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| Served with mushrooms, spinach and haddock |
Showing posts with label sweet potatoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sweet potatoes. Show all posts
February 11, 2012
February 7th: sweet potato fries with curry mayo
The cookbook finally lives up to its name: from Best Recipes Ever, these sweet potato fries with curry mayo are the best sweet potato fries I have ever made. I am no novice in the sweet-potato-fry-making category either. This is my new favourite recipe and the one I will be turning to in future. One note about the curry mayo: I realized when I went to make it that I didn't have any limes, so I subbed in lemon juice. I doubt the difference is that significant, and the mayo was delicious. We ate the full mayo recipe with half the fry recipe. Yum yum.
November 28, 2011
November 27th: mini chocolate orange muffins
Did you receive your 2012 Milk Calendar? I certainly got mine! I also got a jumpstart on the 2012 recipes, with O at my side, making mini chocolate orange muffins. They were pretty tasty. 48 mini muffins!
I also put the November 2011 recipe to the test: roast pork tenderloin and mushroom dinner. This is kind of like pork and mushroom soup, but on the healthier side. We didn't love this one. The white potatoes didn't cook through, even with much longer in the oven. If I were to do it again, I would drop the sweet potatoes, double and dice the white potatoes, and double the mushrooms. That might be worth a re-try. The pork was tender and delicious.
I also put the November 2011 recipe to the test: roast pork tenderloin and mushroom dinner. This is kind of like pork and mushroom soup, but on the healthier side. We didn't love this one. The white potatoes didn't cook through, even with much longer in the oven. If I were to do it again, I would drop the sweet potatoes, double and dice the white potatoes, and double the mushrooms. That might be worth a re-try. The pork was tender and delicious.
May 10, 2011
May 9th: roasted sweet potato salad with red pepper vinaigrette
Modified slightly from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian:
Roasted sweet potato salad with red pepper vinaigrette
4 sweet potatoes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and quartered
2 tsps ground cumin
1 tbsp grated orange zest
1/2 cup sliced green onions (about 2)
1/2 cup minced fresh mint or parsley leaves
1 or 2 fresh minced chiles (jalapenos, Thai, serrano, or habanero), or to taste (optional)
1/2 cup raisins
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scrub or peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Put them on a baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tbsps of the oil, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast, stirring occasionally, until just tender inside, about 30 minutes. Remove and keep on the pan until ready to dress.
Make the dressing while the potatoes cook. Put the remaining 6 tbsps oil in a blender, along with the vinegar, bell pepper, cumin and zest. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Purée until smooth.
Toss the warm potatoes with the green onions, mint, chiles and raisins. Add 1/2 cup of the dressing and toss to coat, adding more as necessary. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
Makes 4 servings.
I skipped the chile pepper part of the recipe but otherwise thought it was great, and I might try it again with chiles in! This did not taste so great the next day for lunch, so I recommend same day eating!
Roasted sweet potato salad with red pepper vinaigrette
4 sweet potatoes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and quartered
2 tsps ground cumin
1 tbsp grated orange zest
1/2 cup sliced green onions (about 2)
1/2 cup minced fresh mint or parsley leaves
1 or 2 fresh minced chiles (jalapenos, Thai, serrano, or habanero), or to taste (optional)
1/2 cup raisins
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scrub or peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Put them on a baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tbsps of the oil, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast, stirring occasionally, until just tender inside, about 30 minutes. Remove and keep on the pan until ready to dress.
Make the dressing while the potatoes cook. Put the remaining 6 tbsps oil in a blender, along with the vinegar, bell pepper, cumin and zest. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Purée until smooth.
Toss the warm potatoes with the green onions, mint, chiles and raisins. Add 1/2 cup of the dressing and toss to coat, adding more as necessary. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
Makes 4 servings.
I skipped the chile pepper part of the recipe but otherwise thought it was great, and I might try it again with chiles in! This did not taste so great the next day for lunch, so I recommend same day eating!
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| Served with bread and oranges |
February 17, 2011
February 16th: baked & stuffed sweet potatoes
Tonight we had a yummy vegetarian main, from the vegetarian salmon: Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. Basically, roast your sweet potatoes, fry up some onions, mushrooms and spinach and combine the fried veggies with the sweet potato flesh. I topped ours with toasted walnut pieces and herbed goat cheese. When you eat the sweet potato skin, the meal is super filling and yummy to boot! I called it a main, but it was the whole meal; we had no room nor desire for anything else.
