I love how the umami, nutty crunch of the pecan salsa plays off the bright zesty notes of the crema, both accentuating the sumptuous sweet potato and caramelized dates. Top it off with fresh cilantro and you have yourself a party! Perfect as a stunning vegetable side dish or a vegetarian centerpiece. All the components come together simply, making it as easy to prepare as it is impressive to serve.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Pecan Salsa Macha, Lime Yogurt Crema
I love how the umami, nutty crunch of the pecan salsa plays off the bright zesty notes of the crema, both accentuating the sumptuous sweet potato and caramelized dates. Top it off with fresh cilantro and you have yourself a party! Perfect as a stunning vegetable side dish or a vegetarian centerpiece. All the components come together simply, making it as easy to prepare as it is impressive to serve.
Mexican • Salads & Sides • Gluten-Free · Egg-Free · Soy-Free · Vegetarian
Colors:
Tastes:
🍋🧂🍬🍵🌶️
Techniques:
🌿🥒🔥
Tested by 
•Cooked and tested by the Valentiful team
Rating:
Yield: 775 g roasted sweet potatoes · 1 cup crema · 1 pint salsa macha
Serves: 6 (4-5 wt oz (a hearty side))
Time: Active 25m · Inactive 50m · Total 2h 5m
Ingredients
1 cup Neutral Oil
½ cup Pecans
25 g Dried Chili Peppers (Morita or Guajillo or Ancho Pepper) (Stems removed)
3 cloves Garlic
2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
1 cup Olive Oil
Salt, to taste (~½ tsp)
½ each Limes, zested & juiced
1 clove Garlic (Microplaned)
2 tsp Olive Oil
½ tsp Salt (Kosher Salt)
¼ tsp Onion Powder
¼ tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Sourcing Tips
- For the Greek yogurt, I love Mother Culture, it's my favorite yogurt of all time, so thick and creamy!”
- For extra nice presentation, swap in cilantro microgreens in place of the cilantro sprigs.
Instructions
COOK & COOL SALSA MACHA INGREDIENTS: Add avocado oil to a pot over medium low heat. When hot, add pecans, chiles, garlic and sesame seeds. Stir until nuts start to turn brown, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool.
GRIND & SEASON SALSA MACHA: When mixture has cooled completely, transfer to a blender and run for about 1 minute, until ingredients are semi ground. Add olive oil and salt to taste.
STORE SALSA MACHA: This salsa keeps well refrigerated for a year, and is great to keep on hand at all times!
PREHEAT OVEN: Preheat the oven to 425 °F.
ROAST SWEET POTATOES: Arrange the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet, and coat their skins evenly with olive oil and salt. Prick them a couple times with a fork to play it safe and keep them from exploding.
Roast until tender and natural caramel is oozing from the potatoes, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing.
In a small bowl, combine yogurt, lime zest and juice, grated garlic, olive oil, salt, onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix together until homogenous.
BROIL SWEET POTATOES & DATES: Set broiler to high heat. Cut sweet potatoes into rounds and lay across a baking sheet in a single layer along with the medjool dates. Drizzle with olive oil and flaky salt. Broil until sweet potatoes and dates are warmed all the way through and the edges begin to char.
TO PLATE: Transfer sweet potatoes and dates to a platter. Drizzle with 2-3 Tablespoons of salsa macha, then top with hearty dollops of lime yogurt crema and sprigs of fresh cilantro, making sure you get some on every slice of sweet potato.
Serving & Keeping
Serve: Warm
Make ahead: This recipe makes a whole pint of salsa macha and you only need a couple Tbsp. Make ahead and keep it on hand. It lasts up to a year in the fridge.
You can make lime yogurt crema up to a week in advance. (This also makes a great dip for crudite and chips!)
You can roast the sweet potatoes the day before, refrigerate them whole in the fridge.
Keeps: Leftovers will not be as good as when served composed with each ingredient at its respective temperature, but still scrumptious and safe to eat as a leftover within 5 days.
Leftover Ideas: You'll have extra salsa macha!
Serve with: Smoked Turkey Breast with Pipian Mole, Oaxacan Vegetable Salad & Tamales
Sourcing Tips
- For the Greek yogurt, I love Mother Culture, it's my favorite yogurt of all time, so thick and creamy!”
- For extra nice presentation, swap in cilantro microgreens in place of the cilantro sprigs.
Serving & Keeping
Serve: Warm
Make ahead: This recipe makes a whole pint of salsa macha and you only need a couple Tbsp. Make ahead and keep it on hand. It lasts up to a year in the fridge.
You can make lime yogurt crema up to a week in advance. (This also makes a great dip for crudite and chips!)
You can roast the sweet potatoes the day before, refrigerate them whole in the fridge.
Keeps: Leftovers will not be as good as when served composed with each ingredient at its respective temperature, but still scrumptious and safe to eat as a leftover within 5 days.
Leftover Ideas: You'll have extra salsa macha!
Serve with: Smoked Turkey Breast with Pipian Mole, Oaxacan Vegetable Salad & Tamales
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