Vegging Out
I have to confess the first time I made this it was with honeynut squash – the ones that look like little butternut squash – as a side dish for a meat meal, but honeynut squash are not so easy to find, and butternut squash would be too big. So I revised it using sweet potatoes because they are always available, and offered it as a plant-based main course in this week’s Berkshire Eagle column, if that’s part of your New Year’s resolution.
SWEETEN THE DEAL
by Elizabeth Baer
As we turn the page on the calendar, trying to remember to write 2026 on checks (if anyone writes checks anymore!) and other documents, we tend to reflect on the year completed and look ahead toward our hopes, dreams, and goals for the year ahead. Around us we see retrospectives, and social media will often prompt you to click on the year-in-review compilation that the algorithm has made for you.
Also peppering the social media feed are all the ways in which we might make New Year’s resolutions, often promoting a membership fee or new product that you absolutely must buy. We might plan to exercise more, lose weight, or commit to the dry January trend. And we will try to stick to those plans, even as we push past what has become known as “Quitter’s Day,” which, apparently, is the second Friday in January, the day on which the majority of people give up on their New Year’s resolutions!
One dietary trend I’ve seen is a shift to more plant-based eating, and this has become a popular resolution. While some people may decide to go vegetarian or vegan, many of us simply try to pull back on the amount of meat we eat. These days the decision can be for health reasons, environmental concerns, or budgetary realities. Whatever the motivation, it can be challenging to shift one’s menu repertoire to find satisfying, filling dishes that don’t include meat.
This recipe for hasselback sweet potatoes offers an option for a vegetarian meal perhaps with a side of rice or couscous. It can also be a side dish for a meal that includes other items on the plate. Although it does contain yogurt, that is the only non-vegan part of the recipe, and plant-based yogurt will surely work if that is your dietary practice. Also, feel free to find ways to make this recipe your own! No za’atar in the house? Try another herb and/or spice mix. Instead of the tahini sauce, a green goddess dressing would be a great contrast to the sweet potatoes. Just follow the basic guidelines and discover your favorite version!
HASSELBACK SWEET POTATOES WITH ZA’ATAR AND TAHINI
Serves 2 as a vegetarian entrée, or 4 as a side dish, can be doubled
INGREDIENTS:
2 sweet potatoes, about 12-16 ounces each
1 small onion (or half a medium onion), sliced thin
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
2 teaspoons za’atar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
¼ cup tahini
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons ice water
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425°F and line a pan with parchment. It can be a baking dish, roasting pan, or half sheet pan, just as long as it’s big enough that the sweet potatoes won’t be too crowded.
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut in half lengthwise. To make hasselback cuts, place each piece flat side down on a cutting board, and make slices almost – but not entirely – through the sweet potato, about ¼ inch apart. If you put take-out chopsticks or pencils on either side of the sweet potato, that will keep the knife from going all the way through.
Scatter the onion slices onto the parchment, then place the hasselback-cut sweet potatoes on top of the onions, flat side down. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle the za’atar and ¾ teaspoon salt over the sweet potatoes.
Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Check partway through, and if they seem dry, you can baste with the oil from the bottom of the pan, or just drizzle a touch more olive oil if that’s easier.
While the sweet potatoes are baking, make the sauce. Place the tahini in a small bowl or measuring cup. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and whisk to combine. The tahini will get thick and may seize up at this point, but not to worry. Let sit until the potatoes are done.
Remove the potatoes from the oven, and using a spatula or two, move to a serving platter or onto diners’ plates. Add ice water to the sauce, 1 or 2 teaspoons at a time, and whisk until it becomes pourable but still a bit thick. It usually takes between 1-2 tablespoons to reach a desired consistency.
Drizzle some of the sauce over the sweet potatoes and serve the rest at the table if diners want more.