Cardamom Sweet Potato Puree

While visiting my parents I was reminded of my dad's love of cardamom.  (It reminds him of Finland--but that's a story for another day.)  So when I received a sample of the new Knorr Homestlye Stock, with a challenge to use it in a recipe of my own creation, I immediately wondered how I could also use my dad's favorite Cardamom.  This is the recipe I came up with.  My family and I have enjoyed it twice now--I hope you'll give it a try.

Cardamom Pureed Sweet Potatoes
Cook Time: 20 min  ---  Total Time: 35 min
Serves: 8 half cup servings

Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes (1.5 lbs total)
2 cups apple juice
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Fresh ground pepper

Peel Sweet potatoes with a vegetable peeler, and cut into a half to one inch pieces.

In a three-quart pot bring apple juice and chicken broth to a boil. Add sweet potatoes, cardamom and cinnamon.  Cover and simmer at a low boil for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat.  Puree the sweet potatoes with a stick blender, or in batches in a food processor. 

Serve with a grind of fresh cracked pepper on top.

Variation: For a more rustic texture, omit 1/2 cup apple juice and mash with a potato masher instead of pureeing.

Cranberry Salsa

 Cranberry salsa.  A bit tangy, kind of sweet with a kick of spiciness.  Sooo good.

And adorable with little Christmas tree chips made from spinach tortillas.

Another great thing about this recipe--it was a Christmas "treat" I could share with my friend who doesn't eat dairy, eggs or chocolate. 

Cranberry Salsa with "Tree" Chips

12 oz. bag fresh or frozen cranberries
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, cut in eighths
1/2 large red pepper, cut in large chunks
1/2 medium red onion, cut in large chunks
3/4 C sugar
1/3 C apple juice
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. chopped pickled jalapeno pepper
1 tsp. grated lime zest

1 pkg. spinach flour tortillas (green)

Put cranberries, apple, red pepper and onion in food processor; pulse until chopped. Transfer to a large glass bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients until blended. Cover and refrigerate or spoon into crocks or jars and refrigerate. (I suggest dividing into two processor batches to avoid pureeing the ingredients too much. Can use a food chopper instead. Adjust amounts of onion and/or jalapeno according to your desire for spiciness and apple juice according to your desire for juiciness.)

For chips, heat oven to 375°. Use a 3" cookie cutter to cut out tree shapes. (Or just slice with a pizza cutter into abstract triangle trees.) Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 8 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely. Put in plastic bags; give with the salsa. Can be made up to 2 weeks ahead. Store chips airtight at room temperature.

Makes 4 C salsa; 36 chips

Snow Cones

We got snow! Last night. And this morning. And supposedly it's going to keep coming down all evening.

Luckily we just picked up snow boots for Owen yesterday, so he had to go break them in.

He put a lot of concentration into making tracks all over the back yard.

And when he was all tuckered out, it was time to come in for a snack.

Snow cones can't be made every day of the year--they're a special treat! My dad used to make them for us when we were little. Fill a bowl with fresh snow that is "clean" and above ground. I got the top layer off the snow on our patio table.

Pour syrup over the top. My dad used to use fruit-flavored pancake syrups. I used fruit juice concentrate.

Add a bit more fresh snow and mix up.

The boys loved these. It's all about the novelty, what kid wouldn't?!