Chef Wendell: Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 medium sweet potatoes scrubbed and washed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• ½ cup virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. minced fresh hot chili pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 cups cooked black beans, drained
• 1 red and 1 yellow pepper seeded and finely diced
• 1 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Directions:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

2.  Put the sweet potato and onion on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tbs. of oil; toss and spread out in single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3.  Roast turning occasionally until potatoes begin to brown on corners and are just tender inside. Not overcooked to mush. 30-40 minutes.

4.  Remove from oven and keep on the pan till ready to mix with dressing.

5.  Put chilis in a blender along with the garlic, lime juice, remaining oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Process till blended.

6.  Put WARM vegetables in a large bowl with drained beans, pepper, and cilantro then add dressing. Toss, taste and adjust seasoning to taste.

7.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

--------------------------------------------------------
Does it require smothering and incinerating these colorful, nutritional nuggets to get your clan to partake? Once reserved for the holidays, maybe you should reconsider the potent root vegetable as an important addition to your family’s diet throughout the year.

The swollen, tuber like root, a member of the morning glory family is rich in health enhancing vitamins A, C, Calcium, potassium, and fiber. The Nutrition Action Newsletter rated 58 vegetables by adding up the percentages of recommended daily allowances for Vitamin A, C, iron, calcium, fiber, complex carbohydrates and protein. In their report, the sweet potato scored an impressive 583.

Its nearest competition, a raw carrot, came in at 434, and the every-day baked potato, a scrawny 114. ‘High Energy’ Sweet potatoes also contain B6, manganese, and lutein, which had been connected with macular degeneration prevention. It would take 23 cups of broccoli to provide the same amount of antioxidant protection; clearly a super food. They are grown on the ground, so be sure to scrub your spud.

Black beans are a wonderful source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other legumes. In addition to lowering cholesterol, black beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia.