Hi there,
Meet John Rieber, a man with a ravenous appetite for all things culinary. His passion for food has brought him to different corners of the world, where he has savored diverse cuisines and discovered hidden gems. With his extensive knowledge and experience in the culinary field, John has become an indispensable member of our cookbook review club. But what sets him apart is his witty sense of humor, which infuses his writing with a delicious flavor that leaves you wanting more. Bite into John’s posts at Bite Eat Repeat, https://www.biteeatrepeat.com, and discover a world of gastronomic delights.
Zesty Lime and Cayenne Roasted Chickpea and Sweet Potato Salad
When we cook at home, I usually handle appetizers and main courses, and my wife takes care of salads and side dishes…so it was fun adventure for me to take on a “salad as main course”, thanks to “Oh, She Glows for Dinner”.
The cookbook describes this dish as a “protein-packed bowl” and it is indeed – plus it is very simple and fun to make, and presents colorfully at the dinner table!
First, here are the ingredients:
2 medium to large sweet potatoes – roughly 2 pounds
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 14-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ teasoon fine sea salt
Cayenne pepper
2 large limes
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 5 oz. package of baby greens
1 large ripe avocado, pitted and diced
1/3 cup roasted pepitas
Instruction for preparing:
Preheat your oven to 425.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into ½-1” cubes.
Put on one baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil – spread out evenly across the baking sheet.
Dry the chickpeas, spread them on the second baking sheet and toss with olive oil…sprinkle with ¼ tsp sea salt and with the degree of cayenne pepper you want…remember, you can always add more later!
Put both sheets in the oven and roast the sweet potatoes and chickpeas for 25-35 minutes…I checked after twenty minutes and gave them a bit of a stir, but Chef Lidden points out it’s not necessary.
While they are roasting, time to make the salad dressing…first, zest and juice two limes, setting aside the zest,
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 tsp of the olive oil, 3 tsp lime juice, the maple syrup and a pinch of salt.
After mixing, set 2 tablespoons of the dressing aside to drizzle over the salad at the end.
Add all of the mixed green to a serving bowl with the remaining dressing and toss thoroughly.
Remove the sweet potatoes and garbanzo beans from the oven and toss your Pepitas onto the sheet and let them toast for 5 minutes.
Dice the avocado – and now it is time to compile the salad.
Portion the dressed lettuce in 4 separate bowls, divide the sweet potatoes and chickpeas equally on top of each one, then sprinkle each with avocado chunks – finally, top with the reserved dressing and sprinkle the reserved lime zest on each one…add roasted pepitas as a finish.
Here is how it looked for me – it turned out very close to the image in the cookbook. So, does this recipe make a case for this cookbook to have a place on your shelf or electronic device?
If you want vegetarian dishes with various degrees of complexity, the answer is a resounding “yes!”
This recipe is easy to make, but it did indeed pack a lot of flavors in the dish – and while it had heartiness thanks to the sweet potatoes, it also felt light because of the lettuce, and of course the garbanzo beans had a nice crunchy texture and a bit of cayenne pop as well!
I work in the entertainment industry – as such I’ve been lucky to travel and taste the flavors of the world.
My wife took me to a weeklong cooking class with Chef / Author Patricia Wells. While at her house in Provence, I was able to cook on the stove that Patricia’s longtime friend, Julia Child gave her…in 2022, my wife challenged me to cook a new recipe from a different cookbook we owned every week, hence my “52 In 22 cooking challenge.” All of those recipes live on my food blog, where I post recipes and interesting food stories from around the world, because as I like to say: “everyone eat!”
Website:
Thank you John for taking the time to share this recipe and your review. I especially liked the idea of contrasting the two pictures.
14 responses to “KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL COOKBOOK CLUB – John Rieber reviews Oh She Glows for Dinner by Angela Lidden”
This sounds wonderful. I try to cook meatless at least 2x each week and this recipe fits the bill. Thank you John and Bernadette
You are most welcome Antionette. Have a great week.
Love this – “protein-packed bowl” recipes!
I confessed to Bernadette that I do not cook vegan often – BUT I found that this recipe was not only healthy and delicious, but it allowed me to use ingredients in a different way…move over baked sweet potato, here comes the roaster!
John chose a super recipe. I love everything about it. I’m liking this cookbook more and more.
Thanks Darlene for participating.
This sounds like a great salad, and I like the ease of the preparation
Thanks Jenna for taking the time to read and comment.
Hi, John – That salad sounds amazing. I have no idea why I have not made it before (I have owned this cookbook for the past three years). I plan to make it this week. Thank you for the inspiration!
I would definitely make this one. And might just do that this week. Thanks!
I adore chickpeas! and avocado and pepitas. This suits me to a T 🙂
The salad does have a lot of tasty ingredients. thanks for stopping by Sherry.
This sounds great! My husband’s adult daughter is vegan and she would eat the heck out of this!
[…] You can find the full recipe and John’s review. here. […]