It’s surprising to me how sometimes I get cravings for food that I didn’t eat as a kid and still don’t eat often. The other day I was sitting at work when the overwhelming craving for sweet potatoes came over me. And not just sweet potatoes – roasted sweet potatoes. It was such a specific and odd craving, far more deep than my normal cravings for chocolate or Chinese food. Maybe it was my body’s way of telling me I need Vitamin C? I came home that night and searched through my recipes but could only find recipes for mashed sweet potatoes, nothing roasted. So, I decided to wing it. The result were these perfectly sweet and spicy Roasted Chipotle-Lime Sweet Potatoes.
Fresh sweet potatoes are tossed with a little olive oil and chipotle chile pepper before being roasted in the oven until browned and soft. A light sprinkle of salt and squeeze of fresh lime juice finish off these potatoes which could be eaten as a side to any dish or simply as a light meal in itself. The combination of natural sweetness in the potatoes with the spicy chipotle makes for a perfect marriage of flavors and the addition of citrus at the end really brightens up the whole dish. If you take a quick scan online for roasted sweet potatoes recipes, most include brown sugar or honey but I didn’t want any added sugar and preferred to keep this savory. If you don’t like the spicy kick of chipotle chile pepper and prefer a more subtle flavor, cinnamon or smoked paprika would be good substitutions.
Roasted Chipotle-Lime Sweet Potatoes (makes 4 servings)
- 2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper
- 1/2 a lime
- salt to taste
Preheat oven to 400°F. Chop sweet potatoes into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl. Add olive oil; toss to coat. Sprinkle chipotle chile pepper over the potatoes; toss to coat. Place potatoes on a baking sheet, spreading into a single layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until potatoes are soft and browned. Squeeze lime juice over warm potatoes. Sprinkle with salt, to taste.
The ingredients:
Chop sweet potatoes into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl. Add olive oil; toss to coat.
Sprinkle chipotle chili pepper over the potatoes; toss to coat. Place potatoes on a baking sheet, spreading into a single layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until potatoes are soft and browned.
Squeeze lime juice over warm potatoes.
Sprinkle with salt, to taste.
