Our Little Provençal Café Corner and a Hearty Dinner Recipe with Sweet Potatoes

When we started to renovate our home, it was clear to us that instead of having a large dinner table in the kitchen, we wanted the dining area in the living room. This gave us the space to create a small café corner in our kitchen: a round coffee table paired with two chairs, just enough for morning coffee or tea, or for meals when we’d be eating just the two (now three!) of us.

The vintage chairs are a find from Kierrätyskeskus, in a true Mediterranean tavern style. The round white linen tablecloth, with its ruffled hem, was sewn for us by my mother. The table itself was given to us by my grandmother, after she learned about my search for a round table and felt she no longer needed hers.

Here you can also see a glimpse of our hexagonal honeycomb tile, which is very Provence once again. The floor and wall tiles were hand-laid by my father, and the green kitchen cabinets were hand-painted by Thierry. I will soon write more about our kitchen renovation, but now… to the delicious recipe.

A Hearty Dinner with Oven-Baked Sweet Potatoes, Lemon-Marinated Feta, Chicken, Corn and Black Beans

This oven-baked sweet potato recipe is a perfect balance between sweet and savoury, and if there’s a baby in the house, bake one extra sweet potato to smash for the baby. If you want a very simple meal, skip the chicken, black beans and corn, and serve the hot sweet potato with the lemon-marinated feta only.

The first time I paired sweet potato with feta cheese was when I got myself the famous Finnish cookbook called 'Samasta padasta' for families with kids. I fell in love with the combination, but have since made it my own with a few small changes—adding black beans, chicken and corn to the mix. I hope you enjoy this hearty meal as much as we do!

Baked Sweet Potato

We usually reserve one large or two medium-sized sweet potatoes per person. Wash the sweet potatoes with cold water, dry them, and cut them in half lengthwise. Carefully poke a few holes in them with a fork. Set the oven to 225°C (425°F) and bake for about an hour, depending on their size.

The potatoes should give off a slightly caramel-like smell—almost like toffee. That’s exactly what gives them their wonderful flavour. While the sweet potato cooks, you can prepare the rest of the dishes.

Lemon-Marinated Feta Cheese

The citrusy, salty Mediterranean flavours in this dish pair beautifully with the sweet potato. If you're cooking for two, use one 200 g (6-8 oz) block of feta cheese. Measure 3 tablespoons of high-quality olive oil into a bowl. Sprinkle in a tiny bit of Herbes de Provence—or dried thyme, rosemary, and oregano.

Peel and mince two garlic cloves and add them to the olive oil. Rinse and grate the skin of an organic lemon and add it to the mixture, then squeeze in half of the lemon. Leave the other half for the salad dressing later. The reason for choosing organic is simple: you don’t want to eat the skin of a lemon treated with pesticides, as those can’t be washed off.

Break the feta into crumbs and toss it into the mixture. Add about 1–1.5 dl (half a cup) of pitted Greek olives, preferably Kalamata, as they bring lots of flavour. Then garnish with about 1 dl (half a cup) of mixed dried fruits and nuts. We like a mix of papaya, raisins, cashews, and peanuts. Give everything a very gentle mix to keep the textures distinct. Refrigerate until serving.

Black Beans with Garlic

For this dish, I like to keep the black beans simple and clean so that the whole meal stays balanced. First, rinse the canned black beans under cold water. Add a little oil to a pan and fry the beans gently for a few minutes.

Instead of frying the garlic first, do the opposite. Garlic becomes bitter when heavily fried, so—like the French do—add 2–3 minced garlic cloves after the beans have warmed up a bit. This keeps the garlic’s flavour bright. Fry for a few more minutes, then season with black pepper and a pinch of salt.

Tex-Mex Chicken

We usually use diced chicken for this meal—about 300 g is plenty for two people. If you want fewer dishes to wash, move the beans aside and use the same pan for the chicken. Fry the chicken for about 10 minutes, until fully cooked.

Then mix a splash of water with 1 teaspoon of cumin, ½ teaspoon of chili powder, ½ teaspoon of paprika, plus a bit of salt and black pepper. Pour it over the chicken and mix well. Or, if you prefer, skip the individual spices and use 1–2 teaspoons of a ready-made Tex-Mex seasoning instead.

Corn Side

You can use either canned, ready-to-use corn or frozen corn for this meal. If you choose frozen corn, cook it according to the instructions on the package. Once it’s tender, season it with a pinch of salt. It’s a simple side, but it adds some more lovely sweetness to the plate.

Side Salad with a Fresh Lemon and Olive Oil Salad Dressing

For the salad, we usually use a ready-cut mix with romaine lettuce, frisée, radicchio, and grated carrot. Whatever base you choose, the dressing stays the same: 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of French Dijon mustard, the rest of the lemon from the feta marinade, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a touch of honey.

Now you have a recipe for a flavourful, balanced lunch or dinner—packed with protein, antioxidants, vitamins, and good fats. To prove the point, here’s all the good stuff this recipe brings together:

Component	Key Nutrients / Vitamins	Primary Benefits
Sweet Potato (Baked)	Vitamin A (Beta-Carotene), Vitamin C, Potassium, Dietary Fiber.	Excellent source of antioxidants, crucial for vision and immune health. Fiber aids digestion and provides sustained energy (complex carbohydrates).
Feta Cheese	Calcium, Protein, Riboflavin (B2).	Contributes to bone health and is a good source of high-quality protein for muscle maintenance.
Marinated Feta, Lemon, Olives	Vitamin C, Antioxidants, Monounsaturated Fats.	Lemon provides Vitamin C and anti-inflammatory compounds. Olives (Kalamata) are rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants.
Dried Fruit & Nut Mix	Healthy Fats (Omega-3s in some nuts), Vitamin E, Magnesium, Dietary Fiber.	Provides energy, supports brain health, and delivers crucial minerals like magnesium for muscle and nerve function. Fiber helps satiety.
Black Beans	Plant-Based Protein, Folate (B9), Iron, Dietary Fiber.	An incredible source of fiber and non-animal protein. Folate is important for cell division, and iron helps with oxygen transport.
Chicken	High-Quality Protein, Niacin (B3), Selenium, Vitamin B6.	Essential for muscle repair and growth, and provides B vitamins necessary for energy metabolism.
Corn	High in Carbohydrates and Fiber, with significant amounts of Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Thiamine (B1), and Folate (B9).	Provides sustained energy due to its complex carbohydrates and supports eye health thanks to the powerful antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin.
Spices (Cumin, Chili, Paprika, Herbes de Provence)	Antioxidants, Anti-inflammatory compounds.	Spices, particularly cumin and chili, are known to have powerful antioxidant properties and may aid digestion and boost metabolism.
Salad Dressing (Olive Oil)	Monounsaturated Fats, Vitamin E.	Healthy fats help your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins (like Vitamin A from the sweet potato and E from nuts) and support cardiovascular health.

I hope this meal finds a place in your own kitchen too. Simple ingredients, bright flavours, and a touch of Mediterranean warmth. From our little Provençal kitchen corner to yours, bon appétit!