March 9, 2010
· Filed under Autumn, Meal Planning, Side/Salad, Winter · Tagged sweet potatoes
Posted by Lisa
Chili Spiced Sweet Potatoes
I always thought that I wasn’t a big fan of sweet potatoes, but I had primarily eaten them in a sweetened casserole at Thanksgiving and I’m still not a fan of that type of preparation. Sweet potatoes are so healthy, one serving is a mega-dose of Vitamin and full of fiber. Their flesh is, of course, slightly sweet, but they go well with a savory spice. This particular spice combination added a delicious, but not overpowering flavor. Roasting sweet potatoes is quick preparation, just allow plenty of time for cooking.
Chili Spiced Sweet Potatoes
printable recipe
- 1 1/2 – 2 pounds sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into 1/2″ x 2″ sticks
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Preheat oven to 400º. Combine all ingredients in a baking dish, 9″ x 13″ is a good size. Place dish in oven. Stir after about 15 minutes, when coconut oil has melted and you can stir to coat the sweet potatoes. Cook for approximately 45 minutes longer, until sweet potatoes have begun to brown. Stir several times during this time. Serve warm. These still taste delicious the next day, but their semi-crispy outside is best right after they are cool enough to eat.
February 28, 2010
· Filed under Autumn, Side/Salad, Spring, Winter · Tagged beets, dill, potatoes
Posted by Lisa
Dill Roasted Beets and Potatoes
I love beets. I love potatoes. And I love dill. Why did it take me so long to put the three together? Beets and potatoes are both root vegetables, so it seems like a logical combination, but apparently not a common one.
I think dill weed is an under-appreciated herb. Sure, fresh dill heads or dill seeds are well-known since they are in dill pickles, but I’m talking dill weed. Fresh is obviously a much better choice than dried, but there’s no local, fresh dill to be found this time of year, so dried works well, too. Dill weed has a fresh, light, grassy flavor with almost lemony notes.
The combination of the beets and potatoes was a really lovely contrast. The beets are sweet and slippery, while the potatoes are soft and starchy. Combined with the fresh, subtle flavor of dill, this dish was a real hit. As with most roasted vegetable dishes, it’s a snap to prepare, but requires at least an hour of baking.
Dill Roasted Beets and Potatoes
printable recipe
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes*, cut into 1/2″ cubes (use whatever variety you have on hand)
- 1 1/2 pounds beets*, cut into 1/2″ cubes
- 1 teaspoon dried dill weed (or 2 teaspoons fresh dill weed)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- several grinds of pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Preheat oven to 400°.
Gently combine first five ingredients and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a baking dish. A 9″ x 13″ baking dish or 12-14″ cast iron skillet will both work well. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until tender. After you remove from the oven, drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and mix gently. Serve warm.
*I don’t generally peel most root vegetables unless they have very blemished/bruised areas, but this is a personal preference. Feel free to peel the potatoes and beets if you like.
February 15, 2010
· Filed under Meal Planning, This and That, Winter · Tagged menu
Posted by Lisa
This week in our CSA share we received: winter greens mix, cabbage (enormous!), carrots, winter squash (ambercup and butternut), leeks, onions and garlic.
After I planned my meal plan, I realized that it was particularly heavy on pork items, but I have a lot of cabbage and potatoes on hand and I think that pork goes particularly well with those ingredients.
- Chickpea and Mustard Green Curry; Steamed Rice (mustard greens)
- Baked Pasta with Butternut Squash, Bacon, Onions, Three Cheeses and Pine Nuts; Garlicky Collard Greens and Carrots (butternut squash, collard greens, carrots)
- Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Pork Chops; Baked Potatoes; Sautéed Leeks and Cabbage (rosemary, leeks, cabbage)
- Bubble and Squeak; Roasted Winter Squash and Carrots (cabbage, winter squash, carrots)
- Stir-fry with Winter Greens and Leftover Pork; Rice (winter greens mix, carrots)
- Gratin of Cabbage and Lentils in a Provençal Sauce; No-Knead Bread (cabbage)
- Bratwurst; Colcannon; Spiced Carrots (cabbage, leeks, carrots)
January 24, 2010
· Filed under Main Dish, Seasons, Spring, Winter · Tagged dandelion greens, greens, leeks, potatoes
Posted by Lisa
Potato, Leek and Dandelion Soup
This soup is basically a variation of my old stand-by, Potato Leek Soup. This soup warrants its own post because of the addition of dandelion greens and extra alliums, in the form of garlic and onions. This soup is so earthy and humble, with just a small touch of decadence, courtesy of the cream.
Dandelion greens are familiar to most people as invasive weeds, but their culinary popularity is increasing. You can now find them at many farmers markets, or you could harvest them from your own yard in the early spring, before they flower or in the late fall after a frost, when they aren’t so bitter (provided you haven’t used chemicals in your yard). Dandelion greens are wonderfully nutritious, with high levels of Vitamin K and A and respectable levels of Vitamin C, calcium and iron.
They are more nutritious when eaten raw, however many Americans would probably find their bitter taste slightly disagreeable the first couple of tries. Cooking them mellows their bitterness significantly.
Potato Leek and Dandelion Greens Soup
printable recipe
- several tablespoons of cooking fat
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large leeks, thinly sliced
- 2-3 pounds potatoes, 1/2″ dice (I leave the peel on mine, but you can peel yours if you prefer; you can also use any variety of potatoes you have on hand)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
- 1 quart of stock (vegetable or chicken)
- 1 bunch of dandelion greens (approximately 8 cups chopped); chop stems roughly and keep them separate from the greens which should also be chopped roughly
- 1/4 cup of heavy cream
Heat cooking fat in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven on medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for five minutes. Add leeks and cook until all vegetables are tender, about five more minutes; the leeks should still be bright green at this point. Add potatoes, sea salt, pepper and mustard. Stir to combine and then add stock. You may need a little more than 1 quart. It should cover the potatoes mixture by 1/2″ inch. Bring the soup to a simmer and add the chopped dandelion stems. Simmer until potatoes are tender. When potatoes are tender, add the dandelion greens and cook just until they have wilted. Remove pot from heat and stir in cream. Check seasonings and adjust if necessary.
