Sweet Potato Cake

One of the greatest joys of the Christmas season is giving gifts, isn't that what everyone says.  Its true. I was thinking back over the last few months and the challenges we have faced as a family. Challenges I never thought would be realities.  But then do we ever 'expect' these kinds of things? Some days its like moving through mud.  Taking one moment at a time because a day seems overwhelming. Temporarily denying things because it hurts too much to think about. Laughing with friends to dull the pain.  Keeping busy and distracted by the season.

The real exciting thing for me this Christmas was being able to give my children moments of simple joy, opening presents.  So simple. So needed. It wasn't like in years past.  What was different this year?  The feeling was so very  focused for me on that exact moment when I could see the smile, the joy, the excitement crossing their faces. Maybe it was just the sharp contrast of the deep sadness I have been feeling with the moments of elation.  It was magical.

Sweet Potato Cake
In my next venture with this cake, because there will seriously be a next time, I will use 4 egg whites, 1 cup sugar, a pinch more cream of tartar and a whole teaspoon of vanilla.  Why? I could not stop stealing a bit here and there of the frosting, the kids couldnt stop.  There just needs to be more of it! Hubba, hubba, hubba!

1 1/2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup (1 stick or 115 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (190 grams) packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Frosting
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (will help stabilize egg whites, don’t worry if you don’t have it)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of an 8- to 9-inch square pan with parchment paper, then butter the paper and sides of the pan. Or you could use nonstick spray.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs, and beat until just combined. Mix in sweet potato puree, then stir in dry ingredients just until they disappear.

Spread batter in prepared pan, and bake cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let cake rest in pan for 5 minutes on a cooling rack, then invert onto cooling rack, and let cool completely.

Make frosting:

Place egg whites, granulated sugar, a pinch of salt and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Whisk mixture for 3 minutes, until whites are warmed. Remove bowl from top of saucepan, then, with an electric mixer, beat egg white mixture on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 to 7 minutes longer. Add vanilla and mix until combined.

Sweet Potato Hummus

I made some falafel last week along with some sweet potato hummus.  Love hummus, love sweet potatoes.  Why not?  My sister in law told me that she was making some.  I had a sweet potato in my fridge and decided I would make it too! Besides my brother was all jealous that she was making it and he wasn't there to eat it.  No worries bro, we will recreate it.

Here is a couple tips about sweet potato hummus.  One, it is a bit sweet so you want to balance it out with some heat.  For this sweetness reason not everyone liked it.  But the next day the people that didn't much care for it liked it a whole lot better. So tip number two, make it a day in advance.  Personally, I loved it. It was so creamy and delicious to me.

I have seen recipes where they say to add coriander.  While I love coriander I wasn't grooving on it the last time I added it to my hummus.  So not keen on it.  If you make it and add coriander, let me know, I would love to hear how it came out.

Sweet Potato Hummus

2 generous tablespoons of tahini
1 teaspoon sriracha salt*
1 1/2 cup sweet potatoes, cooked
1 can chick peas, drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 - 2 teaspoons cumin
juice of half to a whole lemon depending on your preference ( the acid also tones down the sweet from the sweet potato)

In a food processor, mince garlic first then add the remainder of the ingredients.  If you like your hummus more thin then add a little water. Or you could reserve the liquid from the chick peas and add a little of that in as well.

*If you do not have Sriracha salt just use either a pinch of cayenne (or red pepper flakes) plus a teaspoon of kosher salt. Up it according to your heat preference.  The heat sets off the sweet of the sweet potatoes rather nicely.

Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Fritters

We just made it through many birthday parties around here.  It gets a little busy after Christmas, or rather it just stays busy.  I have none of that Christmas let down.  My daughters always have to have parties with their friends as well as parties with the family.  That usually makes for about four parties.  I am not complaining mind you, its just busy.

I was thinking today about the quick passage of time, the way time speeds up as you get older.  I remember when I saw the American Freedom Train as a little girl.  I thought about how our country was started 200 years ago.  Wow, that sure was a long time ago, I thought.  Now, its not nearly as long as I used to think it was.  If  a person lives to 100 that would be half the time.  Its just really a few generations.  It will be 250 years next year that our country was founded.  How quickly that went.

