yam salad

I fixed this the other day when I had Annie over for dinner, and she asked me to post the recipe so that she could make it for the Hawaiian Guppies when she visits them. It's a quick and easy dish, and really very good--better than it looks in its photo.

It requires Penzey's Turkish Seasoning (they sent me a free sample of some, and I've been putting on yams ever since), but you could try substituting a great big pinch of salt; smaller pinches of cumin, garlic powder, oregano, sumac, paprika; and a tiny pinch of cayenne.

Roasted Yam and Apple Salad

makes enough for 2-3 people

salad:
a biggish yam (350-400g), peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1cm-thick half-moons
2 Granny Smith apples (they'll hold their shape better than most), peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
1T olive oil
1 1/2t Turkish Seasoning
about 2T chiffonaded mint leaves
2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

dressing:
1/2 a red bell pepper
3T lime juice
3T olive oil
1/2t cumin
salt and pepper

Toss the apples and yam with the oil and seasoning so that all the pieces are thoroughly coated, then spread in a single layer on a tin-foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 425ºF for about 20 minutes, till the yams are getting browned and are tender all the way through. Let cool a bit, and then scrape onto a serving platter.

Meanwhile make the dressing by whizzing all the ingredients in a blender till smooth. You'll only need about half of it for this, so save the rest to put on your broccoli or something. When you're ready to serve (and when the yams have cooled substantially), pour the dressing over the salad, getting at least a little bit on every piece. Scatter with mint and green onions.