Monday's recipe links - recipes for ten superfoods

As discussed over in my main blog, today I'm going to feature links to recipes that highlight this list of ten superfoods.

1. Walnut Oil - Asparagus Salad with Walnut Oil Vinaigrette from Emeril's show on the Food Network.
2. Quinoa - How to make a basic quinoa salad, without a recipe!, from Chow. Lots of common sense advice for dealing with an uncommon grain.
3. Black beans - Rick Bayless' black bean soup. A sweet guy and a fantastic chef.
4. Sweet potatoes - Chili-bathed sweet potatoes Another Rick Bayless recipe but this time adapted by another favourite cookbook author, Martha Rose Shulman. Note: for some of you, you may be asked to log in to the NY Times website to be able to see this recipe. :-(  Because I don't want you to have to jump through that hoop, I've copied it down below. But please do feel free to visit the NY Times website - they have lots of lovely information. :-)
5. Cabbage - Vegetarian cabbage rolls from Canadian Living. Sub in brown rice for the white - you won't taste the difference but your body will thank you.
6. Oats - Overnight oatmeal, cooked in a slow cooker. Eating Well Magazine.
7. Flax seeds - Flax and sunflower seed bread made in a bread maker (do you still know where yours is?). Tip - use flax seed meal (pre-ground flax) or grind your own before adding it to the recipe otherwise you won't get any of the nutritional benefits. From All Recipes.
8. Avocado - Avocado soup from Style at Home.
9.  Kale - Baked crispy kale from Steamy Kitchen. Think potato chips baked in the oven, only with kale!
10.  Strawberries - Strawberry salad from Nest and Sparkle (but please, wait till they're in season before trying this recipe!). This one has mint, goat cheese and pumpkin seeds. Yum.

Chili-Bathed Sweet Potatoes

by Martha Rose Shulman 
Published in the NY Times, January 24, 2011 
 
Rick Bayless offers a wonderful recipe for sweet potatoes glazed with an ancho chili paste in “Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen.” Instead of making the paste, I make a thinner glaze with canned chipotle and some of the adobo they’re packed in. The glaze makes a spicy contrast to the sweet potatoes.

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, green shoots removed
Salt to taste
2 chipotle chilies in adobo, seeded
2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the chilies
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground cloves (1 clove)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth or water
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon finely chopped orange zest
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 large sweet potatoes (about 3 pounds), scrubbed
Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)
Note: Sweet potatoes may be labeled as yams. Look for dark orange flesh.
 
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish. Place the garlic, salt, chipotles and adobo sauce, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, broth, orange juice and honey in a blender. Blend until smooth. Strain into a large, wide bowl, and stir in the orange zest.
2. Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 4-inch lengths. If the sweet potatoes are fat, cut the pieces in half lengthwise into wedges. Add to the bowl, and toss with the adobo mixture until coated. Transfer to the baking dish, then pour on the liquid from the bowl. Drizzle on the oil, and cover tightly with foil.
3. Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven until tender. Raise the heat to 425 degrees, uncover the sweet potatoes and baste with the liquid in the pan. Continue to bake, uncovered, until the sweet potatoes are thoroughly tender and glazed and any sauce remaining in the pan is thick. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
 
Yield: Serves six.
 
Advance preparation: You can make this dish several hours ahead of serving and reheat in a medium oven. You can assemble the dish through Step 2 several hours before you bake it.
 
Nutritional information per serving: 269 calories; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 52 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 262 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 4 grams protein