Now onto fritters!

Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Fritters
Recipe adapted from BHG.  Find the original here.

3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled and cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch chunks
1 small head cauliflower (2 pounds), cored and broken into 1 1/2- to 2-inch florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion (1 cup), peeled and cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped sage
2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 egg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

Oil for frying such as vegetable or corn

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place cut sweet potatoes and cauliflower on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with salt and pepper. Divide them on the baking sheet- cauliflower on one side, sweet potatoes on the other side. Roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until browned and just tender, stirring halfway through. Let stand 10 minutes.

In a food processor combine onion and garlic; pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a very large bowl. Add cauliflower to processor and pulse until chopped; transfer to the bowl with onion. Process sweet potatoes, half at a time, in food processor until coarsely mashed. Add to bowl with cauliflower.
Add sage, rosemary, salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cayenne pepper to bowl with potato mixture. Stir to combine. Add egg and flour and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate potato mixture for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Add 1-inch of oil to a large skillet; heat over medium heat for 10 minutes or until 350 degrees F. Place panko in a shallow dish. Using a 1/3-cup measure, shape the sweet potato mixture into 16 balls and roll in panko to coat. Place a little piece in the oil. If the oil goes to work immediately than your oil is hot enough- if not then it probably isnt and that means taht your fritter is going to absorb a lot of oil. Place fritters in skillet, 5 or 6 at a time, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until browned and heated through (160 degrees F), turning to brown evenly. Transfer to a paper towel-lined tray to drain. Serve warm.

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

I have been making a lot of vegetable broth lately.  My oldest daughter has gone to a vegetarian diet for the last few months.  My most favorite recipe for vegetable broth can be found here.  I cange it up a bit depending on what I have on hand.  But the constant for the broth is fennel.  I have to be honest- I am not a fan of fennel but I do very much like it in my vegetable broth. Actually it is a preferred part of the soup!

We don't eat a ton of meat so this whole turned Vegetarian thing has not been a total challenge.  But it is difficult coming up with protein sources when the girls doesn't necessarily like beans.  My husband teasingly calls her a carbatarian because that seems to be her diet staple since she isnt a total fan of vegetables either.  She will eat a few and claim she seriously likes vegetables but it is not sufficient.   For these reasons, the traditional vegetarian type dishes I have always made are not her thing either.  Sigh.  Hopefully her tastes will start changing.


Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

1 sweet potato, peeled
5 turnips, peeled
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
2 quarts of vegetable broth
salt to your taste
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

Cut sweet potato and turnip into cubes and place ona  cookie sheet  Roast in a 400F oven until they are lightly browned.  Place in soup pot with the remainder of the ingredients and let cook for about 30 minutes.  Blend in the blender (or use an immersion blender) until smooth and return to pot. Add in cream if desired.

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad

This is my lunch today.  After working out two times yesterday, I was totally ready for it.  It tasted incredible.  It's a very simple deal, comes together quickly if you have leftovers. I usually try and keep some kind of cooked grain in my fridge- quinoa, rice, wheat berries, whatever.  This is a one person serving.  You obviously can quadruple it for four.  Uppa to you.  You may want to keep it a secret because then you can eat it all yourself.  I thought of the combination because of some African dishes I have had with sweet potatoes and peanuts.  Didn't have peanuts so I subbed in cashews.  Awwww, so good.

The thing about salads is you can do whatever you like once you have the basic ideas of what a hearty meal type salad should be comprised of.  Its not rocket science.   All you need is some protein, some carbs, some veggies, some acid (like vinegar or lemon juice) and some oil.  At least that is kind of the equation I use.  I throw in some aromatics (like garlic or cilantro or parsley) or seasonings (spices like Herbes de Provence) depending on my mood.  So, you could do whatever, depending on your mood.  But the nice thing about people posting their salads, like me, is it gives you a plethora of ideas.  I always look for reasons to say that word 'plethora", I feel so official.  Anyway, once you have seen your jazzy ideas here or some other blog pull together your own dang, amazing salad.  Then by all means post it to share it with the rest of us so we can be inspired.