[Picture to be uploaded when my computer is feeling more cooperative.]
I'm going out for dinner tomorrow night, then to Montreal for the weekend, so I don't expect to be posting for a few days.
[Picture to be uploaded when my computer is feeling more cooperative.]
I'm going out for dinner tomorrow night, then to Montreal for the weekend, so I don't expect to be posting for a few days.
October 11, 2010
October 9th: (mostly) vegetarian Thanksgiving feast
Verdict:
Keepers: sweet potato mash and Brussels sprouts in cream sauce
Thanksgiving weekend calls for rich, homey comfort foods. The challenge: how to cook such a meal without including meat. Why, you ask? Why not! I've been looking forward since last year to re-trying two recipes from October 2009's Chatelaine: Sweet potato mash with crunchy pecan topping and Brussels sprouts in Parmesan cream. These two recipes combined are rich enough, and work enough, that no fancy meat is required for this meal. Accompanied by roasted beets, fried zucchini and boiled yellow beans, we had a fall harvest meal in the making!
We spent our Saturday of the Thanksgiving weekend in the usual way: hike in Gatineau Park, ice cream at La Cigale and a rich feast to finish the day!
The Brussels sprouts recipe is not actually vegetarian, but could be altered to be so easily. The sweet potatoes taste like sweet potato pie minus the crust. The whole ensemble was so delicous I ate till I thought I would burst; I just could not stop! My only mistake was with the beans: I cooked them to a perfect tender-crisp state, drained them and set them back on the hot burner, which I forgot to turn off. By the time I realized my error, they were burnt and stuck to the bottom of the pot. We ate a few off the top and tossed the remainder. But really, what would Thanksgiving be without a mistake or two?
Keepers: sweet potato mash and Brussels sprouts in cream sauce
Thanksgiving weekend calls for rich, homey comfort foods. The challenge: how to cook such a meal without including meat. Why, you ask? Why not! I've been looking forward since last year to re-trying two recipes from October 2009's Chatelaine: Sweet potato mash with crunchy pecan topping and Brussels sprouts in Parmesan cream. These two recipes combined are rich enough, and work enough, that no fancy meat is required for this meal. Accompanied by roasted beets, fried zucchini and boiled yellow beans, we had a fall harvest meal in the making!
We spent our Saturday of the Thanksgiving weekend in the usual way: hike in Gatineau Park, ice cream at La Cigale and a rich feast to finish the day!
The Brussels sprouts recipe is not actually vegetarian, but could be altered to be so easily. The sweet potatoes taste like sweet potato pie minus the crust. The whole ensemble was so delicous I ate till I thought I would burst; I just could not stop! My only mistake was with the beans: I cooked them to a perfect tender-crisp state, drained them and set them back on the hot burner, which I forgot to turn off. By the time I realized my error, they were burnt and stuck to the bottom of the pot. We ate a few off the top and tossed the remainder. But really, what would Thanksgiving be without a mistake or two?
October 6, 2010
October 6th: Faux fried chicken & a host of veggies
Verdict:
Keeper: Faux fried chicken
Try Again: Cinnamon sweetie fries
Tonight was a re-try from October 2009's Chatelaine: Faux fried chicken. Very good, and good enough to keep. The recipe suggested serving this with roasted tomatoes, and I had leftover grape tomatoes from Margherita pizza night, so I tossed these on the side of the pan with the chicken. October 2010's Today's Parent had a simple recipe for Cinnamon Sweetie Fries. (Note: the link is not the recipe I made, which is not online. It is exactly the same, but add in 2 tsps ground cinnamon.) We make sweet potato fries regularly, but usually with savoury spices or herbs, like a Cajun mix, or a salt and thyme combo. Tonight's recipe called for tossing the fries with cinnamon and baking, then salting to taste. These were good, but I like the savoury variety better. Surprise, surprise, Greg thought these were the best sweet potato fries he'd ever had. His review came after a run in the rain though, which I think might increase the likelihood that all food tastes good. One thing I did differently tonight was leave the skins on the sweet potatoes when I made the fries. I will continue to do this in future. Oh! I almost forgot; we also had delish yellow beans on the side, from the local farm, and they would have been more delish if I hadn't got caught up in cleaning the play room and over cooked them. Oops.
