Category: sweet potato

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Gingered Sweet Potato Latkes with Wasabi Sour Cream

These latkes have become a family tradition.  I am not a big fan of standard potato latkes (heresy, I know), so I developed these instead.  A food processor really speeds this process along.  Crispy, light, and with a kick of ginger, these latkes will spice up your festival of lights.

Serves: 2 as a main course, 4 as a side.  Easily doubled, tripled, etc.
Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Latkes:
1 large sweet potato, grated
1 medium onion, grated
5T cornstarch
4T grated ginger to taste
1t salt
1 c cashews, chopped finely
3-4 eggs, beaten
1/2 c olive oil or more for frying (I like the taste of olive oil, but feel free to use a neutral oil like canola or coconut oil for a sweeter taste).

Wasabi Sour Cream:
1 c sour cream
1 t wasabi powder, or to taste

Directions:
1) Toss all ingredients except the eggs into a large bowl.
2) Add eggs.  Mixture should be slick and begin to bind together, but should not be soggy.
3) Heat 1/4-1/2 c oil in a skillet over high heat until very hot.
4) Scoop mixture into skillet and flatten into patties.  Fry in batches, turning once, until golden-brown on both sides.  This should take approximately 2-4 minutes per side.
5) Meanwhile, stir together the wasabi powder and sour cream to taste.  

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Simple Sweet Potato, Kale, Chickpea and Tomato Stew

Simple, healthy, vegetarian comfort food.  Full of fiber, beta-carotene, anti-oxidants, and other good things.  Served with a dollop of yogurt and whole-grain bread or rice, it’s a warm meal perfect for the end of a cold Winter or the beginning of a rainy Spring. 

I always come back from the Middle East with an enormous bag of saffron.  If saffron is not in your budget, this stew will work with almost any other spice, such as rosemary or thyme.  Saffron needs to be steeped or toasted to release its flavor.  Above is the “saffron tea” I made to flavor this dish.

I made a big pot of this stew to take for lunch for the rest of the week.  A simple flavored yogurt, peanut sauce, or pesto changed the flavor completely each day.  
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
2-3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-1″ chunks
2 bunches of kale, washed thoroughly and chopped coarsely
1 onion, diced
1 14.5 or 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
28 oz cooked chickpeas, or 2 14.5 ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 pinch saffron, steeped in 1 T hot water (“saffron tea”)
1 T EVOO (Extra-Virgin Olive Oil)
salt and pepper to taste 
1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional)

1. Heat the onion and EVOO over medium heat.  Sprinkle with salt.  Cook until translucent, about 5 mnutes.

2. Add chickpeas.  Cook about 5 more minutes until flavor is well-mingled.
3. Add the kale, tomatoes, and saffon tea.  
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with lemon wedges and a dollop of yogurt. 
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Sweet Potato Oven Fries with Rosemary and Smoked Paprika

So addictive, you’ll almost feel like you’re eating junk food, but a lot less guilty about it.  This recipe was inspired by a glut of farmshare sweet potatoes and Martha Rose Shulman’s recipe for Oven Fries in the New York Times. 

You can also use a mix of sweet potatoes and regular potatoes. 

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2-4, as a side dish

Ingredients:
2 lbs sweet potatoes, or a mix of sweet potatoes and waxy white potatoes
1 T dried rosemary, or more fresh rosemary
2 t smoked paprika
Coarse salt or kosher salt to taste
3 T EVOO (Extra-Virgin Olive Oil)

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees,
2. Line a baking sheet or roasting pan with foil, shiny side up and place in the oven during preheaating.  This step is important to speed the cooking, and also because sweet potatoes can be really tough to clean up.
3.  Cut the potatoes into wedges that are 1/4-1/2″ thick.
4.  Toss potatoes with EVOO, rosemary, paprika, and salt.
5.  Remove the hot pan from the oven and add the potatoes in a single layer.  They will sizzle. 
6. Return pan to oven, lower heat to 450 degrees, and roast 25 minutes or until tender. 
7.  If necessary, loosen the potatoes with a spatula and roast for another 5 minutes.
8.  Taste (carefully) to adjust seasoning.  Serve immediately, or hold in a 200 degree oven for 30 minutes before serving. 

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Recipe: (Buttery) Sweet Potato Latkes with Walnuts and Sage

Exotic Latkes! Nutrient-rich sweet potatoes and omega 3-packed walnuts plus frying in heart-healthy olive oil make these much healthier than regular latkes. An ice cream scoop makes uniform latkes. Frying in butter as well as oil adds an optional extra touch of miracle. Happy Hanukah!

Serves: 4 as a main course, more as an appetizer, easily multiplied
Total Time: 45 minutes (including chopping)

1 large sweet potato (yam), peeled and grated
1 medium onion, grated
1 c walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 T sage
1/2 c flour, or 1/4 c flour and 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, or 1/4 c flour and 1/4 c cornmeal
5+ eggs, beaten
1 T salt plus more to taste
1/2 T ground black pepper, to taste
olive oil
butter or margarine (optional)

Tip: To speed up the chopping, I chop the nuts in the food processor, then grate the sweet potato and onion in the food processor without cleaning the bowl.

