I’m back home from my travels and back to cooking with The Red Rooster Cookbook by Marcus Samuelsson. This is one of several cases where I’ve actually eaten at the restaurant in question, on a trip to NYC back in 2016. I remember enjoying it, but kinda regretting choosing the Swedish meatballs instead of one of the more soul food or Caribbean-inflected offerings.
Anyway, I flagged a lot of recipes that looked interesting to try, but since I came back from my trip with a sore knee, I went with the simplest option, one that wouldn’t keep me on my feet too long, Garlic ‘n’ Honey Roasted Sweets from the Family Meals section. It’s a super-easy sheet pan dish with a notable kick from the chipotle—I served it as a side with glazed ham, but I think it would’ve worked better with another veg, maybe green beans or collards, alongside. Still, I enjoyed it and had the leftovers for lunch the next day.
This would work really well as a Thanksgiving side, come to think, a more savory (but still kinda sweet) alternative to the traditional candied yams.
Garlic ‘n’ Honey Roasted Sweets
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch half moons
¼ c. olive oil
1 tsp coarse kosher salt
1 tsp chipotle chile powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 sprigs thyme
4 garlic cloves, smashed
2 T unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 T honey
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil, salt, chipotle chile powder, cumin, thyme, and garlic.
Spread the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes. Stir, dot with the butter, and drizzle on the honey. Roast until the sweets are caramelized and tender, another 20 minutes.
Lift up the parchment paper and slide the sweets into a serving dish. Serve warm.