All of this amazing salad for about 450 calories.  It's filling too!

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad 

I used a flavored vinegar that I bought at one of those delicious vinegar and oil places.  So freaking delicious.  Its no joke when I tell you I measure out a tablespoon and drink it just to get the flavor of it in my mouth.  Swoon.

Printable here.

1 tablespoon grapefruit vinegar (or cider vinegar)
1 tablespoon olive oil, with one teaspoon removed from it to saute the sweet potato
1 sweet potato, chopped- about 115 grams or a 1/2 cup
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
1/3 cup sweet onion, chopped
garlic powder to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup cashews

Sauté the sweet potato in about a teaspoon of olive oil.  You can sauté the onion too but I like the crunch of nearly raw ones.  In a bowl, heat the quinoa with the onions in the microwave.  Once the quinoa and onions are heated, add to it the cilantro, seasonings, olive oil, vinegar and cashews.  Once your sweet potatoes are done, toss that in.  And voilà - fairly quick meal, filled with nutrients and satisfying flavors

Sweet Potato and Garbanzo Bean Salad

This is one of those times when something doesn't stay long enough to set up a good shot to show you how freaking amazing something was.  It is at these times you should say to yourself- it must have been real good.  Oh yes, it was real good.  This is one of those salads, that like my rocket and asparagus salad will be showing up on our table over and over again.  Its just that good.

Lets talk about allspice.  Allspice may be that longer forgotten friend in your spice cabinet.  Don't sell it short if it is.  When used in small quantities, like in this dish or tomato anything (salad, sauce...) it adds something.  Something you cant quite get your finger on but its good- real good.  I add it to tomato salad all the time.  It was during a Daring Cooks Challenge when I led it for stuffed grape leaves.  See the post here.  I thought, allspice, in tomato salad?  Seriously, this is going to ruin my wonderful tomatoes.  Ah, wrong.  Sooo good.

Sweet Potato and Garbanzo Bean Salad
Printable here.

2 sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or pumpkin, diced
1 small purple onion, sweet onion, or shallot
1 can chick peas or 2 cups if you soak and boil your own
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tablespoons water
3 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of sea salt
crushed black pepper
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 teaspoon allspice

If you have time roast your sweet potato, if not a quick boil is fine.  Heat until tender.

Meanwhile, chop onion.  If you are using a purple onion you can tone down its bite by placing in a small bowl and pouring some hot water over it.  Leave it in the hot water while you prepare everything else and you will find it is quite mellow when done.

In your serving bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, water, tahini, garlic, salt and pepper and allspince.  Add to it the garbanzo beans, onion, sweet potato and cilantro.

Sweet Potatoes in Bourbon Sauce

It's sad and lonely, one sweet potato in a sea of delicious sauce but it is all I have left people!  These were eaten rather quickly.  At the dinner table it was too dark for pictures.  But I must share it with you because it is a fabulous way to make sweet potatoes.

Yesterday, I made my way through tons of boxes, tissue paper, bows and wrapping paper in my storage area.  All piled there just to get it out of the way.  It's all neat and organized now and in its proper spot.  Whew, that makes me feel so much better.  Sometimes I put it off and it is like a thorn in my side, driving me crazy.  Why do I put it off when it makes me feel so good to do it?

Which led me to thinking as I lay sleepless in bed last night.  Why do I not do things specifically that would make myself happy?  Now, I am not a resolution kinda girl anymore because it just never works for me.  Last night, I did make a resolution, to love myself more.  Love myself by doing nice things for myself.  Eating right, getting exercise and cleaning the house more because it makes me happy.  If I am eating right and exercising more then I will have more energy to clean the house, right?

I think this is the best resolution that I can make or have ever made really. I know its kind of late in the game but I did give up smoking 16 years ago on Martin Luther King.  It wasn't necessarily a resolution but definitely on my list of habits that had to go.  Sixteen years later I couldn't be more happy about that decision.  It was pure freedom.  I no longer had to worry about where my pack of cigs were or if I had my lighter or not.  Cause DANG it sucks to have a cigarette and not have anything to light it with.  Its like a piece of meat hanging in front of a starving lion just out of his reach. 

