1 small sweet potato, with skin, cut into 1″ cubes
1/4 cup water
1/4 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced lengthwise and cut into 2″ strips
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Salad
2 large chard leaves, destemmed and roughly chopped into bite-size pieces
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped
Chili-Lime Dressing
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 lime, juiced
Pinch of sea salt
PREPARATION
In a small food processor or blender, add the California walnuts, chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, and lime juice. Pulse on and off for about 30 seconds, until walnuts have combined with seasonings and are just coarsely ground. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat and add the sweet potatoes. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking to the pan. When the sweet potatoes have absorbed much of the oil, add in the water and cover the pan with a lid. Bring heat to low and steam sweet potatoes about 5 minutes or until fork tender.
Remove lid from skillet and add in the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and chili powder to the sweet potatoes. Stir to mix well and season with sea salt. Cook vegetables an additional 3-4 minutes, until peppers and onions are cooked but not mushy. Remove from heat but keep covered with a lid until ready to assemble salads.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, chili powder, salt, and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
To assemble salads, divide the chopped chard into two medium bowls, and add 1/2 cup of brown rice to the side of the chard in the bowl. Add half of the sautéed vegetables to each bowl, and top with 1/4 cup of walnut ‘meat’. Drizzle each bowl with a garnish of fresh lime juice and 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro. Serve with chili-lime dressing.