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.

I Eat Weeds (and so can you)

 Weeds?

I noticed a new young patch of lamb's quarters growing in the back yard, so I thought we would give them a try.  I'd heard that you cook them up and eat them like you would spinach.  But I usually eat spinach raw, so I needed to look up a recipe.

Sandra Lee had a recipe for Parmesan Creamed Spinach, with pumpkin pie spice.  That sounded too interesting to not try.

 We picked the leaves off their stems and washed them in a big sink of water.  (Owen spun them dry--he's the resident salad spinner.)  Then added the lamb's quarter to the cream sauce.

Jeremy walked by and decided what it needed was toast. . . and perhaps a fried egg?

 It was delicious.  They just tasted like greens with a cream sauce.  No strong flavor in any direction.  Not bitter like dandelion greens.  Jeremy suggested next we could try them baked in lasagna--that's the only other cooked spinach recipe we can think of and it should work fine.

Eaten anything adventurous lately?

Creamed Lambs Quarter Recipe:

2 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
large bowl of fresh lambs quarter

 In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk the flour into the butter and cook for 2 minutes to make a roux. Whisk in the warm milk a bit at a time to avoid lumps. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pumpkin pie spice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low, stir in the cheese, and let melt. Stir in the lambs quarter and cook until greens are wilted.

Cool and Creamy Cucumber Salad

A month ago we planted herbs in a pot on the front porch.  They've filled out so much that it was time to start cooking with them.   Our front porch kitchen garden pot includes rosemary dill and sage.  It's visually interesting to plant herbs with different textures next to each other--these three fit the bill.

Dill is an herb I had to reintroduce myself to when I became an adult.  I remember not particularly liking it (more specifically: what was made with it--probably more specifically: potato salad).  I'm happy to have a number of recipes now in which I really like the dill.  The first is what I like to call:

Cool and Creamy Cucumber Salad

2 cucumbers
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Peel cucumbers (at least partially--I usually just peel a few strips off leaving it with circus stripes of green--then you get some added fiber an nutrients from the peel but it's not too scratchy in the mouth) slice thin and set aside.  Stir all remaining ingredients together in a medium bowl.  Add the cucumbers and stir until the cucumbers are completely covered.  Serve cold immediately or store the dressing in the fridge and toss with cucumbers right before serving. 

We really enjoy this cool summer salad.  I didn't take a picture of the cucumber salad before we ate it--but since I only had one cucumber we had leftover dressing.  We used it to dip fresh vegetables in and it was delicious.

When I served the cucumber salad.  Owen asked me, "Mom, is there grass in this?"  I told him "No, it's fresh dill from our herb garden."  To which he replied, "OK," and then proceeded to eat his salad.

Roasted Fall Vegetables --Two ways

In Radical Homemakers the author mentions an essential skill for modern homemakers as "rediscovering the taste of real food." It's an interesting notion to think about.  The prepared foods these days are full of salt sugar and artificial flavorings.  In essence we forget what real food is supposed to taste like.

I suggested a recipe to my sister the other day for roasted fall vegetables.  She told me afterwards that after a few bites she and her husband said to each other, "Meh, it's OK. . ."

But then she said as they continued eating they actually ended up thinking they liked it quite a bit more--they just needed time to get used to the flavors and have them meld in their mouths a bit more. 

We had the roasted vegetables on top of spinach with crumbled goat cheese on top.  Soo delicious--but different.  It doesn't taste like frozen lasagna.  The flavors are mellow and subtle.  You do have to get used to them, introduce yourself to real flavors that occur in nature, and get over a dependence on so much salt.

I'll admit that part of the reason I like real food is because I like the taste, and part of the reason is because I value real food and so I get a satisfaction from eating it that isn't related to taste.  It's a feeling of virtue for eating something I know is so good for me, and it's a feeling of well-being that comes because I (at least in that meal) am living life according to my ideals.

In some real food- taste trumps virtue, but in other foods I still rely heavily on the fact that I know the food is good for me to get me to muscle through the taste. 
. 

 

The next day we ate the roasted vegetables on pizza.  Our kids will eat anything when it's on pizza.  Pizza is a comfort food.  It can be a nice gateway to real foods (or it can be some of the poorest excuses for food you put in your body--but it's your choice). 

