Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chili & Lime

When my hubby, Scott, started working part-time in the produce section of our local Whole Foods, he developed a sudden (and shocking) interest in obscure produce. Every night he would come home after his shift spinning yarns about exotic fruits or heirloom vegetables. He seemed to take a special pleasure in telling me about varieties that I had never tasted or cooked with.

Being the competitive little brat that I am, I would get my kicks from bursting his bubble. Purple bell peppers? “Please, Scott. Those are so old hat.” Yellow carrots? “Ha! I was out pulling them up in the backyard this past October.” He really thought he had me with pluots. I laughed in his face. “EVERYBODY knows about plum hybrids.”

Oh, I was having a grand old time.

Until…

He came home all hyped up about white sweet potatoes. I was flabbergasted. Having never even laid eyes on such a thing, my only defense was to demand immediate proof of its existence. We consulted the Google, and a quick search revealed the truth.

Aw, crackers. He beat me.

With my head hung low, I admitted that they were new to me, and he proceeded to go on for an hour about all the things that make them SO interesting.

That was just a couple of months ago, so you can imagine my excitement when I discovered PURPLE sweet potatoes today. Huzzah! Oh how the mighty have fallen!! Wait until he gets a load of these. I can see it now. He’ll be all “Hey, what are those?”

And I’ll be all, “Purple sweet potatoes. In your FACE.”

Or at least, that’s how I like to imagine it going down. In the interest of preserving my own delusional fantasies I will NOT be sharing the story of Scott ACTUALLY reacted to my discovery of purple sweet potatoes (read: shoulder shrug).

I’ll just give you this nice recipe instead. Okey dokey?

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chili & Lime
Makes about six servings

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 large purple sweet potato (or a second regular sweet potato), peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder/granules
• 1 teaspoon chile powder (mild, chipotle, or ancho)
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 white onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 lime

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss the sweet potatoes with salt, spices, and 1 tablespoon of oil. Spread on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes, or until tender. (The purple potatoes may take longer, so check them for doneness. It’s OK to overcook the orange ones a little if you have to.)
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the remaining oil followed by the garlic. Fry the garlic for about 30 seconds, then add the onion.
4. Fry the onion for 3 – 5 minutes, or until it browns and clears slightly. Add the bell peppers, and fry for about 2 minutes, just long enough for them to become a bit tender.
5. Combine the roasted sweet potatoes with the onion and pepper mixture. Sprinkle with lime juice, and add salt and pepper if needed.