Tag Archives: contest

Simple, Fun and Delicious Sweet Potatoes – Blogger Contest Inspiration

March 17, 2012
6

The No More Mallows Blogger Recipe Contest is in full swing, and I just want to say….Keep those recipe’s coming in, bloggers! I am always amazed to see how creative the contest entries are.  But with an ingredient like sweet potatoes, it is hard not to be inspired.  As I pointed out in the last post, our sassy sweets really do lend themselves to any recipe, and not just as a mere ingredient, but as the star!  From Breakfast, to Dessert, this superfood can do it all.  All while providing you with more antioxidants than you can poke a stick at.  That’s probably why Health Writers at the Washington Post said they provide a health boost that can help prevent all sort of woes, including wrinkles. How’s that for awesome!

It’s easy to put together a delish dish, without breaking the bank on exotic ingredients. And you don’t have to be a master chef either.  As a matter of fact, most cooks that I know would prefer to keep it simple in the kitchen. But that doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice flavor. Take a look at this Sweet Potato Salad. It only takes a few minutes, but wow does it pack a lot of flavor…Pistachios add a little crunch, cherries add a hint of tartness to balance the natural sweetness of the main ingredient, spring greens add a hint of bitterness and a balsamic vinaigrette rounds everything out.  But here’s the most important part – the sweet potatoes are allowed to shine.  No syrupy sauce or gooey marshmallow topping needed here, thank you very much. 

PS As a Southern Girl, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that toasted pecans work equally well in this dish.  Have fun cooking and be sure to send in your creation, it might just be a winner!

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Greens,  Pistachios and Cherries

 Ingredients

2 pounds North Carolina Sweet Potatoes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup of your favorite herbed or balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
6 cups spring mix greens
1/2 cup Dried Cherries
5 ounces goat cheese, thinly sliced (optional)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pistachios

Instructions

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes

Preheat oven to 425°F. Peel yams and cut into 3/4-inch chunks. Place on a baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon oil. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned. Remove from oven and whisk together remaining oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add greens and cherries and toss lightly. Immediately add hot yams to bowl and toss again. Place in 6 salad bowls and top each with goat cheese, if desired. Sprinkle with pistachios. Makes 6 servings.

Taters for Tots Photo Contest

May 17, 2011
5
Do your kids love sweet potatoes? I sure hope they do. Sweet potatoes are a great first food for babies and a great vegetable to add to a growing child’s diet because they provide many of the vitamins and minerals that are needed for child development. And with naturally occurring sugars, sweet potatoes are a no-brainer for kids!
  • Beta carotene helps develop kids’ peepers to keep them healthy and sharp
  • Vitamin C boosts their immune systems to fight off colds and flus and it also helps heal wounds like scrapes and bruises
  • Iron helps carry oxygen to ever cell of the body to keep them in tip-top shape
  • Potassium keeps their little hearts pumping hard and maintains muscle strength
  • Fiber keeps bellies full and satisfied, it also reuglates digestion
  • Complex carbohydrates are the ultimate source of energy for active little munchkins

Get your kiddos eating sweet potatoes and snap a photo of them for a chance to win $500. And that’s not all. We’ll match that $500 and donate it to your child’s school, daycare center or community food bank. How sweet is that? Here’s how to enter:

  1. Prepare your child’s favorite sweet potato recipe (for ideas click here)
  2. Post a photo of your child eating or playing with sweet potatoes on your blog or Facebook wall by June 20th, 2011
  3. Submit your entry by emailing us a link to your post at sassysweets@lewis-neale.com or if submitting via Facebook, post the photo to your wall and tag us, Sweet Potatoes, in the photo

The most inspiring photo will receive the prize of $500 plus an extra $500 will be donated to your child’s school, daycare center or community food bank.

Visit our website for complete rules and download Sweet Taters for Your Little Tots, our guide to introducing your kids to nature’s candy!

Sweet Potatoes Rule the Internet – Tex Mex Sweets!

