Sweet Potatoes - Beyond Mini-Marshmallows

    A few months ago, the extended Yates family had a pitch-in type meal together.  I was lucky to be seated at a table with one of my nieces, Madison, and my nephew Dustin who happens to be her brother. Their dad, Uncle Russell, is super fit and into healthy eating in a big way. He had brought a sweet potato casserole to share and it was really good, but the kids didn't have any of it on their plates. When I asked them why, Dustin said, "I just can't do it.  Ever since Dad heard Dr. Oz say that sweet potatoes are one the healthiest vegetables, he has made them every night. He only knows two ways to do it, plain or with marshmallows." Maddie agreed saying, "We just can't take it anymore!"  Since then, it's been on my mind to come up with some varied sweet potatoes recipes that would make Uncle Russell happy and that Maddie and Dustin would love.  I eagerly took the challenge of coming up with yummy dishes where sweet potatoes were the most important ingredient and the steps were quick and easy. I have been trying these out and testing them on Roy and the girls.  My favorite is the Spicy Sweet Potato Tacos. They are great on a Friday night with a beer - or in my case a non-alcoholic malt beverage! Roy loves the The Sweet Potato Side Salad is also in Easy Autumn Meal post. It received good reviews from all who tried it- no one refused to put it on their plate :)!

Smoky Sweet Potato Soup - serves 4

2 sweet potatoes                                                                  
1 medium onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 (15 oz.) cans of chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes.  Set them aside.  Rinse, drain, and set aside the beans.  Saute the onion and celery in the olive oil until they are soft.  Add the sweet potatoes, beans, and the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat and simmer until the sweet potato pieces are done.  Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Side Salad-serves 4 to 6

2 large sweet potatoes
1 cup uncooked wild rice
2 tart green apples, diced
2 stalks of celery diced
1/4 cup of finely diced purple onion
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Peel and cut sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch cubes.  Cook them in salted water until tender but not overdone.  Cook the rice according to the package directions.  Put the sweet potato cubes, rice, apple, celery, and oinion in a bowl.  Whisk the vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder together. Pour the vinegar and oil mixture over the ingredients in the bowl and gently toss.  This is refreshing chilled or equally as good at room temperature.

Spicy Sweet Potato Tacos - makes 12 tacos

2 large sweet potatoes 
1 pound package of bulk chorizo
1 (15 oz.) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
12 corn taco shells
16 oz. package of queso fresco cheese
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes.  Cook in salted water until tender, but not mushy! Drain and set aside. Brown and thoroughly cook the chorizo, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain any grease from the chorizo. In a large bowl, gently combine the sweet potatoes, chorizo, black beans, and cilantro. Spoon the mixture into taco shells and top with crumbled queso fresco cheese.  If desired, provide lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream on the side.

Disastrous Macaroons and Delicious Meringues

  

                                                Light as a Cloud Meringues =  Many Sweet Options!

A few weeks ago I was thrilled when Yates Yummies got a milestone hit!  Blogspot has a statistics feature that keeps track of how many times the blog has been looked at.  I can't see who visited this site, but the stats do share the search words that people googled to get here.  Some are pretty amusing.  My all time favorite happens to be, "is eating white chocolate with sangria dangerous?"  Recently the August 5th post, "Jose's Chocolate Dipped Macaroons", started getting an inordinate number of hits.  Out of curiosity I googled the words "Jose" and "Macaroons".  Up came the page with Google's suggested web sites.  All websites but my blog directed people to Jose Marechal and his book Irresistible Macaroons.  It turns out that these multicolored cute little egg-white/ ground almond cookies are supposed to be the new cupcake in the foodie world.  Intrigued, I hit on the Amazon link and ordered the book.  When the book arrived, I decided to give it a whirl.  What a lot of effort and what a disaster it turned out to be!  With all the steps that had to be taken - ground the almonds, make a paste with the nuts, boil water and sugar, incorporate it in with egg whites, etc. - I realized I was out of my league! However, as I was whipping up the egg whites I got a flash from the past.  Several years ago, I was lucky to spend some time with a friend from New Zealand whose husband was briefly working in the U.S.  Her trademark offering at pitch-ins were melt in your mouth meringue cookies. She would top them with whipped cream and sometimes kiwi slices. Once she made a classic Pavlova which is one large round meringue filled with fruit and whipped cream. Quickly, I threw my disastrous macaroons in the trash and dug out the handwritten recipe she gave me. It was so simple and so easy!  I made a batch and had a lot of fun pairing them with different sweet combinations.  My favorite involves the Luscious Lemon Curd recipe given below, especially because it's a great use of the egg yolks not used for the meringues.  I also made some smaller sized meringues to make sandwich cookies with various fillings. Ice cream was a great pairing as well.

