CSA Recipe # 6 - Spiced Sweet Potato Cookies (Vegan and GF)

This is for all my new friends at the West End at Vine Farmer's Market that asked for the recipe so they could make their own.  If you'd like to save time and buy them, I will have them for sale at the Farmer's Market this coming Saturday by popular request!

I had some wicked GINORMOUS sweet taters in my first 2 CSA boxes.  I think I gave away four of them and still had a cool half dozen.  And what to do?  They are kind of a fall veggie and you can only eat so many oven fries or baked sweet potato…  So I looked around and found a recipe that I modified and VOILA sweet potato cookies! GLUTEN FREE!

And may I say, I love that I can cook and teach vocal lessons at the same time when it involves roasting things (i.e.: squashes and sweet potatoes) b/c they take about an hour and if I throw the squash or potato in at the beginning of a lesson it’s done by the time my student is ready to leave…but like last night, my one student kept asking, “What is that I smell?”  I say, “Sweet potato”.  And then they look longingly at my kitchen and say, “Oh I love sweet potato.  I am getting McDonalds on the way home…(sigh)”  I told her to drop by the Farmer’s Market Saturday if she wanted to try one of these cookies I was making with the sweet potatoes.

Anyway – here we go..

 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Gluten Free Oat Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 3/4 teaspoon fine Sea Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
• 3/4 cup (1 large) mashed Sweet Potato
• 1/2 cup Virgin Coconut Oil, melted
• 3/4 cup Light Unsweetened Coconut Milk
• 1 ½ T coconut sugar
• 1/4 C Agave Maple Syrup

 

To deal with your Sweet Potato:

Preheat the oven to 400.  Wash and clean your sweet potato(s).  Then poke it a bunch of times with a fork (just like you do with a regular potato.)  Then line a cookie sheet with foil, place the potato(s) on there and bake for 45-60mins – until you can easily piece the potato with a fork.  Once done, let cool for 30mins.  Then peel and mash.  I will do a couple potatoes at a time and then freeze the mash for later use.

 

For the cookies:

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or the bowl you will do the most work in) – mix together all dry ingredients.  In a 2^nd bowl blend together the wet ingredients.  Add wet to dry and then blend on low with your electric stand mixer (or a handheld) for about 2-3minutes.  Make sure it is mixed well.

 

Then using a cookie scoop or 2 teaspoons drop batter on to parchment lined or well grease baking sheets or a cooking stone.  Bake for 20mins and check.  If still wet bake in 2 min intervals until done.  Cool on foil or bakers racks.

Darren's Mom's Pork Chops and Veggies

One of Darren's favorite dishes is the way his Mom makes pork chops and it also is a way for him to get his veggies in.  


I called his mom and asked her for the recipe and tried it out and it came out super good!  It is easy and also a clean food recipe!  BONUS!  I hope you enjoy it too!

Darren's Mom's Pork Chops and Veggies

4 center cut boneless pork chops

1 cup fresh cut broccoli florets

4 red potatoes – quartered

1 medium onion - quartered

1cup baby carrots

4 slices center cut bacon

1 cup fresh cut green beans

½ cup sliced portobella mushrooms
(you can really use any veggie you have in the fridge but I highly suggest you avoid squash and zucchini - I found out the hard way they get mushy.)

Add caption

In a dutch oven that has a lid – I use my enamel covered cast iron dutch oven for this one, Darren's mom uses one of those electric counter top ones with the glass lid.

Place the bacon in one layer in the bottom of the dutch oven.  Season the pork chops with salt & peper on both sides  and then place in the pot.  Then place the onion around the meat and then all the veggies in the layers you want.  Then salt and paper to taste the top of the veggies.  Cover and bake in the oven for 45mins or until the veggies are tender but not mushy. Serve!

The reason I love this recipe is because it is all done in one pot - so clean up is easy!

Dinner & A Movie - Easy Mini Stromboli! (pizza rolls)

Mini pizza roll-ups (or for those of you proper Italians – Easy Weeknight Stromboli!)

