Sweet Potato Harvest Salad

I'm sitting on the couch at our house in the West Virginia mountains, watching Sing Off videos on YouTube with my dad, and nursing a food baby of epic proportions inside my fleecy penguin footie pajamas.  Based on this description of myself, it occurs to me that now might be a good time to post a salad...

It's holiday detox time, folks.  Starting tomorrow morning, it's back to exercise and healthy eating. 

With pie still involved, though.  Can't say no to pie...

If you find yourself in a sugar coma but still hungering after fall flavors, give this salad a try.  Roasted sweet potatoes, Gala apple chunks, dried dates, and pecans combine to lend a sense of comfort to the low-calorie dish.  Add some grilled chicken - or better yet, leftover turkey! - and you've got a balanced and complete meal!

Sweet Potato Harvest Salad
Source: a Dancer Bakes original
Serves one
 
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Romaine lettuce, washed and torn
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1/3 recipe roasted sweet potatoes (below)
1/2 small or medium Gala apple, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup dried dates
1/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup shredded chicken or turkey (optional)

Directions:
Toss first six ingredients together.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper to taste.  Top with the chicken or turkey, if desired.  Serving with a leftover roll from Thanksgiving dinner is highly encouraged :)  Enjoy!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
 
Ingredients:
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tbsp olive oil
Ground cinnamon
Ground ginger
Salt
Black pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400˚F with a rack on the middle position.
Place cubed sweet potatoes into a bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with desired amounts of salt, pepper, cinnamon, and ginger; toss together to combine.  Spread into an even layer on a nonstick baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed lightly with cooking spray.  Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and your kitchen smells divine.  Enjoy hot or allow to cool before using them in the Harvest Salad.

Sweet Potato Pecan Pancakes

My favorite season of all time is autumn.  Something about the crisp clean air, the cooler temperatures, the often mild weather, the changing colors...all of it is just calming and happy for me!  Even though summer is still upon us - it is, after all, still August for a little while longer - the warm flavors of fall called to me when I saw a pair of sweet potatoes on the counter awaiting use.

I was in a major breakfast-for-dinner mood at the time, so I instantly looked up recipes for sweet potato pancakes.  They were fantastic - hearty, filling, and filled with comforting fall flavors.  Plus, they're chock full of nutrients and low on fat and sugar!

Totally justifies having breakfast treats for dinner.  Or even just having pancakes for breakfast!

After all, sweet potatoes = vegetables.  Case closed :)
Just...ignore the toppings...they don't count.

Sweet Potato Pecan Pancakes
Source: adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups buttermilk
4 tsp butter, melted
2 eggs
1 sweet potato, cooked until tender, peeled and pureed
1 cup pecan halves, chopped

Directions:
Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat.  Warm the oven to 200˚ or lower and place a serving platter on a rack in the middle of the oven.
In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs.  Add the buttermilk, followed by the dry ingredients, melted butter, and sweet potato puree.  Mix until smooth and uniform.  Fold in chopped pecans.
Lightly grease the skillet or griddle with butter or cooking spray.  Drop batter by 1/4-cupfulls onto the heated surface.  Cook until bubbles form on the surface but no longer pop, then flip over and continue to cook until golden brown.  Transfer each round of cooked pancakes to the serving platter and keep warm in the oven until the entire batch has been cooked.  Serve immediately with softened butter, cinnamon sugar, and pure maple syrup.  Enjoy!