Sweet Potatoes with goat cheese, roasted grapes and drizzled with honey

Ok, so I know I overcooked my steak, but it was so good that I don't even care. Especially 'cus these potatoes are awesome! I kept thinking, "omgosh, this is soooo good" while I was eating these sweet potatoes.

On an uneventful Thursday evening, this definitely made my night a whole lot better. I think it even gave me the motivation to finish my International Trade Policy reading. Anything to get through all of that reading is totally worth it in my book, and if it tastes amazing, all the better.

Please please please make these sweet potatoes. They will beat the pants off your momma's old southern recipe of pecans and brown sugar and marshmallows. Yes. I said it. And I mean it.



Sweet potatoes with goat cheese, roasted grapes, and honey
From How Sweet It Is

4 sweet potatoes

2 cups red, seedless grapes

1 teaspoon grapeseed oil (or another high heat oil)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 ounces goat cheese, divided

2 tablespoons honey + additional for drizzling

pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Poke holes in sweet potato with a fork, then wrap each tightly in aluminum foil. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until potatoes and tender to the touch. Unwrap foil and cut a slit down the middle of each sweet potato. Let sit until cool enough to handle. *However, if you are crunched for time, pierce potatoes with a fork in several places, wrap in moist paper towels, and place in the microwave for 10 minutes on high instead of baking in the oven.*

Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Toss grapes with a little oil (high-heat oil) and a pinch each of salt and pepper, then place on nonstick baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until grapes begin to burst. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Once sweet potatoes are somewhat cool, gently remove the flesh with a spoon, trying to keep the potato intact. Add the sweet potato to a large bowl, then mash with 3 ounces of goat cheese, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper and honey. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired, then scoop flash back into the potato skins. At this point you can re-warm the potatoes (if you let them cool completely) in the oven, then top with remaining goat cheese. Add grapes on top and serve with additional drizzled honey.

Christmas Dinner 2011

Christmas Dinner Menu (from top left, clockwise)
Twice baked potatoes
Yorkshire pudding
Creamed spinach
Cranberry fruit gel
Rib roast
Asparagus
And for dessert, not pictured, Boston cream pie (recipe to come soon)

One of my favorite holiday recipes of all time is my family's cranberry gel. It has oranges in it, which I love. It tastes so much better than the caned stuff. Just know before you make it, it is more like a jell-o salad almost -it is not a cranberry sauce. But boy is it yummy. My sister preferred the cranberry gel over the from-scratch boston cream pie we had for dessert, actually (though everyone else helped themselves to seconds and even thirds of the boston cream pie).

Harvey Cranberry Gel
1 (6oz) raspberry gelatin mix (or two 3oz)
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
1 can mandarin oranges, drained (or use fresh, sliced/chopped oranges, if you prefer)
1 can (20oz) crushed pineapple, well drained
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

In a large, pretty bowl that you wish to serve your cranberry gel in*, dissolve gelatin in boiling water, then add cold water. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Fold remaining ingredients into chilled gelatin and chill in fridge until firm (2-3 hours).

*you can always prepare this in a large, normal bowl, then pour into a lightly greased mold or 8x11 dish after folding in the remaining ingredients

Spiced Sweet Potato Souffle

Sweet potatoes have to be one of the best vegetables ever. They are sweet like candy and are packed with tons of nutrients. If you follow that old rule that goes, "the more color a veggie has, the better for you," sweet potatoes rock the universe. They can be made into something sweet like pie or savory like baked fries, or they can be made into fancy things (hence, souffle) or just downhome goodness of mashed potatoes. Anyway, I had been dying to try a sweet potato souffle for a while, so I tested this one out for Thanksgiving. I loved it and will be making it again. I could honestly have this as dessert as well as a side, and that's fantastic news due to the fact that this dish is relatively good for you (not too much sugar or fat compared to pie or something...). I must admit, mine did fall a little, but that really is not a reason to not make this =).

Oh, and if you are not a fan of ginger and allspice and such, feel free to omit them. Some people may find the dish to reliant upon spices (too much ginger? ha. No such thing. You people are crazy.)

Spiced Sweet Potato Souffle
Adapted from Cooking Light

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound, 12 ounces) 
  2 tablespoons butter, softened 
  1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce) 
  1/2 cup whole milk
  1 tablespoon grated orange rind 
  1/3 cup fresh orange juice 
  1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon ginger1/4 teaspoon allspice3/4 teaspoon salt 2 large egg yolks 5 large egg whites 
• 
  

• Position oven rack to lowest setting, and remove the middle rack. Preheat oven to 425°.
• Coat a 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Set aside.
• Pierce potatoes with a fork; arrange on paper towels in microwave oven. Microwave at high 10 minutes or until tender, rearranging potatoes after 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Slice each potato in half, then scoop out the insides with a spoon (this is easier than peeling the potatoes, in my opinion). Combine potatoes and butter, and mash with a potato masher until smooth.
• Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, potato mixture, half-and-half, and next 8 ingredients (through egg yolks) in a food processor; process until smooth. Transfer potato mixture to a large bowl.
• Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl; beat at high speed with a mixer until soft peaks form. Add remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Gently fold one-fourth of egg white mixture into potato mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Gently spoon mixture into prepared dish. Sharply tap dish 2 or 3 times on the counter to level. Place dish on a baking sheet; place baking sheet in a 425° oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 375° (do not remove soufflé from oven). Bake 1 hour or until soufflé is puffy, golden, and set. Serve immediately.

Apple Raisin Salad

Not sure what to eat for lunch today? Well, have I got a suggestion for you. Grab a whole wheat pita and fill it to the brim with this delicious salad. I love this salad because there is no added sugar, but it is so sweet! I made this for a dinner at church to rave reviews. It's simple and I almost always have all of the ingredients on-hand.

