Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary, Almonds + Parmesan
/Oh goodness. This recipe.
But first let’s talk about Sunday. Are you good at Sundays? I feel like in the past year I’ve become really bad at Sundays. I have this constant inner brain battle on whether I should be doing work or relaxing. And then if I’m relaxing, I’m thinking, “I should probably be doing work.” Where is the brain mute button?
It always seems like everyone doing this food blog/freelance thing full time works 24/7. There is always something to be getting ahead on, catching up on, answering, editing, organizing, etc. when it comes to this work. But sometime in the last year I decided to cut myself some slack. The 24/7 schedule wasn’t working for me. Sure, if I had a freelance deadline I’d bust my ass to get it done, but I needed some down time. The only problem is I typically can’t clear my mind when I’m taking that down time. Am I taking too much? Should I be doing XYZ to make my blog and business better? And then I get frustrated that I’m wasting my relaxation time worrying about not doing enough. Oy. It’s a constant struggle.
I think I can solve this (at least partially) if I get ahead in my schedule and make sure all of my Monday work for the blog is finished by the previous Friday. I think this will allow me to relax a bit more knowing everything that has to be done is done, so I can actually enjoy my time off. I struggled with this at the beginning of the new year as well. Sometimes working on the weekend is mandatory, and I’m completely okay with that. I love what I do! But there are probably many times when I can be more efficient during the week or work harder to get ahead so I can allow myself a true break and less of that annoying “should I be…” mind game.
I’m all ears if you have any weekend relaxation tips to share!
On a much lighter note, Chris bought me this herb keeper and it has been working really well so far! I think it’s supposed to keep herbs fresh for about 3 weeks, instead of a week or less if kept in their plastic containers. These herbs are looking good after 2 weeks!
I wanted to create a simple recipe for today. Something comforting and flavorful. A vibrant side dish for a dinner party or something to eat during the week with your favorite protein on the side. I would personally pair this with sunny-side-up eggs and a small salad on the side.
Definitely works great as a savory brunch dish, too!
Despite the pale yellow potatoes looking like yukon gold potatoes, they’re actually white sweet potatoes. They’re not as creamy or sweet as the orange variety which mellowed out the dish a bit using a mixture of both.
Don’t forget to give your potatoes one final toss after they come out of the oven so you’re sure to get as many of the little bits of salted rosemary + parmesan almonds as possible.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary, Almonds + Parmesan
gluten-free // yields 4 servings
- 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons ghee (or refined avocado oil)
- 5-6 cups 1/2-inch cubed sweet potatoes (any variety -- skin on)
- 1/2 cup raw almonds
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
- 1 small garlic clove, chopped
- 1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Preheat your oven to 425° F.
Place ghee in a 9-10 inch cast iron pan (or other oven-safe pan) and place in the oven for a few minutes, until melted. Place sweet potatoes in the pan (it won’t be a single layer) and toss with the oil until well coated. Roast for 15 minutes. Toss and roast for another 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350°, toss the potatoes again, and roast for another 10-15 minutes, until tender.
While roasting, place almonds, parmesan, rosemary, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in your food processor (a mini processor will work). Process for about 10 seconds until the almonds are ground into small, even bits (refer photo 4). Avoid over-processing. You want some crunch from the almonds.
After potatoes are tender, remove from the oven and toss with the almond mixture. Lower oven temperature to 325° F and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes, until the almonds are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and toss one final time.
Serve hot. Add more salt + pepper if needed.
Notes: For a vegan version: Use refined avocado oil and omit parmesan. Roast per instructions above. Once finished, toss in 1/4 cup (or to taste) vegan parmesan (since the walnuts + sesame seeds are already roasted in this vegan parmesan mixture you don’t need to roast again).
Here’s to a hugely productive week + calm minds!
GO BUCKS!
Ashley
pssst! Don't forget about the giveaway to win a copy of Gina's new book, HIIT It! Ends tomorrow!
