Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad

First, peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into bite-sized pieces, toss them with some oil and seasoning and bake them for approximately 20 minutes in Convection Bake or Convection Roast. While the potatoes are in the oven, combine the remaining ingredients for the salad and prepare the dressing.

Susanne Jensen

Ingredients

For the Potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” segments

½ red onion, cut into 1” dice

2 tbsp olive or canola oil

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp Kosher salt

Remaining Salad Ingredients

1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 yellow or red bell pepper, seeded and cut into small dice

1 cup, fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

For the Dressing

½ cup olive oil

1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

Juice of 2 limes

Preparation

Heat the oven in the Convection Bake or Convection Roast mode at 400 egrees.

Combine the sweet potatoes with the remaining ingredients and spread them onto a rimmed baking sheet. Place in the lower portion of the oven and bake for 20 minutes until tender and slightly caramelized.

Set aside to cool when done.

Combine the remaining salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl and combine with the cooked sweet potatoes.

Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a blender and process until smooth.

Add ⅔ of the dressing to the prepared salad ingredients and season with sea salt. Taste and add more salt and dressing if needed.

Note: The original recipe calls for 2 cans of black beans but I find 1 is sufficient, so I always have some extra dressing that I use for another salad.

Serves 4

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Baked Ham with Tangerine Glaze and Roasted Carrots

Since ham is already cooked by smoking it is most often eaten cold, however heated through and brushed with a fruity glaze it makes a great centerpiece for celebration meals.  

In order to heat the ham through it usually needs a fair bit of time in a slow oven and to avoid drying out the meat it is covered until the final stage when the glaze is added. However, if you bake your unsliced ham in Convection you will not need to cover the ham and the heating through time will take approximately 1 ½ - 2 hours, depending on the weight of the ham. If you are heating a sliced ham then it must remain covered in foil to avoid drying out.

Ingredients

Preparation

1 - smoked ham, bone-in, skin on 7 - 9 lbs

1 - bunch fresh sage leaves

¾ - cup olive oil

1 - cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks

2 - cups tangerine juice

2 - tangerines, sliced thin, seeds removed

2  - cups, packed light brown sugar

1 - cup water

½ - teaspoon whole cloves

2 - cinnamon sticks

1 ½ - lbs baby carrots

Preheat the oven in the Convection Mode 300 degrees.

Place the ham on a rack in a large roasting pan. 

Score the ham with cuts in a diamond pattern about 2 inches apart and ½ deep. 

Season generously with salt and pepper. Chop 8 of the sage leaves and mix with the olive oil to make a paste, rub all of the ham getting into the slits.

Bake for 2 hours.

Glaze: 

Combine the  butter, tangerine juice, tangerines, brown sugar, water and spices in a heavy medium saucepan and heat over medium heat.  

Bring to a gentle boil and simmer until the liquid is reduced to a syrupy glaze, 30 - 40 minutes.

Brush the glaze over the ham when it has completed its initial heating phase. Add the baby carrots and another 8 chopped sage leaves and continue baking for another 40 - 50 minutes until the carrots are tender and the internal temperature of the ham is 150 degrees.

Serves 12

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