Sweet Potato and Broccoli Salad with Apple Vinaigrette

I don't often choose sweet potatoes as a main ingredient, but as someone who isn't that into their sweetness, a roast in a hot oven really transforms them into something interesting. They retain a bit of the sweetness, but they become mostly savory. Their texture is soft in the middle with a slightly chewy bite on the outside. If you're not that into sweet potatoes I think this method will turn you into a fan.

Pairing the bitter notes of broccoli with the sweet from the potatoes and apple juice and the heat from the jalapenos and hot sauce is pretty much a party in your mouth.

Salad
2 large sweet potatoes
3 cups broccoli
1 cup red onion
1 jalapeno pepper, minced

Dressing
1/3 cup apple juice
2 lemons, zest and juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsps spicy mustard
2 tbls hot sauce
1 clove garlic
1 tbl thyme
2 tsps crushed pepper flakes
2 tsps salt
1 tsp black pepper

Peel sweet potatoes and dice into 1/2 inch cubes. Sprinkle with salt. Roast on a greased sheet pan at 450 F a quarter way up from the bottom of the oven for 35 minutes. Turn and stir half way through.

Roast broccoli in whole crowns in the middle of the same oven for 10 minutes. Chop into bite size pieces once it's cooked and cooled.

Slice onions into thin, quarter rings.

In a bowl large enough to accommodate all the salad components whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Add in the cooled salad ingredients and toss to coat.

Allow to chill in the fridge for at least one hour.