I first came across sweet potatoes in South Carolina when I was 14. My family and I were in a middle-of-nowhere diner on a road trip up the East Coast and I recall being tired and starving. The diner itself was full of character (so American) and wacky: there was an electronic train set built up in the rafters which let out a ‘toot-toot’ occasionally, and all the farming locals were sat up at the diner bar with matching Levi jeans and chequered shirts. Classic.

After ordering our food the waitress plonked a massive baked sweet potato in front of us all, dripping in cinnamon butter… “what on earth is this?!” we all pondered,  expecting an atypical bread basket. But boy am I glad we got that spud. It was beyond delicious, and so flavoursome paired with the fragrant cinnamon. Since then my love affair with the sweet potato began and its its not a staple of my diet (its also way more nutritious than the Maris Piper). Anyway, enough reminiscing, down to the important stuff…

This salad is simple to chuck together and only requires a bit of prep through the roasting process. I tend to roast extra potato alongside other veg in preparation for dinner (as a side) and then save some of the spud for this salad the next day = easy. The flavours from this dish taste so decadent yet its a light and healthy meal to enjoy whether hot or cold. Also, if you can’t get your hands on sweet potatoes you can try it with butternut squash…. another foodstuff close to my (hungry) heart!

Ingredients Serves 3-4

• 1kg sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 100g blue cheese, crumbled
• 50g toasted pecans
• 3 spring onions, sliced thinly
• 50g kalamata olives (optional)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsps apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp wholegrain dijon mustard

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees celcius
2. Toss the sweet potato with the olive oil and some seasoning. Spread on a baking baking tray and roast for 30-35 mins until tender
3. Make the dressing by whisking together the extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and mustard
4. Mix the potato  with the spring onions and drizzle over the dressing. Scatter over the cheese, pecans and olives and toss with your hands (be careful of the potato!). If taking to work, take the dressing separately and mix just before eating.