CUBAN SWEET POTATO SALAD

You know, how sometimes you feel blue? Well I felt orange the other day. Yes, I know, this doesn't make any sense. What does "feeling orange" even means? Truth is I have no idea what to say here.  In a way, It doesn't make any sense to me neither, but in another somehow it does. I swear to god I didn't use any drugs.

Anyway, feeling orange lead me to hearing the little voice in my head telling me this: "you have to bake sweet potatoes" (By the way, the little voice in my head speaks english with a perfect accent.) This potatoes are so sweet (I wonder why we call them sweet potatoes? :p) and flavorful. I love them. This recipe is based on this blog recipe. It's so sunny, fresh, healthy and wonderfully tasty. Do not have doubts, go get some sweet potatoes and try it now. I said now. I know you are still reading this. Go! Go! Go!

iNGREDiENTS:
- serve 4 as side dish -

• 5 sweet potatoes
• 2 limes
• a good pinch of paprika
• a pinch of cumin
• 1 garlic clove
• a handful of cilantro
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt & pepper

RECiPE:

• Preheat oven at 200°C (400°F)
• Clean, peel and cut potatoes into equal size chunks.
• Add olive oil + paprika + cumin + salt & pepper. Stir.
• Place potatoes on a parchment paper and bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until potatoes are folk tender. turning them once in a while.
• Meanwhile, prepare vinaigrette:
• In a bowl, mix, lime juice + chopped cilantro + grated garlic.
• When potatoes are cooked, take them out of the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes.
• Stir in vinaigrette to sweet potatoes and serve right away.
• You can eat them hot, at room temperature or even cold. So easy, so good !
• Et VOiLA !

AVOCADO, CARROT & ORANGE SALAD

This recipe is based on April Bloomfield's recipe. I was looking at her book (A girl and her pig) at a friend's house the other day and this salad recipe started screaming at me: "try me! try me!" Yes, sometimes books can talk. You should listen more carefully.

The lightly warm roasted carrots combine with orange, avocado and cilantro is perfect ! What a great way to eat something healthy yet tasty after a food feast made of caramel cookies and chocolate fondant, eh?

iNGREDiENTS:
-serve 3-

• 15 young carrots, unpeeled, half of the green tops left on
• 1 big orange
• 2 small avocados
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbs pumpkin seeds
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• juice of half a lemon
• Cilantro
• Salt

RECiPE:

• Preheat oven at 200°C (400°F)
• Clean and cut your carrots (like you would a lemon) leaving half of the green top on them.
• Pound garlic with a large pinch of salt until you have a smooth paste.
• In a bowl, stir: 2 tbsp olive oil + garlic paste + cumin + pepper flakes + pumpkin seeds.
• Place carrots in a large baking dish in a single layer. Add oil and spice mixture and stir. Add one large pinch of salt and toss again.
• Pour 2 tbsp of water into the baking dish.
• Cover tightly with foil and cook for 25 minutes.
• After 25 minutes, remove foil and cook for 35 minutes more or until carrots are lightly browned and tender.
• While carrots cool, peel orange and segment it.
• Halve avocados lengthwise and remove peel and pits. Slice them lengthwise into thick slices.
• Put the avocado slices in a large bowl. Add lemon juice + 2 tbsp oil + a pinch of salt. Toss gently with your hands.
• Add orange slices and cool carrots. Stir very gently and arrange with cilantro on top. Serve right away.
• ET VOiLA !