Thyme-Roasted Garlic Sweet Potatoes

I was never a fan of sweet potatoes.  My only experience with them was when they were covered in brown sugar and butter and tasted more like a dessert than a healthy root vegetable.  One night a few years ago I was ready to give sweet potatoes another try. I threw in a few ingredients I had in the pantry and tried my hand at a more savory approach to sweet potatoes. I was hooked.

Back when I first started this blog I wrote about the recipe . The photo I took at the time was hideous. I knew it was, but back then I didn't think I cared much. A couple of years later and my standard for food photography has changed a bit. (And I hope it is still in the process of changing and improving!)   Rather than deleting my old recipe for Roasted Sweet Potatoes I thought I'd leave the recipe up so you can check out how my photography has changed over the years.

So here the recipe is again. This time I made it with fresh sprigs of thyme from my friend's garden. If you feel the way I used to about sweet potatoes, I encourage you to give this recipe a try before you write them out of your life forever!

Thyme-Roasted Garlic Sweet Potatoes
((Printable Recipe))

Ingredients:
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
about 10 to 12 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon himalayan pink sea salt (or any salt)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over a large rimmed cookie sheet pan.

2. Arrange the potato cubes in a single layer. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and toss with the minced garlic, salt, crushed red pepper flakes and about 8 sprigs fresh thyme (stems and all).

3. Roast about 40 to 45 minutes, stirring ever 15 minutes with a metal spatula. (I live my potatoes to get a little black on a few sides.)

4. When finished cooking, remove the stems of the cooked thyme from the potatoes. Garnish with the leaves of the remaining fresh thyme.

Other sweet potato recipes you may enjoy:
Black Bean Sweet Potato Quinoa Burgers
Sweet Potato Burritos
Sweet Potato Croquettes with Black Bean Sauce
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Browned Butter and Sage

Orzo with Chickpeas, Lemon, and Dill

As I mentioned before, STAR Olive Oil recently sent me a beautiful assortment of their products. I've been using their olive oil for years but never knew of all the varieties of products they sold. One of my favorite new discoveries was their flavored extra virgin olive oils. With varieties such as rosemary, basil, roasted garlic, and lemon peel- the cooking and drizzling possibilities are endless. Since I had never heard of oil infused with lemon, that was my first one to incorporate into a new recipe. 

With the warm weather finally here, the tastes of lemon and fresh dill cannot be beat. This recipe is delicious served warm or cold. It makes a hearty main meal for a vegetarian or makes the perfect side salad to serve at your next gathering.

Orzo with Chickpeas, Lemon, and Dill
((Printable Recipe))

Ingredients:
2 cup uncooked orzo, cooked and drained
1 cup peas, cooked and drained
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1 large can chickpeas (1lb 13 oz) drained and rinsed (or dry chickpeas cooked and drained)
1 lemon
4 tablespoons STAR Olive Oil with Lemon Peel (plus extra for drizzling)
1 teaspoon Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
2 cloves minced fresh garlic
3/4 cup chopped raw almonds

Directions:
1. Toss the pasta, green onions, peas, dill, chickpeas, sea salt, and garlic together.

2. Drizzle with the lemon oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Toss gently to coat.

3. Top with the chopped almonds and drizzle with extra lemon oil before serving. Serve warm or cold.

Enjoy!

Linked to: Weekend Potluck

*Star Olive Oil provided me with a free sample of this product, and I was under no obligation to review it.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Roasted Potato, Lettuce, and Parmesan Salad

Roasted potatoes with olive oil and rosemary make the perfect topping for this delicious salad tossed with a creamy lemon garlic dressing and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

You can find my recipe for Roasted Potato, Lettuce, and Parmesan Salad over at Recipe Lion.