Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans with Lime, Scallions and Cilantro

One of my daughter's favorite places to eat is the North Market in Columbus, Ohio, and her favorite eatery at the North Market is Little Eater. They have a wide variety of delicious vegetarian options. Instead of ordering a main entree, you can choose as many side dishes as your little heart (and belly) desires. 

I love the food too, but I have to admit, my favorite thing about going to the North Market is eating on the upper floor so I can look down at the operations of Destination Donuts, a little donut shop, where you can watch bakers knead the dough, shape the donuts - and dip the fried donut tops in a variety of toppings, like salty caramel & toasted pecans, triple berry cardamom and kiwi strawberry. It's a natural thing for my husband and both of my daughters to want to eat healthy, but for me, it's definitely more of a challenge.

Okay, back to this recipe... This is my take on one of Little Eater's vegetarian side dishes. Sweet potatoes pair up nicely with back beans, and the lime and cilantro give this dish a really fresh taste.  I always prefer cooking dried beans, but as we all know, sometimes canned will just have to do.  

Serves 4 (as a side dish)

Ingredients

• 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup olive oil (divided)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 15-ounce can low or no-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained (or about 1 3/4 cups freshly cooked)
• lime juice from 1 lime
• 1 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Garnish with cilantro, as desired

Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and prepare ingredients.

Place sweet potatoes in a medium bowl; add 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, coriander, turmeric, and toss until potatoes are evenly coated. Arrange potatoes in single layer on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast potatoes in preheated over for 20 minutes, or until softened. Remove from oven and keep warm.

Using same bowl, add 1/4 cup olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar and scallions and whisk until blended. Place olive oil mixture in a large skillet over medium heat. Add beans and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add roasted potatoes and stir with wooden spoon until thoroughly combined; continue cooking an additional 5 minutes, or until heated through.

Place on individual plates and garnish with cilantro.