April 17, 2011
9
One of Our Deserving Winners…Sweet Potato Foil Tacos

Congrats to all the winners in the Sweet n’ Healthy Blogger Recipe Contest!  We have had a lot of great entries in past years, but this year’s entries raised the bar a few notches in creativity and deliciousness!  I plan to try all the winning recipes, of course.  Last night, I tried the Sweet Potato Foil Packet Tacos form Perry’s Plate.  It was easy to see why it won!  Super tasty, and no messy clean up – what more could you ask for.  Next up for my taste testing is The Sweet Potato Linguine with Browned Butter Sage Sauce from Miss Adventures. The name alone has my mouth watering.

All of these great blog posts have inspired me to bring a new feature to Sweet Bytes.  There are so many wonderful cooking blogs out there (and so many amazing sweet potato dishes) that I think it is time for a blog roundup.  Each month I will spotlight an awesome blog with a great recipe that you need to know about.

The first blog that everyone should check out is The Homesick Texan.  Lisa’s was homesick for Texas after moving to New York City.  So, what’s a girl to do?  Start a blog sharing all your favorite Tex Mex recipes with family and friends.  Before she knew it, it seemed like the whole world was reading.  Its no wonder with recipes like this…

Of course I had to mention the Sassy Sweet offerings, but Lisa has many others that are worth note, too.  If you are feeling adventurous, check out her Pinto Bean Pie.  
One of my favorites from The Homesick Texan is also the simplest.
4 to 6 sweet potatoes
1 can of chipotle peppers in adobo
Salt to taste

Bake potatoes until nice and tender, add the other ingredients, then mash.  I like to add a few leaves of fresh cilantro and a tiny dollop of sour cream on top.   So simple, yet soooo good!

Sweet N’ Healthy Blogger Recipe Contest

February 25, 2011
10

I am very excited about the return of the Annual Blogger Recipe Contest which was announced last week.  This year’s theme is Sweet n’ Healthy and I cannot think of a better way to showcase all that Sweet Potatoes have to offer. Regular readers know that our Sassy Sweets are loaded with Potassium, Vitamin A, and Fiber.  Pretty amazing for something so sweet and delicious!

Need some inspiration?  Sweet potatoes are a truly versatile ingredient, lending themselves to almost any style of cuisine. For example, this weeks recipe goes outside the box with a tasty twist on classic nachos.  They’re healthy, kid-friendly, vegetarian, and absolutely delicious!

Vegetarian Sweet Potato Nachos

  • 2 large sweet potatoes, sliced very thin (1/8 inch)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 package Morningstar Farms Veggie Crumbles (or your fave ground meat substitute)
  • 3 chipotle peppers, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce
  • 2 cups grated Monterrey Jack Cheese (or soy cheese)
  • 3 jalapenos, sliced
  • 1 bunch scallions, sliced
  • Sea Salt
  • 1 bunch Cilantro
  • Black Pepper
  • Olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Toss sweet potato slice lightly in olive oil.  Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake 20-25 minutes until crispy.  Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Add the olive oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add meat substitute and cook until heated through and lightly browned.  Add the tomato paste, chipotles, and salt and pepper, to taste.  Add the BBQ sauce, bring to a simmer and cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Assemble:
Stack sweet potato chips on an oven proof platter. Top the potatoes with some meat, cheese, and jalapenos. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients. Broil until the cheese melts, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the platters from the broiler and garnish with scallions, jalapenos, and cilantro.

And yet another update

April 30, 2010
15

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, we’ve been obliged to revisit our winning recipes. To ensure the integrity of the contest and to be fair to all contestants, we have selected a new list of winners.

The $2,000 grand prize goes to Laura Curtis, The Bicycle Chef, for her original Sweet Potato Burger. Laura combined mashed sweet potato with a bit of ground turkey to create a textured burger packed with sweet potato flavor. Congratulations on your prize, Laura!