Apple Raisin Salad
Serves 8

4 chopped apples, skins on, cored
1 1/2 cups raisins
4 celery stalks, sliced
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
Cinnamon to taste, optional

Mix all ingredients together, serve =)

Note: mixing a bit of lemon juice over the apples helps to keep them from browning

Black Eyed Pea Salad

What did I do with my entire day, you ask? Why, I made dinner for 30 people with options for gluten-free, vegetarian, raw, and vegan persons in under 3 hours, clean up of the kitchen included.
I think that deserves an olympic medal, just saying. Or at least, my face on the front of the wheaties box, right?
Anyway, this salad is pretty darn delicious and soooo simple and so good for you! I love the way the colors pop. I mean, the stuff looks like candy, it's so bright. It was part of the smorgasbord of options that I made for the 30-person dinner =).

*Thanks to my neighbor for giving me this recipe*

Black Eyed Pea Salad
Makes 12 servings

1green bell pepper
2 red bell peppers
1 orange bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1/2 large red onion
2 (16oz) bags of frozen black eyed peas, thawed

1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon regular mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Chop peppers and onion, mix in a large bowl. Add peas, stir.
In a separate, smaller bowl, mix the oils, vinegar, mustards, and salt and pepper. Pour over pea mixture and stir/mix to combine. Serve immediately or chill in fridge before serving.

Adventures with Spaghetti... Squash

I have got to improve my picture taking skills

(or get a better camera than the one on my phone)

Despite that I promised a month of pasta, I have somehow only gotten around to making a fake: spaghetti squash. Seriously, it is so easy to let kids think it is pasta. I really will get around to satisfying my pasta craving eventually. Tomorrow is supposed to be mozzarella-stuffed meatball night with my mom, so there's my motivation right there. I haven't seen her since Christmas and she hasn't been up to Kentucky since my freshman year of college, so there will be lots of good food and good shopping for the next 2 days.

My mom has never had spaghetti squash, but neither had I before tonight. I am thinking about tossing the left-over squash (plain squash that did not go in the gratin) with some bow-tie pasta, feta cheese, fresh tomato slices, olives, asparagus, and balsamic vinegar. I'll let you know if that plan comes to fruition. At this rate, it will be a miracle if I get around to those mozzarella turkey meatballs.

Spaghetti Squash Gratin

Serves 4 as a main dish. I suggest serving with some fresh bread.

Adapted from NYTimes

1 spaghetti squash, about 3 pounds

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 large eggs

1/2 cup low-fat milk

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (1/4 cup basil leaves)

1 cup cheese, grated (whatever you have on hand, I used a combo of mozzarella and cheddar and Gruyère)

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino romano

1/4 cup bread crumbs

Meat/Red pasta sauce, optional (but highly recommended)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half ("hot dog" style). Place spaghetti squash, cut-side down, in a large baking dish or pan (I used a 9x13) and pour 1/4 inch of water into the pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove from the heat, and allow the squash to cool until you can handle it. Remove the seeds and discard. Scoop out the flesh, and place in a bowl. Run a fork through the flesh to separate the spaghetti-like strands, then chop coarsely. Measure out 4 cups squash. (Use whatever remains for another dish, or freeze.)

2. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant. Add the squash. Cook, stirring often, for five minutes until the strands of squash are a little more tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the milk, salt (about 1/2 teaspoon), pepper and basil. Stir in the squash mixture and the cheese, and combine well. Scrape into the baking dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs, Parmesan/pecorino over the top.

4. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until nicely browned and sizzling. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or room temperature. Top with a meaty red pasta sauce.

Mushy Foods for Sore Mouths

The surgery went well, thank goodness. I have plenty of ice packs to wrap around my head and a heaping prescription of Vicodin. My mother came home and made me favorite smooth, a Velvet Elvis (Peanut butter, banana, and chocolate) with uncooked oats and wheat germ for some complex carbohbydrates to give me a long lasting fullness.

For dinner, since I am not yet ready to chew, a friend came over and we made cheesy polenta with spinach (recipe below). It's such a good comfort food and it requires no chewing =). I am nowsitting on the couch with my mom and my friend watching No Reservations. Feeling inspired to make chicken in a saffron cream sauce, maybe next week.

Cheesy Polenta with Spinach

When I am able to chew properly, I think some rotisserie chicken would taste fantastic with it.

Serves 2-3, depending on how hungry you are.

Adapted from a recipe by Jeanne Lemlin

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon wet garlic

3 cups baby spinach, washed

Butter for greasing dish plus 1 tablespoon butter

1 cup low fat milk

3/4 cups water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup part skim grated mozzarella cheese

3 tablespoons plain yogurt (I used Dannon's Activia)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, then stir in the spinach. Pour in a few tablespoons of water and cover the pan. Cook about 4 minutes, until wilted. Cover the pan again and cook until the leaves wilt, about 3 minutes. Toss occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool, uncovered.

2. To make the polenta preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 1.5 quart baking dish and set it nearby. Combine the milk, water, and salt in a medium size saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and slowly drizzle in the cornmeal, whisking all the while with a wire whisk. Continue to cook and whisk the polenta until it is the consistency of mashed potatoes and tears away from the sides of the pan, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the Parmesan cheese, the 1 tablespoon of butter, and the mozzarella cheese.

3. Spread half the polenta in the baking dish. Spoon on the spinach and distribute it evenly. Drop on small spoonfuls of the sour cream and spread it with the back of a spoon. Spoon on the remaining polenta and spread it out. (The casserole may be prepared to this point and refrigerated up to 24 hours in advance. Bring to room temperature before baking.)

4. Bake the polenta for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden on top and sizzling. Do not overcook it because you want to retain its creamy interior.