Family Kitchen

Happy New Year! I hope you’re all recovering nicely from the revelry and indulgence of the holiday season. Although I’m not really one for strict regimens, I do think January is a good time for a little recalibration after the excesses of the Christmas celebrations.

This month, I’m sharing a satisfying meatless dish that’s easy to add to your menu. For meat-eaters like me, I believe the trick to enjoying vegetarian like. This particular dish, for example, husband and I love. I’m a big fan of all the ingredients that go into it—from the sweet potatoes and chickpeas, to the cilantro yogurt and salsa.

Each component of this baked sweet potato dish can work separately, too.

The chickpeas are great piled on pita bread, with a squirt of hot sauce to add a little kick; the salsa can be used to top fantastic paired with Indian curries.

I hope you’ll like this as much as I things yummy!

ABOUT THE COLUMNIST

Joey de Larrazabal-Blanco started cooking out of absolute necessity—a continent away from home with no one to feed her. Today, she happily cooks for her husband and two young kids. Follow her gastronomic exploits on 80breakfasts.blogspot.com.

BY JOEY DE LARRAZABAL-BLANCO

TO ROAST PEPPERS,

slice each into quarters and remove seeds. Place, skin side up, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Broil until skin has bubbled and has blackened in places. Place peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap; allow to cool. Peel peppers. Use immediately or place in a bottle and pour in oil to cover peppers. Store in the fridge.

MEXICAN-STYLE BAKED SWEET POTATOES

Serves 4 to 6 Prep Time 10 to 15 minutes Cooking Time 1 hour

6 small or 4 large yellow sweet potatoes (kamote), skin-on, scrubbed clean olive oil, to drizzle cilantro leaves (wansoy), to garnish

FOR THE MEXICAN-STYLE CHICKPEAS

1½ tablespoons olive oil 2 small red onions, sliced 2 (400-gram) cans chickpeas (garbanzos), drained 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons Spanish paprika salt and pepper

FOR THE GARLIC-CILANTRO YOGURT

½ cup Greek yogurt 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves (wansoy) 1 to 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil salt

FOR THE ROASTED RED PEPPER SALSA

3 medium red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and chopped 2 large tomatoes, chopped ½ medium white onion, chopped 1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves (wansoy)

1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Drizzle sweet potatoes with olive oil and rub to cover each well. Place potatoes on a piece of aluminum foil, fold to seal, then place on a baking tray. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until completely soft (a small knife inserted into a potato should easily slide in). 2 Meanwhile, make the Mexican-style chickpeas: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sauté onions until soft and caramelized. Add garlic; cook until fragrant. Add chickpeas and toss. Add cumin and paprika; stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. meld. (If chickpeas look dry, add up to 3 tablespoons water, a little at a time, to moisten.) Adjust seasoning as needed. Set aside. 3 Make the garlic-cilantro yogurt: Mix together all ingredients. Set aside. 4 Make the roasted red pepper salsa: Mix together all ingredients. Set aside. 5 Make a slit lengthwise down the middle of each sweet potato. Top with chickpeas, yogurt, and salsa. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with extra yogurt and salsa on the side.