Sweet Potato Hummus

I have had a bit of a hiatus from writing, cooking and photography. I’ve missed every bit of it and with my downtime I’ve been doing a ton of self care. Having the last six weeks off recovering from a surgery is not my favorite type of downtime but it’s amazing how much perspective one can get when you’re just focused on healing. I can’t remember when the last time I actually just focused on me, myself and I. Initially it was hard not to do things I normally do, to let go and let Ryan take the helm of our daily routines. The mornings I would rest in bed ( with a warm cup of tea from Ryan ) while I listened to the hum of the house, the boys waking, having breakfast downstairs, packing their school bags and then off to school. I would sit there and wonder if Ryan cut the crusts off their sandwiches, what was he fixing them for breakfast, did he put an orange in Soren’s lunch box? Once everyone was out the door the house was quiet and there I was in the quiet. What was I going to do with six weeks of no lifting more than ten pounds, no exercise ( other than walking short distances ) not even yoga. I could think of million things I would do if I had no restrictions and I learned quickly that if I pushed myself too hard my body would be exhausted and it was letting me know it was still healing from the inside out.

One luxury I discovered from all of this was reading. I love to read and I always have a book with me so I can sneak in ten to fifteen minutes between appointments, soccer practices and school pickups. I read a ton of amazing books but what was really fantastic was having the quiet time to reflect, reread, look a little deeper. I read biographies, historical fiction, non fiction, cookbooks (duh), even an entire book of poetry by Mary Oliver ( I plan on reading all of her books). I was also forced to practice letting go and letting others do what I would normally do in my day to day. Not so easy but in the end it was good and has even lightened my load in the future. Speaking of future I’m stoked to say I have healed up well and looking forward to gradually adding back the bits of life that I took a break from and also knowing some routines were not a necessity for the day to day and they can be eliminated to open up more “me” time down the road. That’s pretty exciting.

Future posts I’m excited to share some of the things that I’ve read, lists of places I want to see and photograph, recipe developments, cocktails and some trips that are already on the books.

Enough about me, let’s get to this sweet potato spread. If you’re into sweet potatoes this may be your new go to spread. You really can’t go wrong with roasted sweet potatoes and garlic, a smidge of tahini and a squeeze of lime. I also added the addition of beautiful smoked Arbequino olive oil and dried urfa chilies on top, but extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of Maldon would totally suffice. You really could riff on this recipe adding smoked paprika or topping with Aleppo peppers, I can imagine this being delicious in so many ways. Just a note this is best closer to room temperature for serving.

Lastly I wanted to thank all my family and friends for taking care of me and my sweet family, all the meals, coffee/tea visits, flowers and gifts, phone calls and texts. I truly felt loved by so many.

Lx

Adapted from bon appétit

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato ( about 1 1/2 pounds ), peeled and cut into large pieces ( about 3 cups )

2 cloves garlic, smashed

Olive oil for drizzling

3 tablespoons pure tahini

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more

1 lime, halved

Urfa chili

Preparation

Place a rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Scatter sweet potato and garlic across parchment lined baking sheet, generously drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast, tossing halfway through, until garlic is golden brown and sweet potato is tender and browned in a few spots, 40-45 minutes.

Let veg cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. Add tahini and 1 1/2 tsp. salt and squeeze in juice from lime; pulse to incorporate. With motor running, gradually add 1 cup water. Mixture should be the consistency of hummus; add a little more water if needed. Taste and season with salt, drizzle with your favorite olive oil and sprinkle with Urfa chilies.