lentils and toss to combine.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Divide among bowls. Top with roasted vegetables and parsley. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette.
Serve and enjoy!
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