The dish in your photo is essentially a roasted sweet-potato boat loaded with golden mushrooms, wilted spinach, creamy avocado and salty feta. This combination is also used in several closely matching recipes.
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Vitality Recipes
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Servs
4 people
Prep: 15 minutes
Roasting: 45–55 minutes
Total: about 1 hour
Ingredients
Sweet potatoes
4 medium-large sweet potatoes
1½ tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp smoked paprika
Mushroom & spinach filling
225 g mushrooms, sliced
3 cups fresh baby spinach
2–3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp chili flakes — optional
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 tsp lemon juice
Toppings
1–2 ripe avocados, diced
100–120 g feta cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp fresh parsley, cilantro or basil
Lemon wedges
Extra-virgin olive oil
Optional nut topping
2 tbsp toasted walnuts or
2 tbsp toasted pecans or
2 tbsp sliced almonds
For a nut-free version, use pumpkin or sunflower seeds instead.
Step-by-step
1. Roast the sweet potatoes
Heat oven to 220°C / 425°F.
Wash and dry the potatoes thoroughly. Pierce each one several times with a fork.
Rub with olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika.
Place on a baking tray and roast for 45–55 minutes, depending on size, until a knife slides easily through the center. Similar versions use 200–220°C and roughly 40–60 minutes.
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Vitality Recipes
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For the beautiful caramelized edges in your photo: don’t wrap the potatoes in foil.
2. Brown the mushrooms
While the potatoes cook, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add mushrooms in a fairly even layer.
Cook for 5–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and most of their moisture has evaporated.
Don’t add the spinach too early—the mushrooms need direct heat to brown rather than steam.
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Sip The Soup
3. Add garlic and spinach
Add minced garlic, oregano, smoked paprika and chili flakes.
Cook for about 30 seconds.
Add spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes, just until wilted.
Season with salt and pepper and finish with lemon juice.
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Vitality Recipes
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Remove from heat.
4. Make the sweet-potato boats
Let the potatoes cool for about 5 minutes.
Cut a deep slit lengthwise through each potato, but don’t cut completely through the bottom.
Gently squeeze the ends to open them.
Use a fork to fluff the orange flesh.
For an extra-rich filling, mix 1–2 tablespoons of the sweet-potato flesh into the mushroom-spinach mixture.
5. Fill
Divide the hot mushroom-spinach mixture among the potatoes.
Then pile on:
Avocado → Feta → Herbs → Nuts/seeds
Add a squeeze of fresh lemon and a small drizzle of olive oil.
Keep the avocado out of the oven so it stays fresh and creamy; matching recipes add it after the hot filling.
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Vitality Recipes
Restaurant-style finishing
For the appearance in your photo:
Roast potatoes until the skins are nicely browned.
Make the mushroom mixture deep golden, not pale.
Pile the spinach high.
Use large avocado chunks rather than mashed avocado.
Scatter feta generously over the top.
Add toasted nuts for crunch.
Finish with fresh herbs, chili flakes and lemon.
Drizzle with good olive oil immediately before serving.
Optional sauce
Mix:
3 tbsp Greek yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ mashed avocado
1 small grated garlic clove
Pinch of salt
1–2 tsp water
Drizzle over the finished potatoes.
Nut information
Without the optional nuts, this recipe is naturally nut-free.
If using nuts:
Nut Amount Flavor
Walnuts 2 tbsp Earthy, slightly bitter
Pecans 2 tbsp Sweet and buttery
Almonds 2 tbsp Crunchy and mild
Pine nuts 2 tbsp Rich and buttery
Nut-free alternative: pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
Also check packaged feta, seasonings and sauces if cooking for someone with a serious allergy because cross-contact can vary by manufacturer.
Substitutions
No feta?
Use goat cheese, ricotta salata, cotija or a plant-based feta.
Vegan?
Use vegan feta or nutritional yeast plus toasted seeds.
No spinach?
Use kale, Swiss chard or arugula.
No mushrooms?
Use roasted chickpeas, lentils or sautéed zucchini.
Want more protein?
Add chickpeas, lentils, grilled chicken or crispy tofu.
Want it spicy?
Add harissa, cayenne or extra chil
Yes. Bake the sweet potatoes and cook the mushroom-spinach filling ahead. Refrigerate separately and reheat before assembling. Add avocado and feta just before serving for the best texture.
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Vitality Recipes
Can I microwave the sweet potatoes?
Yes. Microwaving is much faster, but the skin won’t become as caramelized. For the look in your photo, oven roasting is preferable.
Why are my mushrooms watery?
The pan was probably overcrowded or not hot enough. Cook them in a single layer and allow their moisture to evaporate before adding spinach.
Can I eat the skin?
Yes, provided the sweet potatoes have been thoroughly washed and scrubbed.
Is this gluten-free?
The basic ingredients are naturally gluten-free, but check packaged seasonings, sauces and cheese if gluten contamination is a concern.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. The basic recipe is vegetarian. It can easily be made vegan by replacing the feta.
How long will leftovers last?
Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for about 3 days. Store avocado separately when possible so it doesn’t brown or soften excessively.
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Recipes Lady
What should I serve with it?
It’s substantial enough as a main dish. For a larger meal, serve with a Greek salad, hummus, lentils, grilled vegetables or a simple cucumber-yogurt salad.
Best flavor combination
Sweet potato + garlic mushrooms + spinach + avocado + feta + lemon + toasted walnuts + chili flakes gives you the closest balance to the pictured dish: sweet, savory, creamy, salty, fresh and crunchy.