Southwestern Style Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Red Peppers

I like doing creative things. I love to read and write and that’s how I thought of starting this blog. I felt that this can be a good channel to share my writings with everyone. Cooking of course is my favorite activity and I cook everyday. However, sometimes I just feel the need to do something more, like last week, while browsing for recipes, I saw a photo of a painting in a kitchen and it was so beautiful that I forgot all about the recipe and started browsing for paintings. When Debarshi came home, I told him that I wanted to try painting. 

Now I have never taken any painting lessons, in fact I have not painted anything in a long time, so I spent a lot of time trying to decide what to paint. I watched tutorials on painting and then we bought all the painting materials. 

Although I painted like an amateur, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Painting these pictures made me feel so calm and relaxed, it was like reliving the childhood memories. I loved playing with colors and enjoyed every second working on it.

Finally, when I completed the paintings I turned my attention to my second favorite hobby - Blogging. It was then that I realized that I have not written anything for this week’s blog. Hmm. What to do? I decided this week I will share a quick vegetable side dish recipe with you.

The recipe I am going to share with you today is a Sweet Potatoes & Red Peppers dish. This is a sweet and tangy southwestern recipe with the sweetness of Sweet Potatoes and Red Peppers and the bold flavors of Chipotle Chile Pepper, Onion and Garlic. 

I love sweet potatoes and I eat them whenever I can. I have prepared this side many times including our Housewarming Party and believe me everyone loved it. Preparing this dish is basically a three step process - Cut, Toss and Bake and the readymade spice makes everything even easier. I usually use the McCormick Southwest Sweet 'n Smoky Seasoning’ spice to prepare it. It has the perfect blend of all the spices and the vegetables taste great with it. You can find it in any grocery store in the spice aisle, however, if you want to prepare it from scratch I have written the ingredients for your convenience. 

Now if you are not very fond of Sweet Potatoes or want to avoid all that carb, you can still try this recipe with Shrimp or any other meat. It is very helpful for those who are on Keto diet (Low Carb High Fat Dieting Plan) and want to try new flavors. I will be uploading some more quick recipes soon but in the meantime do give this a try!

Serve it with homemade Breadsticks and an entrée of your choice. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

• Sweet Potatoes – ½ pound or 3 cups, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• Red Bell Pepper – ½ medium, cut into 1-inch chunks
• Red Onion – ½ medium, cut into 1-inch chunks
• Sweet Onion – ½ medium, cut into 1-inch chunks
• Oil - 1 tablespoon 
• McCormick Perfect Pinch Salt Free Southwest Sweet 'n Smoky Seasoning - 1 tablespoon
• Salt – ½ Teaspoon

Directions:

• Take a big baking pan and cover it with foil. Grease it lightly with oil.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F. 
• Take a large bowl and toss the Sweet Potatoes, Bell Pepper and Onion with oil. 
• Sprinkle the Seasoning and Salt; using a spatula, toss to coat evenly.
• Spread in a single layer on the foil-lined baking pan. 
• Bake for 40 minutes or until Sweet Potatoes are tender, stirring halfway through cook time. Poke with a fork to check tenderness.
• Serve with home made Breadsticks and an entrée of your choice.

Make the Southwest Sweet 'n Smoky Seasoning spice at home:

• Chipotle Chile Pepper – 1 teaspoon
• Onion powder- ¼ teaspoon
• Garlic powder – ¼ teaspoon
• Sun Dried Tomato – 2, chopped
• Brown Sugar – ¼ teaspoon
• Smoked Paprika – ¼ teaspoon
• Lemon – half, juiced

Recommended Reading:

• Breadsticks
• Un-Sweet Tea
• Jalapeno and Cheddar Cheese Bread
• Pyaz Ke Pakore (Onion Fritters)
• Roasted Vegetables Recipe
• Steamed Broccoli
• Corn on the Cob and Grilled Corn
• Homemade Herbed Skillet Potatoes
• Mashed Potatoes with Garlic
• Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar and Pecans
• Dr. D’s Smoked Ribs
• Alu Shimla Mirch Tamatar Sabji (Potato with Bell Peppers in a Tomato gravy)
• Mayo Mustard Sauce with Herbs