1) Combine grated sweet potatoes, onion, walnuts, sage, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss thoroughly.
2) Stir in the eggs. Mix well until mixture looks uniformly slick. Add another egg if necessary for batter to hold together.
3) Heat 1 T oil and 1 T butter or margarine (or 2 T oil) in a skillet. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out batter. Fry 1-2 minutes/side.
4) Drain on towels (clean dish towels or paper towels).
5) Repeat as necessary, keeping early batches crisp in the oven on a 300-degree baking sheet.
6) Serve plain, or with applesauce and/or lowfat sour cream. Try sprinkling a little nutmeg and/or black pepper into the applesauce.

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Recipe: (Buttery) Sweet Potato Latkes with Walnuts and Sage

Exotic Latkes! Nutrient-rich sweet potatoes and omega 3-packed walnuts plus frying in heart-healthy olive oil make these much healthier than regular latkes. An ice cream scoop makes uniform latkes. Frying in butter as well as oil adds an optional extra touch of miracle. Happy Hanukah!

Serves: 4 as a main course, more as an appetizer, easily multiplied
Total Time: 45 minutes (including chopping)

1 large sweet potato (yam), peeled and grated
1 medium onion, grated
1 c walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 T sage
1/2 c flour, or 1/4 c flour and 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, or 1/4 c flour and 1/4 c cornmeal
5+ eggs, beaten
1 T salt plus more to taste
1/2 T ground black pepper, to taste
olive oil
butter or margarine (optional)

Tip: To speed up the chopping, I chop the nuts in the food processor, then grate the sweet potato and onion in the food processor without cleaning the bowl.

1) Combine grated sweet potatoes, onion, walnuts, sage, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss thoroughly.
2) Stir in the eggs. Mix well until mixture looks uniformly slick. Add another egg if necessary for batter to hold together.
3) Heat 1 T oil and 1 T butter or margarine (or 2 T oil) in a skillet. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out batter. Fry 1-2 minutes/side.
4) Drain on towels (clean dish towels or paper towels).
5) Repeat as necessary, keeping early batches crisp in the oven on a 300-degree baking sheet.
6) Serve plain, or with applesauce and/or lowfat sour cream. Try sprinkling a little nutmeg and/or black pepper into the applesauce.

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Menu: Chicken with Coriander and Fennel, Roasted Cauliflower, Baked Sweet Potatoes with Lime, and Salad with Roasted Fennel, Oranges, and Mint

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour; or make sweet potatoes ahead and make everything else in 1/2 hour on day of meal
Make ahead: Chicken, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and fennel can be made ahead. Salad can be tossed quickly on day of meal.
Special equipment needed: 2 ovens, or 1 oven and 1 toaster oven for the chicken

Ingredients:
1-2 heads cauliflower
4 sweet potatoes
1-2 bulbs fennel
2 oranges
Ingredients for Chicken (or other protein) with Coriander and Fennel (recipe below)
lime wedges
extra-virgin olive oil
balsalmic vinegar
handful of mint leaves, coarsely chopped
sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and another (toaster oven?) to 350 degrees
2. Scrub sweet potatoes, pat dry, and prick each several times with fork. Place in a baking pan lined with foil and roast for 1 hour, or until tender when pricked with fork. Serve with lime wedges.
3. Remove leaves and base from cauliflower. Rinse and pat dry. Drizzle with 1-2T olive oil and roast in oven with sweet potatoes for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. Remove fennel stalks and reserve for garnish. Cut fennel into 1/4″ slices and drizzle with 1T olive oil. Roast in oven with other veggies for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. Prepare chicken according to recipe below.
6. Zest orange(s) and reserve zest for garnishing chicken (optional)
7. Slice down sides of oranges and then carve oranges away from inner core to remove the bitter white pith and seeds. (Alternatively, just section oranges) Toss with roasted fennel and mint and reserved chopped feathery fennel fronds. Splash with balsamic vinegar to taste. Serve alone or on a bed of greens.

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Menu: Chicken with Coriander and Fennel, Roasted Cauliflower, Baked Sweet Potatoes with Lime, and Salad with Roasted Fennel, Oranges, and Mint

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour; or make sweet potatoes ahead and make everything else in 1/2 hour on day of meal
Make ahead: Chicken, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and fennel can be made ahead. Salad can be tossed quickly on day of meal.
Special equipment needed: 2 ovens, or 1 oven and 1 toaster oven for the chicken

Ingredients:
1-2 heads cauliflower
4 sweet potatoes
1-2 bulbs fennel
2 oranges
Ingredients for Chicken (or other protein) with Coriander and Fennel (recipe below)
lime wedges
extra-virgin olive oil
balsalmic vinegar
handful of mint leaves, coarsely chopped
sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and another (toaster oven?) to 350 degrees
2. Scrub sweet potatoes, pat dry, and prick each several times with fork. Place in a baking pan lined with foil and roast for 1 hour, or until tender when pricked with fork. Serve with lime wedges.
3. Remove leaves and base from cauliflower. Rinse and pat dry. Drizzle with 1-2T olive oil and roast in oven with sweet potatoes for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. Remove fennel stalks and reserve for garnish. Cut fennel into 1/4″ slices and drizzle with 1T olive oil. Roast in oven with other veggies for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. Prepare chicken according to recipe below.
6. Zest orange(s) and reserve zest for garnishing chicken (optional)
7. Slice down sides of oranges and then carve oranges away from inner core to remove the bitter white pith and seeds. (Alternatively, just section oranges) Toss with roasted fennel and mint and reserved chopped feathery fennel fronds. Splash with balsamic vinegar to taste. Serve alone or on a bed of greens.

