Chili-Roasted Sweet Potatoes over Garlic Labneh with Feta, Pomegranate Seeds, and Herbs

& oscillating stages

Hi! Welcome to “good mood food” from Kale Me Maybe’s Carina Wolff. If you’ve made it here and aren’t yet a subscriber, come join! You can expect recipes, musings, and faves in your inbox every Wednesday! Paid subscribers get even more on Fridays — right now I’m doing a 30-minute budget meal series! Learn more about the paid tier of my newsletter here. You can also try a week for free!

CATCH UP!

I joked about this on Instagram, but I feel like every week I come on here and either say “Wow, things have been challenging,” or “I’m so happy and thriving, we’ve found our stride,” but then it just continues to oscillate between the two. I had such an amazing day Monday and a stressful, sleep-deprived day Tuesday, so my own theory is certainly holding true. I have a strong hunch it’s going to be this way forever!

One major milestone this week is that I was able to cook a lot more, and that felt amazing! I worked on a few recipes that I’m going to put together as a fall meal prep post, and those will be coming out next week! I also cooked from a Blue Apron delivery, and Grant and I were even able to sit down and eat at the table together! We just had a little addition sitting next to us in his Stokke highchair (with the newborn attachment, of course).

This time away from my normal work flow has had me reflecting, and I came to the realization that it wasn’t necessarily working that I have been craving to do, but cooking, specifically. Taking a break from making my usual meals has really reinvigorated my love for cooking as a passion. I’ve gotten so used to making recipes for work that sometimes they do feel like a chore, if I’m being honest. But now, I’m remembering how cooking and enjoying a nice meal is a major form of self-care for me, and I’ve been so excited coming out with new ideas and getting to execute them in the kitchen.

Another major milestone is that we took our first flight with Sagan! I had a lot of anxiety over traveling with him, but I am writing live from the plane right now, and I am happy to report that it hasn’t been that bad. The worst part was probably packing everything up while operating on 4 hours of sleep!

THINGS I’M LOVING!

I love the look of these Dolce Vita sneakers for fall. They’re made with brown suede, and they’re great for dressing up jeans, pairing with a dress, etc. I’m surprised at how comfortable they are — I have finicky feet, and I’ve been wearing them no problem. A great alternative to Sambas (and they come in other colors too).

When I want a sweet treat quick — one that’s not too unhealthy, at that — I’ve been turning to these Stellar Eats Fudge Brownie in a cup. I don’t know if I would technically call them a brownie, since they’re more like a healthy mug cake, but I like that they’re not overly sweet, and they also happen to have 7 grams of protein!

I love that this organic cotton striped diaper bag from Pehr can be used as an everyday diaper bag or as a weekend bag because it’s so nice and roomy! It can be worn as a backpack or a tote, and I’m just in love with the stripes, although the plain denim one is also SO cute. It’s definitely on the big side, which is great for those times you’re trying to pack in a lot, for instance, travel. We took this with us on the plane, and we were able to fit so much!

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RECIPE!

I developed this recipe last year for Brightland, and I realized I never shared it anywhere myself! This is very much a holiday season recipe or something you’d serve at a cozy fall/winter dinner party. It almost felt a little too soon to share it, since Halloween hasn’t even happened yet, but honestly, the holidays will be here before we know it!

If you’re not able to find labneh for any reason, you can always use Greek yogurt in its place. Labneh is technically just strained yogurt, so you could also wrap it in a cheesecloth, place it over a strainer, and refrigerate it overnight. Just make sure you have a bowl underneath to catch the liquid!

I used both chili-infused olive oil and garlic-infused olive oil in this recipe (both Brightland), but if you don’t have either, you can substitute them with olive oil and a pinch of red pepper and olive oil and 2-4 garlic cloves, respectively. The Brightland oils are really tasty though if you feel like making the splurge! I particularly love the garlic one.

Chili-Roasted Sweet Potatoes over Garlic Labneh with Feta, Pomegranate Seeds, and Herbs

• 1 large sweet potato, cut into 2-inch chunks

• 1 ½ tbsp chili-infused olive oil (see substitution above)

• 1 ½ cups labneh

• 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil (see substitution above)

• ¼ cup crumbled feta

• 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds

• 2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley

• 1 tbsp roughly chopped dill

• Salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and add the sweet potato chunks. Toss in the chili oil and a pinch of salt, and bake for about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until potatoes are crispy.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the labneh, garlic oil, and a pinch of salt. Spread on the bottom of a plate, and then top with sweet potatoes, feta, pomegranate seeds, and herbs. Season with a little black pepper, and add another drizzle of chili oil, if desired. Serve immediately!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Last week, paid subscribers received a recipe for One-Pan Honey Smoked Paprika Chicken with Pumpkin Pasta & Crispy Sage!

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