The Pioneer Woman Tasty Kitchen
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Festive Grilled Zucchini and Sweet Potato Salad

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Level: Easy

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Description

A smoky, colorful side dish that brightens any plate.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cups Cooking Oil (I Use Either Grapeseed Or Coconut)
  • 2 whole Small Sweet Potatoes, Peeled And Sliced Into 1/4-inch Rounds
  • 3 whole Small Zucchini, Sliced Lengthwise Into 1/4-inch Strips
  • 3 slices Uncooked Bacon
  • 1 whole Small Leek, Trimmed, Cleaned, And Chopped (about 1/2 Cup)
  • 1 cup Frozen Corn
  • 3 ounces, weight Fresh Baby Spinach (a Couple Of Big Handfuls)
  • 3 Tablespoons Red Wine Or Balsamic Vinegar
  • 6 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Fresh Chopped Rosemary (or 1 Tsp Dried)
  • 1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Oregano (or 1 Tsp Dried)
  • ¼ cups Shredded Or Shaved Fresh Parmesan Cheese
  • ⅛ teaspoons Salt And Pepper, to taste

Preparation

Preheat BBQ grill or stove-top grill pan to medium-high heat. Brush oil over grates and on both sides of the sliced sweet potato and zucchini. Place on hot grill and cook until tender, flipping once halfway through, about 10-15 minutes total. The sweet potato may take a bit longer than the zucchini, but be sure to remove it from the grill before it gets too soft to pick up in one piece. Set aside to cool, then chop into 1/2-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, cook bacon (whole or chopped, whatever you prefer) in a medium skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from the pan and leave about a Tablespoon or so of the bacon fat in the pan. Add chopped leeks to the skillet and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until they soften. Add frozen corn to the skillet and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, 4-5 minutes until corn is thawed and golden brown spots begin to appear. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large salad bowl combine all of the warm cooked vegetables (grilled and sauteed), the bacon, spinach, vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, oregano, and Parmesan shavings. Mix until everything is coated in the oil and vinegar and let it sit for about 10 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes about 6 servings.

Nat’s Notes:
1. Leeks are notorious for being gritty between layers. The best way to prep them is to first trim them, then chop them, then throw the chopped leek into a bowl full of cool water. Swish the leeks around and let it sit for a couple minutes to allow the sand to sink to the bottom of the bowl. Remove washed leeks with a skimmer/spider or slotted spoon.
2. Make sure the sweet potatoes are about 1/4-inch thick. If they’re too thick, they won’t cook through before the outsides get too black, and if they’re too thin, they won’t stay in one piece when you take them off the grill. They may have a slight bite to them, but they’re still good that way.

5 Comments

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denise454 on 5.5.2010

My adult son and I tried this recently. He loved it, took seconds and asked me to save the leftovers. I wasn’t quite as thrilled, but it was healthy and pretty good. It is a little fussy with the pre cooking and slicing/dicing of the sweet potatoes and zucchini (I used summer squash as I couldn’t get zucchini). I don’t usually cook with leeks, but really like them.

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teafiend on 5.3.2010

This is absolutely delicious!

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Natalie | Perry's Plate on 5.2.2010

Mjrl – Haha… I guess you’re right! I didn’t even think about that because it was intended to be a side dish when I made it. It really could stand on its own.

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mjrl on 5.2.2010

Side dish? This sounds like a great light supper all on its own! Giving it a try this week :)

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beachchef on 4.30.2010

This sounds wonderful… I’m going to try it this weekend!

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