Simple Meringues
3 egg whites (set eggs out a couple hours before hand)
3/4 cup of sugar
pinch salt (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (makes it a little easier for eggs to whip up)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Follow the steps below:

Place parchment paper on cookie sheet and draw circles the size you prefer for your meringues

Break eggs open and separate whites from yolk by passing yolk back and forth between the shell halves

Beat the eggs, salt, vanilla, and cream of tartar on high until they reach a soft peaks stage

Gradually beat all the sugar in until the mixture is glossy and stiff

Put a tablespoon or two in your drawn circles and spread the mixture flat with the help of a spoon

Bake at 275 degrees in a preheated oven for one hour, then turn the heat off, keep the door closed, till cooled (all night is ok)

Layer with fruit and whipped cream (or Cool Whip!)

or topped with ice cream

As sandwich cookies filled with raspberry jam, Nutella, and orange marmalade

With luscious Lemon Curd - my favorite!

 Luscious Lemon Curd:  In a pan over medium low heat, whisk together the 3 left over egg yolks,  the juice of 2 lemons, and 1/2 cup of sugar.  Then stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture gets thick, being careful never to let it boil.  Take it off the heat and stir in 4 tablespoons butter (I used "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter) until combined.  This is absolutely divine on toast in the morning or as a filling between two layers of a yellow cake frosted with whip cream!

Creamy Baked Risotto with Pan Fried Scallops

     Last night I tweeted a pic of the rice and scallops shown above and below. I was SO excited to get some retweets and mentions, so I'm quickly putting the recipe up here in response to requests!
    The rice method is a combination of Cook's Country (America's Test Kitchen) and Ina Garten's way of making oven baked risotto.  I got the idea of adding the mushrooms and shallots. The drizzle of truffle oil over the scallops along with the tang of the diced green apple takes this dish over the top! It was delicious!

Creamy Baked Risotto with Pan Fried Scallops
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
5 Cups chicken broth, warmed
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 good sized shallots, diced
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, put through press
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
In a dutch oven, saute shallots and mushrooms in the olive oil until soft. Add rice and garlic and stir for 30 seconds.  Add 4 cups of the broth and wine. Cover the rice mixture with a sheet of foil and then put the top on the dutch oven. Bake for 45 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Take it out and stir in the cheese, remaining cup of broth, and butter.

Scallops:
Combine 1 cup flour with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Dredge the rinsed, drained, and dried scallops in the flour mixture. Cook over medium low heat in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil - about 7 to 10 minutes on each side to get a nice browned crust and ensure that scallops are done.

Serve scallops on bed of the rice. Drizzle a slight bit of truffle oil over each scallop. Top with finely diced Granny Smith apple.

Easy Empanadas for Allison (and Cassie)!

     I consider myself blessed that my daughters are friends with me on Facebook. I get such a kick out of viewing their pictures and especially the hilarious things they send back and forth to each other.  Recently I found myself embedded in a thread regarding one of Allison's favorite foods - empanadas.

Cassie:  Allison. Last night I had a dream we went to a party and they were serving empanadas. You snatched a handful and I got none.

 Allison: I feel terrible that in your dream I was so selfish. I guess it speaks to my love of empanadas! Maybe I will make you some to make up for it. whhaaaaaat???

Cassie: Hahahahahahaha. That may be in order! Do you know how to make them?!

Allison:  My mom does- I'll ask her for her recipe...

 Empanadas were the one food Allison really wanted at her open house when she graduated from high school.  I planned to buy them from a Spanish restaurant/Tapas place that, at the time, was just down the street.  So, one afternoon we popped in there for a snack. Their empanadas were quite a bit pricey - especially if I wanted to buy at least 100 of them.  Then I realized that there wouldn't be much to just making them myself and so I put together my unauthentic but tasty recipe that follows. The empanadas were quite a hit at the party and are so easy to make!  Also included is the Spanish style wilted spinach that makes the emapanadas a meal instead of just a snack.