This is probably one of the easiest recipes EVER.  And super quick – the waiting for it to cook is the longest wait ever b/c it smells SOOOOOO good.  This a great recipe for one or two people (if it's just for one – you can make two and stick one in the freezer for an even quicker weeknight meal).  If you have more peeps you may need to get a whole pizza crust and just make a ginormous one.

Here's how it goes...

• 1 can of reduced fat crescent rolls – divided into two equal parts
• 1/4C tomato sauce (or pesto if you like instead)
• 2T shredded cheese
• any added stuffers you want like pepperoni, spinach, shredded chicken, etc.  Whatever you would top your favorite pizza with.
• 1/4C Olive oil
• grated parmesan

tools to use:

• best to cook on a pizza stone if you have it otherwise a non-stick cookie sheet preferably lined with parchment paper
• clean empty wine bottle (explanation below – they ain't just for candles anymore)

preheat the oven according to the directions on the crescent rolls.

Wad up half of the crescent rolls into a ball.  Then pat into a pan cake and put on a lightly floured cutting board (or use cornmeal).  I use a wine bottle as a rolling pin – way less stickiness.  I have tried wooden and marble rolling pins yes from Williams Sonoma – WASTE OF MONEY.  Get you a good bottle of wine, enjoy it.  Then soak the label off, wash it good and you have a rolling pin/meat tenderizer for nearly nothing.  Trust me – this works GREAT.  Anyway – roll your dough out thin as you can and transfer to your pizza stone (or non-stick cookie sheet with parchment paper on it).  Repeat with the other little ball of dough.

Then put about 1 ½ T of tomato sauce (you can use meat sauce or maybe pesto – whatever floats your boat or that you have in the house) schmeer it around.  Then put your toppings of choice on (i.e = pepperoni, chicken, spinach, brocoli, olives, peppers, whatever floats your boat.).  Then sprinkle 1T of shredded mozzarella cheese (I use an Italian mix shredded cheese so I get a bigger flavor).  Then once you are done with your concoction, roll it up like a burrito and secure it with wooden toothpicks.  Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top.

Cook it according to the directions on the crescent roll package.  Add a romain and tomato salad on the side to round out the meal.

Wine pairing: Chianti or a Sangiovese

Movie pairing: Moonstruck or Godfather part 1

  

other uses – cut into bite sized slices and serve as appetizers.

Coming in Feb!

I have a few new receipes - one or more will be an everyday Italian (since that is one of the "in" things this year), maybe a cocktail for Valentines' Day - or any day for that matter and some tips.  Of course, there will be more stuff but it's not even February yet and I still have to think of stuff.  I will leave you with the below sweet treat to dream about.....I found this on Pinterest!  You can follow me on there too if you want.  This recipe is available at the below link!...

Source: sixoneseven.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

If you make this - let me know how it comes out.  :)

My Top Ten Kitchen Gadgets for 2012 - in no particular order...

I LOVE kitchen gadgets like men love electronic gadgets – whether you know how to use them or even what they are – you know you must have them.  If it's in Williams Sonoma – I want it...when it finally arrives in the Outlet or at Homegoods for a fraction of the price of course!

I thought I would make a top 10 list of the items I feel all fellow foodies should equip their kitchen arsenal with because sometimes we don't know what we should have because we didn't know it existed!  I know I get all kinds of happy when I discover something new or just get something that makes life easier.

1.  KitchenAid Mixer 

    I love my mixer!  I used it to mix everything from cake mix to making ice cream.  I was given meat grinder and pasta maker attachments for it but have yet to use them.  This is truly only second to diamonds in the “girls' best friend” category.  Now I know what you are thinking – THEY, must like the Dyson vacuum, ARE SO EXPENSIVE!!!  Yes – retail they are between $199-$299 and up.  But let me tell you – there are ways to find one cheaper....I actually got mine for FREE from a friend who was moving across country and didn't want it anymore.  I have seen these at Tuesday Morning, TJ MAXX and Homegoods for under $100.  You could also check out Craigslist and see if anyone is selling theirs.  If there is a will there is a way and I suggest you splurge on one of these because you will be kicking yourself for waiting to get one after first use!

