A Twist on Potato Salad

Have you ever heard of making a potato salad with sweet potatoes (yams)? I never had until I came across this delicious, colorful recipe. As I was planning for my weekend trip to Cleveland, I knew I wanted to pack lunch for my boyfriend and me to eat in our hotel room. We specifically stayed in a suite-type hotel that had a refrigerator and microwave in the room so I could "cook" for us. While searching for something new and interesting to make (J. was not thrilled with my idea of ham sandwiches!), I came across this Sweet Potato Salad with Chili Lime Dressing recipe on Epicurious.

It is a sweet and spicy salad that is incredibly refreshing. I can see this making many appearances this summer. I think it is the perfect foil for traditional creamy potato salad which can get a little old by the time August rolls around. I also like that this salad would stand up to warm weather a little better than a creamy/mayonaise based recipe.



The potato salad paired beautifully with broiled barbecue chicken breasts and brown rice with beans and corn. I did have lots of fresh vegetables to serve lest you think I was totally overloading J. with carbs, but they froze in the hotel refrigerator. I have learned my lesson and next time I would double check the temperature! The barbecue chicken was divine, and I will share my recipe with you soon. J. was very happy with our "hotel picnic", and it felt so wonderful to do something nice for him. He has been amazing over the past few weeks with all my ups and downs, and I truly appreciate having him in my life.

Head over to Epicurious for the best selection of recipes - it is probably my favorite internet resource when it comes to cooking.

Sweet Potato Salad with Chili-Lime Dressing

Epicurious | March 1999
Lauren Chattman
Just Add Water

This is a great summer salad, perfect with all kinds of barbecue and grilled foods. It's also a wonderful way to brighten up a winter dinner of broiled chicken or beef.
Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon chili powder (I did a mix of medium chili powder and chipotle chili powder)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 medium-size red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice (I used yellow bell pepper)
4 scallions, white and light green parts, finely chopped (I subbed in about 3 tablespoons of finely chopped onion)
(I added 1 finely chopped jalapeno for extra heat)

Preparation
Place the sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until just tender, 7 to 10 minutes (don't overcook or your salad will be mushy and falling apart.) Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
While the potatoes are cooking, make the dressing. Whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, cilantro, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Add the red bell pepper and scallions to the potatoes and toss with the dressing. Season again with salt and pepper. Serve warm or refrigerate and bring to room temperature before serving.