I know what you’re thinking — it’s kind of ugly (you’re right), but imagine some baby spinach mixed in and it becomes slightly more palatable … it does too! But seriously, if you tasted this, you’d know that it doesn’t matter how unattractive it is, every single bite is to die for. Just eat it with your eyes closed, if you must.

In my quest for finding a mushy orange vegetable that Owen will eat, I created this dish, which I thought would work for me twofold. First, the roasted yams are a lot like the sweet potato fries that he’ll tolerate, so I thought that’d be a win. Lentils are also one of his favorites, so do you see my thinking here? The only glitch in my plan was the fact that it’s not an easy dish to eat on the run, and since Owen doesn’t celebrate sitting still for meals, my devious plan was thwarted. Next time, I’ll be one step ahead of him….

Regardless, this was one of the most taste-balanced dishes to come along. The sweet yams, the savory lentils, roasted shallots and sage in a light and lovely vinaigrette. I know you’ll love it, just pretend it’s pretty.

Warm Black Lentil Salad with Roasted Yams and Shallots

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces black (beluga) lentils (I get mine at Trader Joe’s)
• 1 large yam, diced into 1/2 inch cubes and roasted
• shallots, chopped and roasted
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 3 tablespoons orange muscat vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard

Roast the yams and shallots at 400 degrees until browned, and watch those shallots — they turn from brown to black very quickly! Whisk together the last three ingredients and toss everything together with the dressing. It’s wonderful warm, but you can serve it at room temperature or even chilled if you like.

Oh, just a note — I bought yams because I recently read that yams are healthier than sweet potatoes, and that sweet potatoes are actually toxic. I don’t know if I believe it, as I really don’t see a big difference between yams and sweet potatoes, but since they cost and taste the same, I’m going for it.