They come in a TONE of colors!

2.  Cookie or Ice Cream Scoop

    Not just for gelato anymore.  These are great and you can find a cookie scoop – which is like the Skipper doll to Barbie, if Barbie were an ice cream scoop.  It's about half the size of an ice cream scoop but looks and works just the same.  You can get one at Target but I got mine for $1.99 at Aldi when they had all their Christmas cookie makings on sale.  This will help you get the most out of your recipe and pretty uniform looking cookies.  Also an ice cream scoop can be used for perfect portioning for muffin mix into the muffin cups.  And the best part?  No more messy fingers trying to get all the batter off the spoons you're using to place the dough on the cookie sheet!

3.  Wine vacuum & corking system

    These are THE BOMB!  I know most of us don't ever finish a bottle of wine when we open it (wink wink) and no one wants their wine to turn to vinegar – no matter how cheap it was.  Once you uncork a wine it immediately starts to oxidize – which can be great for taste in the immediate but in the long term there is a fine line between breathing and vinegar.  So to combat wine's natural enemy, air, get you a vacuum and vacuum cork set.  This little thing will get your wine to last and always taste FABU!  They can range from $30 (if you pay full retail but who does that anymore?!) to $3.99.  You can get these for a steal at TJ Maxx, Homegoods, Tuesday Morning and World Market for a steal!

4.  A good chopping knife!

    Every recipe whether baking or cooking – you need to chop or slice something and a super good chopping knife is key.  In 2012 – thank goodness steel is back! Ceramic is fabulous and colorful but OMG!  It's expensive!  Steel knives are cheaper and last forever!  You can sharpen them yourself and you can get a good one at Tuesday Morning, TJ MAXX, Homegoods, all those discount home stores for $5.99 - $12.99.  And you can find an easy to use shaprener at all the same places for a few bucks.

5.  Stainless Steel cookware!

    Ok so if you grew up in the 70s & 80s like i did, you were brainwashed into thinking teflon was the end all be all of cookware.  Until this point your choices were either copper (which is a TOTAL B to keep clean even when you're not using them) and Stainless.  Well fast forward to the 90s and wowy zowy – if you over heat or over use your teflon cookware – the coating may flake off and if it gets into the food you cook in there may make you sick - YIKES!  Plus – for its non-stick virtue its a pain to clean or use b/c you have to only use wooded or plastic cooking utensils (and plastics are not found to also cause cancer and birth defects!  YIKES again!) and when you clean it you need to get those plastic scrubbies.  OMG!  Not only is it a pain in the rear – it's SCARY!

NOW – Stainless is back in!  It is self sanitizing by just heating it up in the dishwasher, it doesn't flake bad particles into your food, you can use a good old fashioned brillo pad to clean it and throw it in the dishwasher.  BAM!  Also – use some cooking spray and it is non-stick – who knew.  The good stuff is not cheap but a good Cuisinart goes for about $200 and it will last more than a decade – and what can you say that about these days?  Certainly not teflon.  I have dreams for an Al-Clad set but they are about $400 for a stinkin' lid to a pot – but a girl can dream...

6. Crockpot

    This was a no-brainer.  For us busy foodies – whether you want a savory, stick to your ribs dinner in the cold of winter or a light chicken dish that you don't have to turn on the oven for in the heat of Summer – the crockpot is the modern gal (or guy)s friend.  You throw a bunch of stuff in it in the morning and then go to work.   8-10hrs later you come home and the house smells great and dinner is ready!  What more can you ask for?  These are inexpensive and every kitchen should have one.  They run between $19.99 - $50 and up for super duper fancy ones.  I think I saw one at Williams Sonoma for over $100 bucks but I am not paying that unless while I am at work not only is it cooking dinner but is cleaning my house too.

7.  Pampered Chef Chopper

    This thing has taken the place of my good kitchen knife and mortar and pestal because a lot of times if you are chopping hard things like nuts – hand chopping can cause your hand to hurt and make cooking not fun.  This thing – 3 smacks and wowy zowy you have chopped nuts and no hand pain.  Plus it comes apart and slides right in the dishwasher for cleaning.  It runs about $20 or so from Pampered Chef.  You can get a cheaper one that's an off brand – but this was the first and I have had mine for about 10 years and no problem.  Spend a little extra on this to get quality that lasts.

