Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Serves: 4-6
Asparagus , a favorite spring vegetable with it’s sweet and bitter flavors is the star of this dish. Steam asparagus until tender crisp and toss together with roasted garnet yams and a simple dressing. I like to serve this as a
side dish with grilled shrimp, pan seared fish or grilled tempeh slices. This also makes a great topping for micro greens or your favorite salad green mix.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Sweet potato or garnet yams, peeled and cut into medium size dice
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil or avocado oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon natural salt
- 1 pound Asparagus, trimmed and lightly steamed until tender crisp, cut into 2″ pieces
- 2 each Scallions, minced, white and green part
- 1 handful Fresh dill , coarsely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons – Napa Valley Grande Reserve Balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoon Olive oil
- Fresh ground Pepper
- Optional:
- 1-2 cups- Jicama, peeled, cut into medium dice
Method
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place peeled and diced sweet potato in a bowl, add melted coconut oil or avocado oil, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt and toss to evenly coat with oil and spices.
- Place sweet potato pieces on sheet pan lined with parchment paper in single layer. Roast for 20-30 minutes, time will vary depending on size, until browned and cooked through. Remove pan from oven and set aside to cool.
- In a medium size bowl add; steamed asparagus, scallions, dill , cooled sweet potato and jicama- (if including this in dish). toss ingredients gently.
- Pour balsamic vinegar and olive oil over top, add fresh ground pepper and toss .
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Serve salad at room temperature or slightly chilled as is or on top of salad greens.
Chefs notes:
- Napa Valley Grande Reserve balsamic vinegar is made with Trebbiano grapes and aged in cherry wood casks, it is sweeter and thicker than most balsamic vinegars. If you can’t find this balsamic vinegar, replace it with a good quality aged balsamic vinegar combined with a splash or two of fresh lemon juice, not the same but delicious.
- Replace dill with fresh basil or parsley.