Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Tahini Sauce

posted on: Nov 11, 2020

By: Blanche Shaheen/Arab America Contributing Writer

For many Arab Americans, Thanksgiving dinners can be a mishmash or fusion of classic Arab dishes along with American favorites. My mother always stuffed the turkey with a  Palestinian lamb and rice pilaf called hashweh, and hummus was always a staple next to the turkey and cranberry sauce. One ubiquitous Thanksgiving dish on many American tables is the sweet potato casserole with marshmallows. While many people enjoy marshmallows, sweet potatoes don’t need to be smothered with these pillows of high fructose corn syrup to taste delicious. In this healthier Mediterranean alternative to this casserole, the potatoes take on a sweet glaze with just a touch of maple syrup and olive oil. The roasted potatoes are then drizzled with antioxidant-rich tahini and pistachios. The tahini dressing is creamy, nutty, tangy, and slightly sweet, adding more depth of flavor and giving an exotic touch to sweet potatoes. Pistachios add festive color and crunch, though you can use pecans as well if you want to stay true to Thanksgiving flavors. This makes a great side dish all year round with a side of protein or incorporated into a hearty salad during the colder months. Use any leftover tahini dressing to drizzle on your favorite green salad.

To see the easy technique of this dish, you can check out the video below:

Ingredients:

2 pounds sweet potatoes (cut into matchsticks) 

1 tbsp maple Syrup

1 tbsp olive oil (or avocado oil)

Salt and pepper to taste

Tahini Dressing:

2 tbsp tahini

Juice of ½ lemon

2 tbsp honey

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp dried mint

½ tsp salt

¼ cup chopped pistachios

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl combine the potatoes, maple syrup, olive oil and salt and pepper. Lay the potatoes on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until nicely browned. Whisk the tahini dressing ingredients together, and add more water if it is too thick (as the thickness of tahini brands may vary). Drizzle the tahini dressing on top of the potatoes, and sprinkle with the pistachios. Serve immediately.

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Blanche Shaheen is a journalist, host of the YouTube cooking show called Feast in the Middle East and cookbook author. For more authentic and classical Middle Eastern recipes, you can now purchase her brand new cookbook: “Feast in the Middle East, A Personal  Journey of Family and Cuisine” by clicking HERE:https://secure.mybookorders.com/Orderpage/2189 

To  check out her cooking video tutorials and other recipes follow Blanche on

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/blanchetv   

Blog: www.FeastInTheMiddleEast.com

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