8.  Pizza Stone

     Great not just for pizzas!  You will NEVER need a cookie sheet again.  I also got this from pampered chef about $25 – but you can get them for about $10 less at Tuesday Morning, TJ MAXX or Target.  This is the best thing EVER for me.  I love baking but as Darren will tell you cookies are not my strong suit.  Not because the batter is bad but because for some reason I burn the heck out of  the bottoms every time!  ARGH!  Then I found the pizza stone – which makes a great crispy pizza crust but also makes a GREAT cookie sheet!  Why?  Because, you can cook a cookie on it for 3hrs and it will never burn.  It will come out in the manner of skeet if you cook it for that long but the bottoms will be a nice golden brown.  This is why I LOVE the pizza, not just for pizza anymore, stone.

9.  Garlic roaster

    A friend of mine introduced me to fresh roasted garlic and OMG – is it the best ever!  It basically turns into a spread once roasted that you can use as a great spread for appetizers at a party (please tell guests not to eat the whole bulb as a friend of mine did because he thought it was a pastry...that was the joke of the party & boy did he get a shock!).  You can use it as garlic paste for other recipes as well.  I have seen garlic roasters for upwards of $40 retail – but you know me...I got mine at the Salvation Army store for $2.99!

10.  Stainless Kitchen tongs – cause sometimes a spatula just won't do...  I never thought to get these   until I had a party where we were serving BBQ (pulled pork for my Yankee friends).  Now I use them for EVERYTHING!!  These little suckers are great for flipping chicken or other things in a roast or fry pan that you don't want to puncture – the juices won't come out.  You can use them to serve pasta, pluck dumplings or eggs from boiling water – all without burning yourself.  You can even get a cheap pair at Dollar Tree but I suggest that you get a slightly better pair so they have the rubber handles and your hands will stay cool even if you are plucking hot things from boiling water.  A couple bucks at Target and you will be set!

These are my Top 10 – in no particular order.  Have a gadget you love?  Tell me about it!

No Fail Thanksgiving Turkey!

Best Thanksgiving Turkey EVER!!!

I have heard some horror stories from my girlfriends, aunt's grandma's and my own ma on the cooking debacle known as “the 1st thanksgiving turkey I ever made” story.  However, mine came out PERFECT – and I have a dead oven to thank for it!  

We had just moved into the house we live in now and I was bound and determined to host Thanksgiving that year – my first.  For my family and Darren's all together.  And about five days before Thanksgiving – our oven that came with the house DIED!  I about had a coronary.

So off to Sears we go.  I love Sears because they have supplied my family with great appliances for three generations, their stuff lasts AND they are girl friendly.   Our normal sales guy was off this day and this older lady who was probably about my grandma's age was working.  She helped me find the oven we needed AND supplied me with a no fail Thanksgiving Turkey recipe!  

She and I talked for a while and I explained I was going to host my first Thanksgiving and she asked me how I was going to cook my turkey.  I said well, with the stuffing inside of course!  She paused, looked at me and asked (as many southerners do from time to time), “Sweetheart, where are you from?”  NEW YORK!  I said.  She says to me, “You yankees always complain your turkeys are dry yet you continue to stick the DRESSING inside the turkey.”  Then she took me to school in the southern way of cooking a Turkey.  

Apparently, you don't stuff the turkey...  WHAT?!  Yes – for nearly 30years my family had been doing it WRONG!  I of course passed this info to my mother who argued with me.  Then we both decided – it's my first turkey – so no one expects it to be good.  So if we screw it up – as long as no one ends up at the ER we are good.

It was THE BEST turkey we all had ever tasted – except of course a fried turkey but that's a whole other bird!

Here is my recipe for you!