Our three finalist entries, each winning $400, include Mandy Heaston, our Gourmet Mom-on-the-Go, for her creamy Sweet Potato Sunshine Sorbet; Patty Guttu, the Gypsy Goddess, for her sweet n’ spicy Chipotle Sweet Potato Quesadillas with Chorizo and Chris and Amy White, from A Couple in the Kitchen, for their rich and savory Sweet Potato & Pancetta Gratin. These finalists’ recipes were easy to prepare and introduced new flavors to the sweet potato. Lemon, mint, chipotle or gruyere, you name it, it worked! Congratulations to all!


As you can see, the judges had plenty of winning recipes to choose from and we hope they’ve inspired you to create new sweet potato dishes of your own. Thank you all for your participation.

And the winners are…

April 23, 2010
12

The North Carolina SweetPotato Commission announced the winners of the 2010 blogger recipe contest. The grand prize of $2,000 went to Joanne Bruno of Eats Well With Others for her Baked Sweet Potato Falafel with Tahini-Yogurt Sauce. Her recipe wowed the judges with its creativity, rich sweet potato flavor and ease of preparation. The moist falafel had just a hint of cilantro and coupled nicely with its tangy dipping sauce. Congratulations, Joanne!

But choosing the runner-ups was also a difficult task. Judges tasted and re-tasted all of the finalists’ recipes and awarded $400 each to:
Mandy Heaston of Gourmet Mom On-the-Go
for her refreshing yet creamy Sunshine Sweet Potato Sorbet

Laura Curtis, The Bicycle Chef, for her better burger,

Dara Michalski, the Cookin’ Canuck, for her savory

Each recipe highlighted different facets of the sweet potato. Whether used for it moist flesh, its ability to take on sweet or savory flavors or to be the underlying taste, our finalists’ recipes were creative without losing the essence of sweet potato. Way to go runners-up!

And a big thank you to everyone that submitted an entry. We asked for outside-the-box and we got it! From Sweet Potato Pho to Sweet Potato Herbed Dumpling Soup, you opened our eyes to the sweet potato’s endless possibilities. We hope you enjoyed developing your adventurous creations as much as enjoyed tasting them.

Contest Update…

March 31, 2010
12

Our contest has come to an end and we have some serious testing ahead of us. We got just what we asked for, out-of-the-box, wildly tasty recipes (from the looks of it). Originally, we thought we’d have a the winner determined by April 9th, but due to the high number of entries, testing will take longer than anticipated. We will have a winner by April 23rd instead. In the meantime, lay back and get ready to drool over some of our tempting entries!

Sweet Potato Chowder
from Everyday Southwest
This recipe was made in a slow cooker for ultimate sweet potato sweetness. Donna of Everyday Southwest says, “…the sweet richness pairs well with smokiness, so I added chipotle peppers and smoked paprika.”

Sweet Potato Millet Bake
from The Smart Kitchen
When developing this recipe, Sarah of The Smart Kitchen learned that millet is one the healthiest foods in the world. She adapted the recipe from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and was pleasantly surprised. “Who knew birdseed could taste so good? The sweet potatoes cooked perfectly, light and fluffy with just a hint of maple and honey.”

from Kath Eats Real Food

These tender little gnocchi are said to take a while, but looks like they’re worth the wait. Kath, our guest blogger this month, says “They taste like little dough balls of french toast!”. I love pairing kale with anything sweet potato for contrast and an extra boost of nutrients!

Looks like Cinnabon has some competition. These decadent rolls are topped with an orange cream cheese icing and the dough has a hint of citrus as well. Cathy says, ” I think the best part of making these with sweet potatoes is that they didn’t dry out right away.” I think that goes for most baked goods; another reason to love sweet potatoes!

Later this week…

March 22, 2010
Reply

We’ll be having our first guest blogger make her appearance this week, Kath Younger from the blog Kath Eats Real Food will be giving her two cents about sweet potatoes and why they’re the food that loves you back!

Not only do we love Kath for being a North Carolina resident, but she has a wonderful blog devoted to food and the grand part it plays in her healthy lifestyle. Kath started her blog in 2007 and shares her efforts to maintain a 30-pound weight loss while enjoying healthy meals, exercise and life’s finest moments. Kath was also one of our winners in last years blogger recipe contest! She loves sharing her tips on cooking, exercising and most importantly, nutrition. She is currently pursuing her dream to be a Registered Dietitian and we’re glad to have her visiting to share her knowledge of sweet potatoes as a healthy food. Her enthusiastic outlook on life, food and happiness keeps us coming back for more. Her blog is an inspiration to anyone who enjoys delicious food, great cocktails and a healthy life.

