Cook of the Month: Courtney Walker, Dixie EC
Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes 2 large sweet potatoes, halved ½ teaspoon each: cumin, coriander, cinnamon and smoked paprika (or regular paprika) Sea salt to taste Squirt of lemon juice, optional 2 tablespoons olive oil
Garlic Herb Sauce: ¼ cup hummus Juice from half a lemon 2 tablespoons dried dill or to taste 2 teaspoons minced garlic Water or unsweetened almond milk (enough to thin it out) Sea salt, to taste
“It was actually an accident,” said Courtney Walker of her Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potato recipe. It was a happy accident though. She makes baked sweet potatoes a lot, and one night, was eating one with another dish that had her tomato and parsley topping on it. “I got a mouthful of both, and I loved the combo, so I decided to create a dish around that bite,” she said. The result is her healthy, filling side that can actually be an entire meal. “With the hummus in the sauce, it really satisfies your appetite,” she said. And she encourages people to play with the flavors to find what they like best. “You can add or take away the amount of garlic, and the optional toppings are truly optional,” she said. “But, they are really good.”
Optional toppings: ¼ cup diced tomatoes ¼ cup chopped parsley 1 or 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Chili sauce, to taste and add fresh garlic
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Rinse off potatoes, dry and slice each in half. Combine cumin, coriander, cinnamon and smoked paprika. Sprinkle lightly over cut side of potatoes, adding a squeeze of lemon juice if desired. Place face down on pan and rub with oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Cook for 30-40 minutes until soft. While the potatoes are roasting, prepare your sauce. Add all sauce ingredients to a bowl and blend well. Only add enough water or almond milk to thin it out, but be careful not to make it runny. Taste and add ingredients to your preference if needed. (Note: if you don’t like hummus, substitute with tahini.) Prepare the parsley-tomato topping by tossing all ingredients together. When potatoes are cooked and tender, mash the center down, top with the sauce and garnish with the tomato topping. Sprinkle with a little more dill or lemon if desired.
Themes and Deadlines January: Crockpot | Nov. 8 February: Spicy Foods | Dec. 8 March: Honey | Jan. 8
Calling all home cooks! It's time to spice up our recipe selection and you could be a winner! We are looking for fresh, creative recipes from readers just like you. In addition to our monthly Cook of the Month prize, beginning in January, all cooks who submit a recipe will automatically be entered into a drawing to win a gift basket full of Alabama Living merchandise. Take a look at our upcoming themes and send in your favorite recipes today! (see rules below)
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Please send us your original recipes, developed by you or family members, and not ones copied from a book or magazine. You may adapt a recipe from another source by changing as little as the amount of one ingredient. Cook of the Month winners will receive $50, and may win “Cook of the Month” only once per calendar year. One gift basket winner will be drawn monthly at random and each name will be entered only once. Items in basket may vary each month. To be eligible, submissions must include a name, phone number, mailing address and co-op name. Alabama Living reserves the right to reprint recipes in our other publications. Alabama Living
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