I made a seriously tasty Christmas dinner this year. It came in four parts, three of which I’ll be sharing with you on this blog. The fourth, I’ve already shared here. That recipe came out really wonderfully, but the others were just as good, if not better. Two recipes in particular were out of this world. I’m telling you, they were incredible.
The Recipe
This sweet potato side dish was rather unique in that it incorporated flavors I had yet to combine. While I was preparing this dish, I smelled the combination of ingredients throughout the entire house. It smelled so inviting that I wasn’t able to wait until dinner to sneak a few spoonfuls.
Basically, this is a roasted sweet potato side dish. Things get interesting when veggie broth, balsamic vinegar, paprika and cumin begin simmering down in a skillet of browned sweet onion and celery. This was the unique combination I was referring to above. The entire house was filled with the aroma of balsamic vinegar being reduced with cumin and paprika there to help things along. Needless to say, the final result was outstanding. There’s a tangy sweetness to this dish that also offers something spicy. It’s interesting.
Ingredients
Serves: 12
6 Sweet Potatoes, Cut into Eighths
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Ground Black Pepper
4 Celery Ribs, Chopped
1 Large Sweet Onion, Chopped
3 Teaspoons Garlic, Minced
1 Cup Vegetable Stock
2/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
4 Teaspoons Paprika
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
6 Scallions, Sliced Thinly
1/4 Cup Parsley, Chopped
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’d like to thank Taste of Home for this recipe. It’s outstanding and I’m looking forward to many more like this one from this website.
Pre-Heat Oven
Arrange your oven racks so one of them is in the center position. Then, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Prep & Roast the Potatoes
Clean and cut the sweet potatoes into eighths. Then, add them to a large bowl and also add 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Mix all these ingredients until the potatoes are well coated with the oil.
Next, spread the potatoes out on a large baking sheet.
When the oven is to temperature, add the baking sheet to it and let the potatoes roast for 30-35 minutes or until they just begin to brown. They should be tender when you push a fork into them.
Brown the Onion & Celery
Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to it, along with the onion and celery.
I know I used sliced onion here. After preparing this dish, I feel like chopped onion would be better.
Mix these vegetables while cooking. Cook for eight minutes or until everything softens. When this happens, stir in the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Stir well.
Add Liquid & Spices
Next, add the vegetable broth, balsamic vinegar, cumin and paprika to the skillet. Simmer this mixture until it’s reduced by half. You may need to increase the heat slightly for this part.
This is what things should look like after the liquid has been reduced.
Combine Ingredients
When the potatoes are finished in the oven, remove the tray and transfer the potatoes to a casserole dish that’s large enough to hold all of them.
After that, cover the potatoes with the onion mixture that’s in the skillet.
Finally, cover the onion mixture with the sliced scallions and the parsley.
Plate & Serve
When all is said and done, dig in! Divide the potatoes among plates and serve. Enjoy!
The Final Roasted Sweet Potato Dish
As you can see from the above photos, there is some flavor going on in this side dish. It’s really unique and very tasty. I think I’m going to save this one for next year’s Thanksgiving dinner. It’s that good. Give this a try and let me know your thoughts down in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!
Leave a Reply