Julie: Recipe for 48 empanadas: 2 package Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry, 1 pound ground beef, 1 (15 oz.) can of diced tomatoes, 1/4 cup sliced green olives, 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 1 onion. Dice up onion and throw it in the frying pan with ground beef. Brown ground beef mixture over medium heat until no longer pink, then then drain out all the grease. Drain the can of tomatoes and add those to beef mixture along with cheese and olives. Add 1/4 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Roll out pastry on a floured surface and using a glass as a "cookie cutter" cut out circles. Put a teaspoon and a half or so of beef filling on one side of each circle and fold over to make the half-moon shape. With the tongs of a fork, press the edges of the half circle together. Line a cookie sheet with foil, spray with cooking spray or lightly grease the pan with oil. Place the empanadas on pan and bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!



Brown the ground beef with the diced onion and drain

Drain the chopped tomatoes and slice the olives

Mix the tomatoes, cheese, and olives with the ground beef

Put flour on surface such as cutting board, roll it out just a bit, and use glass it cut out circles

Put about 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling on one side of each circle

Fold each circle over and use the tines of a fork to seal it closed

Bake for about 12 minutes at 400 degrees - they should be light golden brown

Super Sensation Spanish Style Spinach

Put 3 tablespoons of raisins in a small bowl and cover them with boiling water.  Let them stand while you prepare the spinach.  In a frying pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and some cubes of good artisan style bread. Brown the bread cubes and remove them from the pan.  Add another tablespoon of olive oil along with 3 tablespoons of pine nuts and 1 clove garlic put through a press.  Cook on medium heat for 30 seconds and add a 10 oz. package of fresh spinach. Stir until spinach begins to wilt.  Put in drained raisins and stir again.  Remove from heat and add a couple sprinkles of vinegar.  If you have sherry vinegar, it is wonderful - if not, red wine vinegar will do.  Serve with the browned bread crumbs on top.

More Comfort Food - Chicken Pot Pie

     Another family favorite dinner that the girls grew up with was chicken pot pie.  Back in the day, I used lots of butter and even (gasp!) potatoes in this recipe.  Now I make this comfort meal with only one pat of butter and I ditch the starchy potato carbs.  The topping is from a ready made pie crust, but more South Beach Diet friendly would be the use of puff pastry or phyllo.  We still love this on a cold winter day, but have found that using individual souffle dishes lends to better portion control.

 

Ingredients:

 

2 to 3 chicken breasts (good idea to include more and save/freeze for use later)

1 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, diced

6 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 (15 oz.) cans chicken broth

1 (12oz.) package of frozen mixed vegetables, cooked in microwave for 5 minutes

1 prepared package of prepared pie crust dough such as Pillsbury's

Directions

     Place at least 2 or 3 chicken breasts  in a large pot along with some celery, a carrot or two, and an onion to give them a nice flavor.  Cover the breasts with water and heat to boiling.  Turn the heat down and let the breasts simmer for about 20 minutes.

 

     Meanwhile, dice one large onion and saute in 1 tablespoon butter and 3 tablespoons of olive oil until soft.  Add 6 tablespoons of flour and mix it into the onions.

 

      Add 2 (15 oz.) cans of chicken broth to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture is like thick gravy.  Cut the chicken up and add it to the pan along with a 12 oz. package of frozen mixed vegetables that has been cooked in the microwave for about 5 minutes. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

     Lay out prepared crust such as Pillsbury's and use the individual souffle dishes to cut out the dough.

 

 

Spoon the chicken vegetable mixture into each dish.

     Place a pie crust top on each dish and bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes or until the crust is flaky and brown.

Enjoy!

Spinach Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells - Comfort Food!

This has been a favorite family recipe for years.  The savory sauce is light, tangy and just zings when paired with the satisfying ricotta cheese spinach filling of the pasta.  It was a cold and snowy today – just the right night for this comforting yummy dish!

Spinach Cheese Stuffed Shells

You will need a 12 oz. box of jumbo pasta shells – cook half of them according to the package directions.  A good time to do this would be while sauce is simmering and you are mixing up the spinach cheese filling.

