Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onions

This is less a recipe, and more a technique that can be used with any number of different vegetables, but this was my most recent roasting experiment, and it. was. delicious. The sweet potatoes were tender yet slightly crispy, and the onions, particularly the blackened parts, were filled with flavor and a satisfying crunch.

I ate this as a side dish, but you could easily make a meal out of it if you're so inclined. Not only is it really tasty, but it's healthy too. Good vitamins and beta carotene from the sweet potatoes, and healthy fats in the olive oil. Divided into four servings, it's only about 3 WW points plus per serving depending on the size of your sweet potatoes.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onions
Recipe from Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced about 1/8-inch thick
1 onion, quartered then cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 Tbsp. oil (I used olive oil)
Salt and Pepper to taste (don't be stingy with the seasonings!)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss until vegetables are evenly coated. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Transfer vegetables to the baking sheet, and spread so that they are evenly spaced in a single layer. If necessary, use two baking sheets - you don't want the vegetables crowded, or they won't get crispy. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until onions begin to brown and sweet potatoes are cooked through. I tossed the vegetables around about halfway through to make sure they roasted evenly.

Black-Eyed Pea and Sweet Corn Salsa

 

It's football season. And that means it's tailgating season, too! On Saturday, 13 of my friends and I headed up to Rentschler Field for a UConn football game. Up there, tailgating is no joke. Hoards of people arrive four hours before the game with the sole purpose of consuming massive amounts of food and beer. Our group was no different. With a table full of snacks, two grills working nonstop, and four different dessert options, we all had more than our fill.

One of my contributions was this black-eyed pea and sweet corn salsa. At a party I went to over the summer, someone brought a similar dish, and since then I've been wanting to recreate it. I did a Google search on some of the ingredients I knew were in it, and came up with this version from Sweet Little Bluebird. It looked pretty close, so I decided to give it a shot, with a few tweaks of my own, and I think I can safely say it was a big success. By the time we were ready to move onto the burger/hot dog/sausage portion of the afternoon, there was nothing left in my salsa container except a few stray corn kernels. I guess everyone liked it!

Black-Eyed Pea and Sweet Corn Salsa

Adapted From Sweet Little Bluebird

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can whole kernel sweet corn, drained

6 scallions, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil (I actually used just shy of 1/4 c.)

3 Tbsp sugar

Pinch of salt

Pinch of black pepper

Directions:

Combine black-eyed peas, corn, scallions, and jalapeno in a medium bowl.  
In a measuring cup, add vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, and pepper and whisk well to combine.  Pour dressing over the vegetable mixture and stir together until coated. 

Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more to allow flavors to blend. 

Both times I've had this, it's been with Fritos Scoops - I highly recommend this combo!