ROASTED SWEET POTATO RAINBOW SALAD WITH LIME CREMA
Ok, let me admit that that I have made this salad purely to help me get to make lime crema. This is solely about crema. It’s life-changing and I’ve not been able to put off making it since the first batch. So, I decided to throw together a few of other ingredients that I love and it all came together to create a stunning organic rainbow and I came with the Roasted Sweet Potato Rainbow Salad (…with lime crema).
MEAL PREP READY!
This salad is ideal to prepare meals for the week ahead. Simply mix the ingredients of the salad, but make sure to add dressing according to the need. It’s possible to top it off with some grilled or rotisserie-cooked chicken, or wrap the salad in the tortilla and then you’re ready to go! Another great addition I considered (but I decided against to keep things simple) is to crush tortilla chips. I think the crunch would make a fantastic option. Of course, you can also add a few slices of avocado or chopped jalapenos If you’re a fan of jalapenos.
USE ROASTED FROZEN CORN FOR EVEN MORE FLAVOR
Also, if you’re lucky enough to have an Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s near you then you can prepare this dish even simpler. Both stores offer frozen roast corn that could be substituted for my charred corn skillet. I took the less expensive option and created the corn myself this time however the frozen corn that is pre-roasted is fantastic (I think it’s cheaper at TJ’s compared to WF).
INGREDIENTS
LIME CREMA
8 oz. Sour cream ($1.00)
One fresh lime ($0.50)
1 small clove of garlic, chopped ($0.08)
1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
ROASTED SWEET POTATOES
1.5 lb. sweet potatoes ($1.57)
2 tablespoons cooking oil ($0.08)
1 teaspoon ground cumin ($0.10)
Salt as desired ($0.02)
BLACKENED CORN
1 lb. frozen corn kernels, thawed and frozen ($1.49)
2 tablespoons cooking oil ($0.08)
Salt as desired ($0.02)
SALAD
1 15oz. can of black beans ( $0.99)
1 bell pepper red ($1.50)
1/4 onion red* ($0.25)
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro ($0.23)
INSTRUCTIONS
If you’re not yet taken the corn out of the freezer and let it to begin to thaw. The oven should be preheated to 400oF.
Clean the sweet potatoes and chop them into small cube (1/4-1/2 in cubes). Put the pieces on a baking tray sprinkled in cooking oil and cumin and one or two pinches of salt. Mix the sweet potato cubes until they’re completely coated in spices and oil. Bake the sweet potato for around 30 minutes or until they’re soft and slightly brown on the edges. Remove them from the oven, and allow to cool.
As the sweet potato roast cook your lime-lime crema. Use a small-holed cheese grated or a zester to cut the fine layers of zesty green from the lime. Add 1 teaspoon of zest and 1 TBSP of lemon juice into the sour-cream, as well as the minced garlic clove and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix to mix. Taste and adjust the lime juice if you like. Keep the crema in the refrigerator until it is the time to use.
A large skillet is heated at medium to medium-high temperature. When it is hot add 2 tablespoons cooking oil and stir to make sure the oil is evenly distributed across the skillet. Add the corn that has been thawed and it cook till the corn has scorched and blistered along the edges. Be careful not to stir too much as it will let it blacken slightly. Allow the corn to cool a bit.
Finely chop and dice the bell pepper red as well as the red onion. Drain and rinse the beans. Remove the cilantro leaves from their stems, and then chop.
Mix the roasted sweet potatoes and blackened corn, as well as black beans along with red bell pepper, cilantro, and red onion in a large bowl. Mix well. Add a bit of lime crema, and mix till the salad has been evenly coated. Sprinkle a bit more lime crema shortly before serving.
