Warm Sweet Potato & Chickpea Salad
By: The Duo Dishes
Published: Sunday, December 6, 2009 - 1:37am

Ingredients




4 inches sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½  cubes
28 ounces chickpeas, drained
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup parsley and cilantro, mixed
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons tahini, not raw
2 tablespoons water
Olive oil
Kosher salt

Preparation

1 In a bowl, combine sweet potatoes, half of minced garlic, cinnamon, red chili pepper, cardamom, allspice and a bit of salt.  Toss well with a bit of olive oil. 2 Bake in an oven preheated to 425 degrees until soft, approximately 35-45 minutes. 3 While potatoes bake, combine chickpeas, carrot, scallions, red onions and lemon zest.  Set aside. 4 In a smaller bowl, whisk tahini, lemon juice, remaining garlic and water.  Drizzle in olive oil and whisk until dressing reaches desired consistency. 5 Once potatoes are done, allow to cool a bit, approximately 15 minutes. 6 Add roasted sweet potatoes to chickpea mixture.*  Toss with tahini dressing.  Salt to taste. 7 We read that any leftovers can sit, with a bit of dressing, in the fridge and still taste just super.  Not that we didn’t believe anyone…but we kept the dressing separate and combined them as necessary prior to eating.  This is only relevant if you have leftovers though!

About


A couple of days ago, we proposed the idea of recipe adaptations and just how far we can stretch the word.  Looks like many people find recipes as a means to an end, and however you interpret that recipe doesn’t matter.  It’s what you end up with that can be your own, although giving credit where credit is due remains key and important.  In the end, recipes are meant to be adopted and then adapted!
Well we said there would be a part two to that post, so here it is.  We first saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen less than a month ago, and knew we just had to give it a try.  It was colorful, fresh and chock full of the staples we normally keep in the kitchen.  But of course we made a few changes and additions!  Like swapping a main star for one of our favorite vegetables, adding another layer of crunch, pumping up the color green, using a thicker dressing and sprinkling in additional seasonings. Who’s to say if it was any better or worse than the original, but what we did create was hands down delish.   And when it comes to cooking, that’s all that matters.
We found the recipe on one blog where it had been adapted from another blogger who got it from two restaurateurs/authors.  This has become quite a chain.  Peruse the original, check out the other versions, take a look at ours.  They’re all variations on the same theme.  The salad was perfect for a few days of packed lunches.

Comments:
Barnaby Dorfman

Wow...that looks fantastic!
Sanjana Modha

I love this- Looks really yummy!
The Duo Dishes

Many thanks!  :)  Give it a try.