• 1 whole fresh frozen Turkey (calculate your pounds by thinking how many guests you are having and then divide by 2.  Like, you're having 16 people for Thanksgiving – you will need an 8-10lb turkey.  And remember to get a little extra in case extra people show up and for sandwiches and turkey pot pie in the days after Thanksgiving).
• 4-5 granny smith apples, peeled, cored & sliced into chunks
• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 sticks of butter – room temp so it's soft (YES REAL BUTTER – you can use light butter but the package should say BUTTER)
• 2T lemon juice
• 2t thyme

Ok – thaw out your turkey in the fridge.  The bigger the turkey the more time you will need to thaw – I have a 15lb one this year and I am taking it out of the freezer on the Sunday before.  Do not believe the package that 48hrs if enough time.  They lie.

Preheat your oven according to the package.

Once thawed remove all packaging, and put Tom in the sink start rinsing and get all the sides out – this is gross so you may want to get your mom or your man to do this if you are weak of heart.  Some people cook these up for the dog – I throw them away b/c they are gross.  Rinse everything and put Tom in the pan you're going to cook him in, breast side up.

In a large mixing bowl put the carrots, apples and cut up 1 & ½ sticks of butter up in chunks.  At the lemon juice & 1t of thyme – mix it all together so it is tossed nicely.  Then take a large spoon and spoon the mixture into both ends of Tom.  To have him full of apples, carrots and butter.  Once full – close him up but tucking his legs around the opening or using some cooking spears – metal is best.

Then salt & pepper him on the outside and sprinkle the other teaspoon of thyme all over him.  Then grab the other stick and a half of butter and massage it into him all over until he is well covered.  Then cover him and put him in the oven.  

Now read the package and do the math to figure out how long to cook him b/c it's based on his weight.  You will based him every 30mins.  Cook him covered for half the time and uncovered for the other half  that way he stays moist.

And you will have a GORGEOUS looking, finger likin', buttery turkey!

Dressing is now made by Darren's mom – in another house so I am not tempted to stick it inside of the turkey and she makes it the best.  So win win.  :)

Blue Diamond Garlic Mashed Taters Surprise!

Blue Diamond Garlic Mashed Taters Surprise

These are so good that Darren, mister, “I HATE CAULIFLOWER!”, you will get your most anti-veggie person to eat veggies!  I made Darren a bet that if I could make him eat and like cauliflower he had to buy me a blue diamond.  Well, I am still waiting for the diamond but got him to eat them and I think he ate like 3 cups of them b/c so far I have made at least 10lbs of taters for Thanksgiving but I only have about 8lbs to serve....

Anyway...  here you go and they are FABULOUS!

• 5lbs of Yukon Gold potatoes – skin left on and cut in quarters
• 1 bag of frozen cauliflower (SURPRISE!)
• 1 large box fat free chicken broth
• 5C water
• 5 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 stick of butter softened cut into 6 pieces
• ¼ - ½ C skim milk
• either 1 oven roasted garlic (if you have time to make it) OR 2T minced garlic from the jar
• salt & pepper to taste

In a large pot, put in the cauliflower on the bottom (this gets it out of sight of your household anti-veggie person). Then put the potatoes on top.  pour in the chicken broth and then water to where you have just about ½ in of water above the potatoes.  Plop in the bouillon cube and put it on the stove.  bring them to a boil and then lower the heat to about an 8 so it doesn't boil over – and cook those suckers for 40mins or to where you can stick a fork into a potato chunk and it falls apart.

Drain the potatoes and cauliflower and toss back into your pot.  Throw in the butter & garlic and then take a masher and start mashing.  Once everything is mashed slowly add in the milk – keep mashing.  You want just enough milk so they are slightly creamy and not soupy.  Then add salt & pepper to taste.  

Serve!  You can freeze these – which is what I do.  I make them about a week before Thanksgiving and then thaw them out, put them in a pretty serving dish, put them in the oven 350 for 30mins then put a few pats of butter on top and stick it under the broiler for like 2mins for crispy peaks.  SO easy!

You will get your favorite taters with a lower glycemic impact and a veggie stuck in there you won't know is there.   I PROMISE!  SUPER YUMMY FABU!