So here is Real Food Friday--it's an invitation, but it's also a challenge.  Get outside your comfort zone, make some food--real food.  It's satisfying to make and healthy to eat. 

Here is my contribution-- one last variation we didn't get to is puree-ing the vegetables with some lemon juice --and chicken stock if you like it thinner-- making it a roasted vegetable soup. 

Roasted Fall Vegetables:
1 lb butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound red potatoes scrubbed, and quartered
2 small red onions peeled and quartered
1/2 pound carrots halved lengthwise and cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 sprig rosemary
salt and pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 450*  Pile vegetables on a large sheet pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat.  Add garlic and rosemary to pan.  Roast until vegetables are tender and starting to brown, 40-50 minutes, tossing the vegetables halfway through.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

* * * * * * * * * *

Raw Corn and Zucchini Salad

Well, it's summertime again. Which means I'm having my season-change reshuffling of meal-plan ideas. A new group of seasonal vegetable recipes--in! Anything that involves turning the oven on--out!

I was really excited to get my June issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine and find this recipe for a raw corn and zucchini salad. They are seasonal vegetables, it's a really crisp, fresh-tasting salad, and it only takes like two minutes to put together.

We had it a few weeks ago and loved it. I've got everything to make it again tonight, and I can't wait!


Raw corn and Zucchini Salad

3 ears of corn
2 small zucchini
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro
salt and pepper

Stand corn on end and slice kernels off. Thinly slice zucchini. Add to a bowl with corn kernels. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Toss with remaining ingredients.

(We made it with two cobs of corn and one zucchini- then went just a little scant on the other ingredients and that was the perfect amount for our family.)

Sweet Corn Tomalito

Sweet Corn Tomalito

¼ cup butter, softened
¼ cp Masa Harina (Corn flour in Mexican food section)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
½ cup water
2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen, thawed and divided
½ cup corn meal
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp plus 1 tsp milk

Preheat oven to 250*

In a small mixing bowl, mix the butter, masa, and sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

In a blender or food processor, blend half the corn kernels with the water and the corn meal until smooth. Combine this mixture with the butter mixture, stirring well. Add the remaining corn kernels, baking powder, salt and milk and mix well.

Pour the mixture into an 8 inch square baking dish. Tightly cover with foil and place in a 9x13 baking pan. Pour water in the 9x13 to come ¾ inch up the side of the 8-inch pan.

Place in the oven to steam for 50-60 minutes or until the mixture is set. A knife should come out clean.

Stir pudding to give it a consistent texture and scoop warm portions onto plates. Makes 6 servings.

Apple Sauce

A friend of mine came over on Friday and we canned homemade apple sauce. I have a bit of experience with canning, and most of the right tools, so she wanted to come see how one goes about the whole "canning" experience.

I've never done applesauce before, but I missed peach season due to the woes of early pregnancy, and wanted to do something that the young children we both have would enjoy.

It was pretty simple:

• Peel, core, and slice apples (We did about 12 lbs and chose a variety to get both good taste and texture.)
• Put in a pot and barely cover with water (I also squeezed in the juice of one lemon for preservation of color)
• Simmer 'till soft, then puree (I thought my stick blender might turn it to juice instead of sauce but it actually worked perfectly)
• Eat or "can" or I suppose you could freeze it too(Our batch made 11 pints)

The best part about it was seeing how interested and excited Owen was about the whole thing. The jars were cooling on the counter and Owen wanted to pop one open right then and eat it. We finally caved in for dinner Saturday night and let the boys have some. I'm really pleased with how well it turned out. And Owen's interest in the process makes it all worth it!

Now I have nine more pounds of apples I bought. What should I do next? More applesauce or apple butter? yummm. . . apple butter. . .

Marniated Cucumber Moons

Summertime has come, the sun is out, the humidity is up--and suddenly I have a problem.

I don't know what to feed my family.

All winter long I've been roasting vegetables, cooking thick creamy pasta sauces, and baking hearty breads. In the winter I look for any excuse to turn on my oven, huddling around the warm glow of brownies baking in the oven.

