Cranberry Chipotle Sweet Potato Salad

This meatless monday, I bring you a wonderful warm and hearty salad. Lately, I have had an abundance of sweet potatoes staring at me from my countertop, and have stressed about enjoyed finding new ways to cook with them. Straying from the traditional calorie and sugar loaded casseroles topped with massive amounts of marshmallows - a delicious way to eat sweet potatoes in case you were wondering - I was thrilled to find a healthy recipe to try out.

With the combination of sweet, crunchy, salty, smoky, spicy and fresh, I knew the instant I laid eyes on the recipe that the flavor profile of this dish would be amazing. I also correctly assumed that I might have trouble tracking down pepitas, aka shelled pumpkin seeds. After searching high and low, I finally found them at Woodman's grocery store.

If you have access to a Woodman's, definitely go check it out. Their fresh produce section blows everything else out of the water, and has ridiculously, awesomely, obscure veggies available. I especially love the fact that they regularly carry fresh prickly pear cactus leaves, massive two-foot daikon radishes, sea beans, and miniature Japanese eggplants. In a word, Woodman's is incredible. Don't even get me started on their international food selection and giant fresh cheese aisles.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

CRANBERRY CHIPOTLE SWEET POTATO SALAD | Yield: 8 servings | Total Time: 1 hr.

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 C fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 C water
2 tsp honey
1 (7-oz) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 C salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
3/4 C chopped green onions
1/4 C fresh cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place cut pieces of sweet potato in a large bowl and drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Toss to coat. Transfer sweet potatoes to a foil lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, or until tender, turning after 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil, cranberries, water, and honey in a saucepan. Remove 3-4 chiles from the can; finely chop to equal about 2 Tbsp. Add chopped chipotle and 2 tsp adobo sauce to pan. Place pan over medium-low heat; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes or until cranberries pop, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Mash with a potato masher or fork until chunky.

Place pepitas in a medium skillet; cook over medium heat 4 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan frequently.

NOTE: If you are unable to find pepitas, salted shelled sunflower seeds have a very similar size, taste and texture and are readily available in most grocery stores.

Combine potatoes, pepitas, onions, and cilantro in a bowl. Add cranberry mixture to bowl; toss gently to coat.

The flavor combination of the smoky and spicy chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, the sweet flavor of the sweet potatoes, and the fresh flavors of the green onions and cilantro made for a wonderfully delicious dish.

What is the most ridiculous produce you have come across at the store? I challenge you to find something more obscure than prickly pear cactus leaves - seriously!