Day 25: On a Mediterranean Diet

Photo courtesy of The Minimalist Baker

Welcome to 30 Days on a Mediterranean Diet, our new blog series! It’s no secret that eating the Mediterranean way helps with heart health and weight loss. But fast-paced modern living makes it hard to stick to any diet, which is why each 30 Days on a Mediterranean Diet post will feature a healthy Mediterranean recipe.

Who says sweet potatoes can’t show up in the summer months? As one of my favorite root vegetables, they grace my table year-round to be honest. And this recipe has totally reminded me why.

Sweet potatoes are a versatile, beautiful ingredient that are chock full of nutrients like fiber, potassium, manganese and vitamins A, C, B6, B1 and B2*. When baked and dressed according to this recipe, their deliciously-spiced flesh goes great with little pops of chickpea in each bite.

Just add the garlic sauce and fresh parsley toppings, and you’ve got a new family staple.

Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes
From Minimalist Baker
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

4 medium sweet potatoes (~140 g each)
1 15-ounce (425 g) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp each cumin, coriander, cinnamon, smoked (or regular) paprika
Optional: Pinch of sea salt or lemon juice

1/4 cup (60 g) hummus or tahini
Juice of 1/2 lemon (1 Tbsp)
3/4 – 1 tsp dried dill (or sub 2-3 tsp fresh)
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 Tbsp or 9 g)
Water or unsweetened almond milk to thin
optional: Sea salt to taste

1/4 cup (45 g) cherry tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup (15 g) chopped parsley, minced
2 Tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
Chili garlic sauce

Prep & Cook

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with foil.
Rinse and scrub potatoes and cut in half length wise. This will speed cooking time. Otherwise leave whole and bake longer (approximately double the time (45 min – 1 hour).
Toss rinsed and drained chickpeas with olive oil and spices and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Rub the sweet potatoes with a bit of olive oil and place face down on the same baking sheet (or another baking sheet depending on size).
While the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are roasting, prepare your sauce by adding all ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisking to combine, only adding enough water or almond milk to thin so it’s pourable. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add more garlic for more zing, salt for savoriness, lemon juice for freshness, and dill for a more intense herb flavor. NOTE: If you don’t have hummus, tahini will make a great base substitution for the sauce – just adjust the seasonings to accommodate the lack of flavor tahini provides.
Also prepare the parsley-tomato topping by tossing tomato and parsley with lemon juice and setting aside to marinate.
Once sweet potatoes are fork tender and the chickpeas are golden brown – roughly 25 minutes – remove from oven.
For serving, flip potatoes flesh-side up and smash down the insides a little bit. Then top with chickpeas, sauce and parsley-tomato garnish. Serve immediately.