Ingredients for the Sauce:

1 pound ground beef (optional)

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves put through a press or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 (15 oz.) can of tomato sauce

1 (15 oz.) can chopped tomatoes

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

Brown the ground beef and onion or medium low heat and drain the oil.  (This would be a good time to microwave the spinach for the filling – directions are below)  If using fresh garlic add it to beef and cook for 30 seconds before adding the rest of the ingredients.  (If not using ground beef, sauté fresh garlic in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 30 seconds and then add the rest of the ingredients) Simmer about 10 minutes or so while you combine the ingredients for the cheese spinach filling and cook the jumbo pasta shells

Ingredients for Spinach Filling
1 pound (16 oz.) ricotta cheese (I use part skim)
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

Cook spinach in microwave according to the package directions.  Squeeze/drain the excess water out of the spinach and mix it with the rest of the ingredients.

Directions for constructing this dish:

Stuff each shell with a heaping tablespoon of the filling.

  Arrange the shells in a baking dish.  Spoon the sauce over the stuffed shells.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Enjoy!

BBQ, Buffalo Chicken, and Margarita Pizza - Fast!

A few weeks ago, Jenn came back from visiting Caroline with a great recipe for Buffalo Chicken Pizza.  For a few years now, I have really struggled with making pizza. I have tried all kinds of techniques for making the dough - and have failed at all of them!  Whipping up a sauce or slapping down toppings I can do - but making the crust is not my strength.  Jenn had the answer; they used a premade crust and it was even whole wheat at that. So, when I swallowed my pride and used the shrink wrapped crust, I also realized that pizza could now be made very, very easy.  The buffalo chicken recipe is really yummy, and making a reduced fat blue cheese dressing as part of the topping eases some of the guilt. Likewise, the barbecue chicken pizza is equally delicious and using the South Beach diet recipe for BBQ sauce, makes it a bit more healthy. Finally, for garlic lovers, a margarita pizza is included. The blend of basil, tomatoe, and melted fresh mozzerella cheese is just divine!

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

1 prepared pizza crust or pizza dough rolled out and ready to go

¾ cup prepared BBQ sauce (use bottled or diet recipe below)

5 or so thinly cut slices from a red onion

1 cup smoked white cheese sauce as Gouda, shredded

1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken (2 chicken breasts)

1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions or chopped parsley

 Brush the pizza crust with a little of the BBQ sauce.  Mix the rest of the BBQ sauce with the chopped chicken and spread evenly over the crust.  Mix the two cheeses together and spread them on top of the chicken.  Separate the onion slices into rings and place them on top.  Bake at 450 degrees for 13 minutes.  After baking, garnish the top with chopped parsley or thinly sliced green onion.

South Beach BBQ Sauce – From South Beach Diet Book
1 (8-ounce) can Tomato sauce
2 tablespoons White vinegar
2 teaspoons Chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon Garlic powder

Combine all ingredients together. Refrigerate in a plastic container.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

1 prepared pizza crust or pizza dough rolled out and ready to go

6 tablespoons of butter or margarine (I used “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter”)

6 tablespoons hot pepper sauce such a Frank’s

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups diced cooked chicken (2 chicken breasts)

¼ cup of blue cheese dressing (use store bought or the diet recipe below)

1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions or parsley

Put the margarine and hot pepper sauce in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for about 20 seconds.  Stir until completely combined and brush a little on the pizza crust.  Combine the two cheeses and spread them evenly over the top of the crust.  Add the rest of the hot pepper sauce mixture to the chicken and spread it evenly over the top of the cheese.   Drizzle the blue cheese dressing over the top and bake at 450 degrees for 13 minutes.  Garnish with thinly sliced green onions or parsley.

Light Blue Cheese Dressing

½ cup crumbled blue cheese

1 cup light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons plain vinegar

¼ cup reduced fat sour cream

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together.

Margarita Pizza

1 prepared pizza crust or pizza dough rolled out and ready to go

4 gloves of garlic put through a press

2 tablespoons of olive oil

4 tablespoons washed and thinly sliced basil leaves

1 or 2 ripe red tomatoes, sliced
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

Brush 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on the crust.  Spread the pressed garlic over the crust. Arrange the basil, tomatoes, and tomato slices over the top. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and bake at 450 degrees for 13 minutes.