Japanese Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Strawberries and Halloumi with Chimichurri

Guys, I really outdid myself with this one. This recipe is easy, quick, and super flavorful, and I straight up just combined a few things that I liked. The sweetness of the Japanese sweet potatoes and strawberries perfectly complemented the salty halloumi and bright, herby chimichurri. It’s a great weeknight recipe, and honestly a good one to make for friends because of how different and fun it is.

Some ingredient notes:

I’m not sure if most people know the difference between a Japanese sweet potato and a regular ol’ yam. Japanese sweet potatoes are white inside, which makes me incredibly sad because when given the option I’d almost always rather eat a colorful thing then a boring white thing. But they’re less sweet and usually not as mushy as orange sweet potatoes, so I forgive them for their lack of vibrance.

I’ll also clear up this halloumi mystery for you. Halloumi is a cheese that’s popular in the Middle East. It’s brined (so, salty) and has a high melting point, so you can grill it!! If you’ve never had halloumi, you need to run out and get some right now. Speaking of which, if you’ve got a Trader Joe’s near you, I suggest buying it there. Lots of other grocery stores have it, but Trader Joe’s tends to have the most reasonable halloumi prices.

Japanese Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Strawberries and Halloumi with Chimichurri, serves 4

Ingredients:

    • 4 small Japanese sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean
    • 16 oz of strawberries
    •  3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
    • Pepper
    • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
    • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 shallot, finely chopped
    • 1 Fresno chile or red jalapeño, finely chopped
    • 1 package of halloumi, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
    • 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
    • 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
    • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit.
  2. While the oven is preheating, slice the Japanese sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch rounds and de-stem the strawberries. Place the strawberries on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and coat the sweet potatoes in olive oil, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Then put the sweet potatoes on a separate parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  3. Once the oven is preheated, put both baking sheets in for 15-20 minutes, turning once at about the halfway point. You’ll know the strawberries are done when they’re soft and there’s juice spilling out everywhere, and you’ll know the potatoes are done when you can easily slide a fork into them.
  4. While things are roasting, get started on your chimichurri! Combine the vinegar, 1 tsp of salt, and the chopped garlic, chile and shallot in a bowl. Let them chill for 10 minutes.
  5. While you’re waiting for your chimichurri base to do its thing, grill your halloumi! If you’re using a grill, crank it up to high heat and grill the halloumi for about 4 minutes (2 on each side), or until it’s got nice grill marks and is looking a little melty (not dangerously melty, though). If you’re using a pan, strive for a golden brown exterior.
  6. Now return to your chimichurri! Add the chopped cilantro, parsley and oregano to the base, and then whisk in the 3/4 cup of olive oil. Throw some more salt in there if you feel like it needs it, otherwise you’re done with the chimichurri.
  7. At about this point, everything should be done, so combine the sweet potatoes, strawberries and halloumi on a plate or a bowl and top it with as much chimichurri as you’d like. (There will almost surely be extra chimichurri, but don’t worry cause it’s good on everything. Some good uses for your extra chimichurri include dipping bread into it, serving it atop roasted winter squash, putting it on eggs, and eating it with a spoon.)

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