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Make-Ahead or Weeknight Menu: Maple Chicken (or Non-Chicken), Simple Cranberry Sauce, Baked Sweets, and Roasted Broccoli

A veritable weeknight feast that’s even good enough for entertaining. Like having a bit of Thanksgiving anytime. Highly flexible. Can be done all in one night, made ahead, or some of each. Whatever you have time for. Roast the veggies while baking the potatoes, and while you’re at it, fill your oven with colorful veggies to roast for the rest of the week!

Total Time: 1 hour
Prep Time: 1/2 hour
Serves: 4
Make-ahead (optional): The sweet potatoes and broccoli can be roasted ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 4 days. The chicken (or other protein) can be marinated overnight and/or baked up to 4 days ahead.
Clean-up Tip: When baking sweet potatoes, save your pans by lining them with foil. Sweet potatoes contain a gooey substance that is nearly impossible to clean up otherwise.

Ingredients:
1 recipe Simple Cranberry Sauce
1 recipe Simple Maple-Mustard Marinade
4 chicken breasts (or other chicken parts, or 6 oz pieces of salmon, or seitan or tempeh)
4 sweet potatoes or yams (I prefer yams because they are easier to work with), scrubbed
1-2 bunches broccoli
1-3 cloves garlic (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Olive Oil (to taste)
Lime wedges for the sweet potatoes (optional, but really delicious)

Game Plan:
1. Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prick sweet potatoes with fork to let steam escape during baking. Wrap in foil or place in foil-wrapped pan. Bake for approximately 1 hour, until a fork goes in easily. Serve with lime wedges.
3. Marinate the chicken (or other protein) for 15+ minutes and start the cranberry sauce.
4. Cut broccoli into florets. Shave the stem with a vegetable peeler and cut into pieces (approximately 1/2″). Toss with olive oil, salt and garlic in an ovenproof baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Saute, grill, or broil chicken, 4-6 minutes/side. If you’ve used oil in the marinade, you shouldn’t need to add extra to the pan, or can use just a bit of olive oil cooking spray.
6. Assemble a gorgeous and colorful plate of chicken cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, lime wedges, and broccoli. Try oranges for dessert!

Posted on

Make-Ahead or Weeknight Menu: Maple Chicken (or Non-Chicken), Simple Cranberry Sauce, Baked Sweets, and Roasted Broccoli

A veritable weeknight feast that’s even good enough for entertaining. Like having a bit of Thanksgiving anytime. Highly flexible. Can be done all in one night, made ahead, or some of each. Whatever you have time for. Roast the veggies while baking the potatoes, and while you’re at it, fill your oven with colorful veggies to roast for the rest of the week!

Total Time: 1 hour
Prep Time: 1/2 hour
Serves: 4
Make-ahead (optional): The sweet potatoes and broccoli can be roasted ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 4 days. The chicken (or other protein) can be marinated overnight and/or baked up to 4 days ahead.
Clean-up Tip: When baking sweet potatoes, save your pans by lining them with foil. Sweet potatoes contain a gooey substance that is nearly impossible to clean up otherwise.

Ingredients:
1 recipe Simple Cranberry Sauce
1 recipe Simple Maple-Mustard Marinade
4 chicken breasts (or other chicken parts, or 6 oz pieces of salmon, or seitan or tempeh)
4 sweet potatoes or yams (I prefer yams because they are easier to work with), scrubbed
1-2 bunches broccoli
1-3 cloves garlic (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Olive Oil (to taste)
Lime wedges for the sweet potatoes (optional, but really delicious)

Game Plan:
1. Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prick sweet potatoes with fork to let steam escape during baking. Wrap in foil or place in foil-wrapped pan. Bake for approximately 1 hour, until a fork goes in easily. Serve with lime wedges.
3. Marinate the chicken (or other protein) for 15+ minutes and start the cranberry sauce.
4. Cut broccoli into florets. Shave the stem with a vegetable peeler and cut into pieces (approximately 1/2″). Toss with olive oil, salt and garlic in an ovenproof baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Saute, grill, or broil chicken, 4-6 minutes/side. If you’ve used oil in the marinade, you shouldn’t need to add extra to the pan, or can use just a bit of olive oil cooking spray.
6. Assemble a gorgeous and colorful plate of chicken cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, lime wedges, and broccoli. Try oranges for dessert!