The goal I always want to have is to lose weight.  That this will be my year.  But I have shifted my thinking.  Loving myself and honoring myself enough to do what is right will likely have the desired result of losing weight but it is where my attention will lay that will serve me much better.  Towards the end of 2013 I did lose 10 pounds and have managed to keep it off over the holidays.  I like that kind of momentum.  And you know I deserve that kind of momentum.  So onward ho!

Just a little tidbit about diets.  I very much believe in eating a healthy, well balanced diet.  That means eating carbs.  I know the rage is no to low carbs with this whole Paleo thing but I have to tell you, unless you are eating tons of fruit you probably will not get the carbs your body needs.  And your kidneys don't like that.  Read about ketosis some time.  If you want, ask me and I will put together an article about it.  Ketones are VERY bad for your kidney and can potentially shut them down.  I worked in dialysis and the last thing you want is for your kidneys to shut down because you did not eat enough carbs.

Simply cutting back on your carbs will have the desired effect.  Certainly choosing the right carbs will also be very beneficial to the level of insulin and satiety. So do your research.

You will find the usual here at my blog.  While I will certainly be eating less sugar that is not to say there won't be an occassional treat.  I also believe in whole, real foods.  No diet crap.  Have the real thing but less of it.  So don't worry, it will be more of the same thing my blog has always been.  Salads, mains, desserts, snack and appetizers and so on.

Whew, that was probably one of the lengthiest posts I have ever wrote. Onto the recipe people! Yeah!

Sweet Potatoes In Bourbon Sauce (swoon)
This recipe, found in December 2013 issue of Southern Living.  Adapted.
My version printable found here.

4 large sweet potatoes, unpeeled
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon butter
Sea salt

Preheat oven to 425°. Pierce potatoes several times with a fork. Place directly in oven.  Bake until done but not mushy. It should still feel a little firm but have give to it.

While the sweet potatoes are baking, bring orange juice and next 5 ingredients to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer, stirring often, 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat.

Without bringing your fingers. I used a fork and a delicate hand to peel the skins off the potatoes.  You can certainly wait until they are more cooled but I was kind of in a hurry.

Place in a 9 by 13 pan cut side down and pour sauce over them, return to oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, depending on how much you had previously cooled them to peel them.  I like having them in the oven and already to go for company.  It was pretty too. If you want them browned , you can put them under the broiler but you need to watch them very closely as they will go from pretty to charred in no time.

SWEET POTATO SHEPARD'S PIE

Did you ever see people doing some major traffic violation and think, where are the cops when you need 'em? Well today this big pickup pulls out right in front of this car that was about to turn into the street that the pickup was pulling out of. He never stopped at the stop sign, just barreled through the intersection. Well the guy that he pulled out in front of was a cop, an unmarked car. The lights went on and he pulled him right over. I was so excited. Am I the only person that gets totally jazzed about due punishment?

Now, for Sunday dinner. Yesterday, I was off to find something different. Usually I go surfing and pick a handful of recipes and then kind of make my own combination. Maybe an element from here and an element from there. This week I wanted to do a lightened Shepherds Pie. I think this combination worked pretty well.

SWEET POTATO SHEPARD'S PIE
a culmination of many recipes with some ideas of my own.

2 pounds lean beef (I used 90/10)
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 Asian eggplants, chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, baked
1 banana
2 tablespoons Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 tablespoons steak sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups cheddar (I used 2%, I gave it a try)
2 tablespoons flour

Begin to brown the beef. While the beef is starting to cook mash the sweet potatoes and banana and salt and mix together. If you don't like the banana idea, I use it to sweeten the mashed sweet potatoes, use a 1/2 cup brown sugar instead.

When the meat is nearly all browned, add the celery, carrots, steak seasoning, steak sauce and onions. Cook until they become tender crisp. Add mushrooms, eggplant and garlic. Sprinkle flour over mixture, stir and cook for five more minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a casserole dish. Stir in cheese. Spread sweet potato mixture over top.

Cover and bake at 350F for about 45 minutes. Place a baking sheet under the casserole dish just in case it boils over.

You could also pour it into two deep dish pie pans and freeze one. Using it for a quick meal down the road.