Sweet potato tapenade

 

Hi there, It's been a while (and I always seem to blank on Thursdays) but I'm linking up with Katie and Steph for their Saw it, Pinned it, Did it linkup.

 

Okay, this is a teensy bit of a cheat. I had made these a LONG time ago but technically it IS from a Pinterest pin, and they're just too great not to share with the masses through a linkup.

 

 

Here's the original pin:

(via)



I LOVE me som Smitten Kitchen. Her photos make food that I wouldn't even eat look good.

Here's my stab at it:

 



Up today is a delightfully strange little meal that can also double as an appetizer! 

Like sweet potatoes? 

Like goat cheese and candied pecans and onions? You're going to LOVE this. 

This recipe is based off a smitten kitchen recipe I found.

If you look at smitten kitchen's photo though and feel bad that you can't get the "tapenade" (really it's more of a salad, or bruschetta, but tapenade sounds super fancy) to pile perfectly on top of each potato, don't feel bad. I clearly couldn't either.

Things you'll need (this fed M and I, so 2 servings):

• 2 sweet potatoes (depending on size and # of people eating....)
• 1 bag of celery 
• 1 red onion 
• goat cheese (one of those teensy Chevre logs will do) 
• red wine vinegar
• small handful of candied pecans, about half of a 1/4 cup, depending on your preference

 (If you can find candied ones, great, if not, NBD. I had candied some for a salad earlier in the week. In case you're wondering how the hell to "candy" pecans: rough chop them, put some butter in a pan and heat it on the stove, toss the pecans in as well as a tbsp or 2 of sugar, stir until sugar starts to melt and turn sticky and coats the pecans. Take off QUICKLY after this happens -otherwise they burn- and put them on a cutting board to dry. Don't put them on a paper towel and watch them stick, like I did the first try. woops.)

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
• Chop up the sweet potatoes into rounds (if it's skinny enough), otherwise I halved some of them so they were all around the same size.
• Toss sweet potatoes in olive oil and salt and pepper, lay on cookie sheet in single layer, and bake for 20 minutes before flipping once. (cook for 10 more minutes after you flip).
• While sweet potatoes are cooking chop 3/4 bag of celery (I had like, 4 stalks leftover) I'd estimate it was 1 1/2 cups of celery, and half a red onion into teensy pieces:

•  Mix red onion, celery, candied pecans, and 3/4 sleeve of goat cheese (I'd estimate it was 1/4 a cup)  in a bowl
• Add approx 2 tbsp of red wine vinegar (Sorry, I don't measure these things. Just drizzle it on until it's lightly coated, but not DRENCHED. ya dig?) and mix it all together

 

Spoon the salad/tapenade mixture on top of the sweet potatoes and eat! 

If you're more patient than I am, you can spoon them so there is just a little pile on top of each individual potato (which is how I did it when I made this as an appetizer once!), alas, I was not this time. Just make sure you get a bite of sweet potato with a bite of salad. So tasty. 

Bon apetit!