Baked Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas, Avocado & Cherry Tomatoes

Sweet potatoes are regularly on my shopping list.  They are so good for you, full of fibre, vitamins and minerals, with their peels being most nutritious.  Naturally sweet, not much needs to be done to make them more delicious.  In this recipe, sweet potatoes are baked whole in their skins, then topped with lightly spiced chickpeas, avocado, cherry tomatoes and a lemony yoghurt dressing.  A delightful Mediterranean-style vegetarian meal that wins you over with a contrast in taste, colours and texture.  Serve them on a big wooden board for everyone to help themselves.

Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 kg / 2lb 3oz sweet potatoes
• 400g / 14oz tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander 
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 avocado, seed removed and cubed
• 150g / 5¼oz cherry tomatoes, halved
• 170g / 6oz Greek yoghurt
• 1 small clove garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• sea salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Line a baking tray with baking paper or foil.  Wash and scrub sweet potatoes until clean.  Prick each one with a pork to allow steam to escape while baking.  Brush all over with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.  Bake in a preheated 200°C/400°F oven for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on size, until they are fork tender and beginning to ooze.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly.
2. In a frying pan, sauté  chickpeas in 1 teaspoon of olive oil.  Add ground coriander, cumin and paprika.  Move them around the pan for a few minutes to combine.  Remove pan from heat.
3. In a small bowl, combine yoghurt with garlic and lemon juice to make the dressing.
4. When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, make a slit in the middle of each and open it up by gently pressing both ends.  If the sweet potatoes are large, split them in half and roughen up the insides a little with a fork. 
5. Arrange sweet potatoes on a large serving board.  Top each with chickpeas, avocado, cherry tomatoes, scattering any extra around them on the board.  Spoon over yoghurt dressing.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with chopped parsley.  Serve warm.