With the thermostat outside raising, I'm no longer appreciating those virtues of a home cooked meal.

Now it's time for outdoor grilling, a bit of stove-top cooking, and a whole lot of fresh straight-from nature goodness.

This weekend we had a side dish cool, crisp, and perfect for warm weather, and for whatever reason, I have distinct memories of eating this same dish back in The Burrow in Provo.

Yes, back when I was a new little homemaker, trying to develop domestic skills to care for my husband and future family. This easy (but looking a little gourmet) recipe was right up my alley.


I came up with a nice gourmet-sounding name too:

Marinated Cucumber Moons

Wash a cucumber really well. With a vegetable peeler, peel off three wide strips spaced evenly down the length of the cucumber(or a number of small strips if you have a garnisher.)

Chop off the ends of the cucumber. Slice in half lengthwise then chop in nice thick half-moons.

Toss with a zesty Italian dressing.

These cucumbers are tangy and crunchy! They are good right away or can be made an hour or two in advance.

Carrots

Seriously, I struggle with side-dishes. I mean I just spent an hour on an extravagant main dish, and now you want something to go with it?! Of all the nerve!

Really, It's more of a one-track mind thing over not having time or energy. I just don't think about it until it's too late.

However when I do plan ahead I try and make sure it adds to the overall nutrition of the meal, otherwise, I might as well just save myself the time and effort. And it's only a benefit when it's simple enough I can remember and don't have to dig through recipe books.

So this recipe (I'm using that term very loosely) is for Glazed Carrots. Sometimes we eat carrots plain straight from the fridge. Sometimes we dip them in Spicy Ranch, and sometimes we eat them glazed. Really variety is important to help keep the family from dying of boredom over their vegetables.



Start with however many carrots your family will (hopefully) eat and cook them to your desired doneness using your preferred method. I put them an a small pot with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Bring it to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat so that they half boil/half steam. Either way when they are done drain out any remaining water.

The glaze is made up of equal parts of butter and brown sugar. Here I was using about a tablespoon and a half of each. Stir that around with your carrots. The heat of the carrots and pan will most likely give all the heat needed, but if the brown sugar looks "grainy" at all turn the heat on low for a minute to get the sugar crystals all melted.

The last step is the surprising yet delicious one. Sprinkle with a bit of dill weed. It gives it a great flavor that gives this more "grown up" appeal. If your kids won't touch speckled carrots, then leave it off for them, but do give it a try-at least once.

As you see I knocked myself out this night with two vegetable side dishes. -I know!- Actually I made the peas for the baby, because he loves them, and I wasn't sure that he would eat the carrots. Ha! He loved the carrots. (Also as you see we were using paper products. Cut me some slack, I've got a lot on my plate =wink= right now.)

Sweet Potato Fries

Over the summer in SLC we were introduced to Rumbi "Island Grill." Maybe we were just shell-shocked from having more than the three choices for fast food joints we have here, but we loved it.

We loved the feel of eating healthier fast food. A huge bowl of brown rice with sauteed vegetables (broccoli, carrot, zucchini, and celery) tossed on, with a delicious serving of Luau Pulled Pork with Hawaiian Teriyaki sauce on top.

(I don't really know how it compares nutritionally to other fast food, but I do know that when I can recognize my whole grains and vegetables just by looking at them it's a good thing.)

The best part by far,however, was the sweet-potato french fries. The first time we went we ordered the Rumbi Fries which is a mix of traditional and sweet potato fries, but from then on it was sweet potato only!


I saw one of those french fries cutter-gadgets at the store the other day, and thought "Cool, I need that!" But then thought it through, realised I didn't, and had a sweet potato epiphany along the way. . .

Just peel the sweet potato.

Chop it in to "fries" with a regular ol' knife and cutting board. Pile on a roasting pan, drizzle with your oil of choice, toss to coat (this keeps the skins from drying out). Spread them out on the pan so they don't touch very much (or else they will steam instead of roasting). Then roast them in the oven at 350° for 20-30 minutes or until they are nice and soft.

Sprinkle with salt if you want--we usually don't--and serve them with Rumbi Fry Sauce. (Ketchup and mayo mixed together.) Delicious, and of course the boys love them too!