Keeper: Faux fried chicken
Try Again: Cinnamon sweetie fries
Tonight was a re-try from October 2009's Chatelaine: Faux fried chicken. Very good, and good enough to keep. The recipe suggested serving this with roasted tomatoes, and I had leftover grape tomatoes from Margherita pizza night, so I tossed these on the side of the pan with the chicken. October 2010's Today's Parent had a simple recipe for Cinnamon Sweetie Fries. (Note: the link is not the recipe I made, which is not online. It is exactly the same, but add in 2 tsps ground cinnamon.) We make sweet potato fries regularly, but usually with savoury spices or herbs, like a Cajun mix, or a salt and thyme combo. Tonight's recipe called for tossing the fries with cinnamon and baking, then salting to taste. These were good, but I like the savoury variety better. Surprise, surprise, Greg thought these were the best sweet potato fries he'd ever had. His review came after a run in the rain though, which I think might increase the likelihood that all food tastes good. One thing I did differently tonight was leave the skins on the sweet potatoes when I made the fries. I will continue to do this in future. Oh! I almost forgot; we also had delish yellow beans on the side, from the local farm, and they would have been more delish if I hadn't got caught up in cleaning the play room and over cooked them. Oops.
September 14, 2010
September 14th: Cinnamon chicken with sweet potato and zucchini with goat's cheese and pine nuts
No rest for the weary. Literally. Tonight was going to be my night off, but I got a call for an emergency sub at the gym. Oh, the things I do for my friends. Day five of six in a row of teaching BodyFlow, and oh yes, I attended my lunch time yoga class today. The question is, will I attend tomorrow? Weather-dependent; tomorrow's yoga is on the lawn of Parliament Hill. This would all be fine, fine, fine, if I did not also have to work 8 hour days. And sleep? I must find time for some.
Tonight's class was a later one, so I had time to do most of the work for supper, and Greg was left to finish it, plate it, and photograph it. Tonight's supper was delicious, or so I thought when I ate it at 9:00 p.m., in a hungry state. Since I have finally convinced Greg to love goat's cheese as I do, it turns out that it is the secret to get him to enjoy zucchini, which I love. In fact, tonight's meal consisted of five of my favourite foods.
I took liberties with tonight's recipes. From September 2010's Chatelaine: Cinnamon Chicken with Sweet Potato. The original recipe called for butternut squash; I subbed in sweet potato. O and I could eat sweet potatoes til the cows come home, but G doesn't agree, so next time, for his sake, I will throw in some toasted pecans and top with brown sugar.
From Epicurious: Zucchini with goat's cheese and pine nuts. This one I altered heavily. I sliced the zucchini in rounds and pan-fried, then topped with the dressing, to which I added sugar and Dijon. I actually forgot to include the salt; oops. I didn't bother with the basil, and I topped with goat's cheese instead of Parmesan. So it was really nothing like the original recipe, but it was amazing! I singed my tongue eating a few rounds of zucchini hot out of the frying pan before I zipped off to the gym.
As a side note, the zucchini recipe called for eating raw zucchini, which I've never done. I keep reading about raw food diets and they almost always talk about eating zucchini "ribbons." So I may try it yet. Pan-fried zucchini is just oh so good though.
Night.
Tonight's class was a later one, so I had time to do most of the work for supper, and Greg was left to finish it, plate it, and photograph it. Tonight's supper was delicious, or so I thought when I ate it at 9:00 p.m., in a hungry state. Since I have finally convinced Greg to love goat's cheese as I do, it turns out that it is the secret to get him to enjoy zucchini, which I love. In fact, tonight's meal consisted of five of my favourite foods.
I took liberties with tonight's recipes. From September 2010's Chatelaine: Cinnamon Chicken with Sweet Potato. The original recipe called for butternut squash; I subbed in sweet potato. O and I could eat sweet potatoes til the cows come home, but G doesn't agree, so next time, for his sake, I will throw in some toasted pecans and top with brown sugar.
From Epicurious: Zucchini with goat's cheese and pine nuts. This one I altered heavily. I sliced the zucchini in rounds and pan-fried, then topped with the dressing, to which I added sugar and Dijon. I actually forgot to include the salt; oops. I didn't bother with the basil, and I topped with goat's cheese instead of Parmesan. So it was really nothing like the original recipe, but it was amazing! I singed my tongue eating a few rounds of zucchini hot out of the frying pan before I zipped off to the gym.
As a side note, the zucchini recipe called for eating raw zucchini, which I've never done. I keep reading about raw food diets and they almost always talk about eating zucchini "ribbons." So I may try it yet. Pan-fried zucchini is just oh so good though.
Night.
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