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Roasted Veggies & Cilantro Crema

Leeks, crispy smashed potatoes & roasted red onion with crema & cotija

DINE
Sam Livingston
May 15 2023 | min read
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Leeks, crispy smashed potatoes & roasted red onion with crema & cotija



This cilantro-lime crema is the gift that keeps on giving— I’ve used it on four different dishes in the last couple of days (chipotle honey tacos, breakfast tacos, served with biscuits and soft scrambled eggs, and also as a dressing for some little gems). I love leeks so much and thought this dressing would pair well with a couple of roasted vegetables and lots of cotija, too. This dish serves two.


Ingredients:

For the cilantro lime crema

  • 3/4 cup of cilantro, loosely packed

  • 1 cup whole milk yogurt

  • 2 Tbsp mayo

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • Juice of 1 lime

  • 1 tsp kosher salt


For the rest of the dish

  • Two leeks, trimmed, washed, and sliced lengthwise *see note

  • 1 cup peewee potatoes

  • 1/4 red onion, cut into 1” wedges

  • 1 tsp cumin seed

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, for roasting

  • Avocado oil or olive oil, for roasting

  • Cotija, for roasting and serving

  • Olive oil, for serving

  • Flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper, for serving


* To prep leeks, slice where the light green part meets the dark green part, and discard the dark green part or keep it for stock, and trim the bulb if the root is still there. Here’s a full rundown on trimming and cleaning leeks.


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Directions:

  1. Start by boiling a large pot of water over high heat. Salt the water heavily, and once boiling, add the potatoes. Let them boil until fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and let cool.

  2. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

  3. To make the cilantro lime crema, add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend on high until completely smooth, creamy, and pale green. Add to a jar and place in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

  4. Once the potatoes are cool enough to touch, lightly smash them with the bottom of a glass until they’re flat, with the sides of the potato separating but still in one piece.

  5. Add the potatoes and the onion wedges to a cast iron pan in one even layer, toss with a generous glug of avocado or olive oil, the 1 tsp. of cumin seeds, 1 tsp. of kosher salt, and several twists of black pepper, making sure everything is evenly coated.

  6. Add the leeks to a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and kosher salt (making sure the olive oil gets into the individual layers of the leek), and place the leeks cut side down.

  7. Add the cast iron and the sheet pan to the oven and roast for 20 minutes, then flip both the potatoes and the leeks. Sprinkle the leeks with cotija, and return both to the oven for 8-9 more mins.

  8. To serve: remove everything from the oven, add the cilantro lime crema to your plate and place the leeks, potatoes, and red onion on top. Sprinkle with more cotija, some flaky salt, freshly ground pepper, and a drizzle of good finishing oil if you’ve got it. Enjoy!


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