Stay tuned….!

Plating your masterpiece

March 18, 2010
10

Wow, I am really excited about the number of readers that have expressed interest in our Sweet Potato Recipe Blogger Contest. Of course, the actual recipe is the most important part, but a great picture can make your fantastic Sweet Potato creations as eye-catching as they are mouth-watering. 

One of the most important steps to creating a great picture is proper plating. Here are a few guidelines used by professional chefs and photographers.  These awesome tips will help you show off your food for blogs, photos, parties, and friends.  A great looking plate always make a good first impression.

Basic Techniques

  • Think of your plate as a foundation or support to show off your creation.  A strong support should serve to accent your dish and never distract from it. It is for this reason that many chefs only work with white plates.  Regardless of your plate color you should leave plenty of “white space” in your picture.  Areas where your plate shows through emphasize the contrast of your dish’s color and texture. Notice the plate above. It is full, but appears uncluttered because of the white space that is shown.
  • As a general rule, avoid heavily patterned plates. While these plates can be beautiful, they can also distract from your dish. In Japan, chefs say that diners “Eat with their eyes first.” Every thing on your plate should be placed to attract your eyes to the main dish. Remember, your plate is the support, not the attraction.
  • Make sure your plate is complete. Don’t overuse white space, there is such a thing as “too much of a good thing”.  Leave your plates uncluttered, but don’t leave them empty.  Sometimes a wisp of lettuce or a delicate flower can complete a presentation that otherwise looks a little bare. See the garnishing rules below for more inspiration.
  • Remember to emphasize the color and texture of the Sweet Potato.  Our wonderful spuds are famous for there brightly colored flesh, so be sure to show that off.  In fact, brightly orange colors of the Sweet Potato can easily overcome the “white plates looks best” rule.  Dark colors, contrasting greens, even blues will make your pictures stand out. Just remember to use the same rules regarding clutter and eye appeal. Just look at the wonderful contrast in the Herb Roasted Vegetable Plate below.

Garnishes
  • Be sure to add garnishes to your plate.  They add texture, depth and even whimsy to your picture. A simply sprig of parsley can add that little je ne sais quoi, that make a plate really pop.  Try delicate swirls of rich red sauce, bright green asparagus, the brilliant pop of saffron rice. The garnish serves to balance the plate, so add a lime wedge, a colorful radish flower or try your hand at on of these advanced garnishes. My favorite … the Sweet Potato Butterfly.  Bon Apetit!

Recipe Contest Ideas

March 1, 2010
17

Many of you have already noticed that it is time for our 2010 Bloggers‘ Recipe Challenge again!  We need all of our dedicated fans to send in as many recipes as they can.  This year we are awarding multiple prizes totaling over $3000:

  • One First Prize winner will receive $2000.
  • Three Runners-Up will receive $400 dollars each.

This could be your chance to win big. Even if you have never entered a recipe contest before, it’s fun and easy to enter. Just Blog your best idea for fast, tasty and creative sweet potato dishes and email the link to sassysweets@lewis-neale.com. Full details can be found in last week’s post.

Not sure where to start? Head over to the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commissions Recipe Index.  They have over 150 great recipes to get your creative juices flowing.  Remember, the Sweet Potato isn’t just a side dish, it’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even dessert.  Just make sure recipe is original and tastes delicious.

Here a few thought provoking ideas to get you started.
  • Search your recipe books for a classic that you can jazz up.
  • Combine two of your favorite recipes into one killer creation.
  • Substitute sweet potatoes into your favorite recipe to create something sassy and surprising.
  • Mix in some “unconventional” flavor combos to wow the judges.
  • Show us how you cook a classic recipe in your own perfect way.

The Sky’s the limit.  Last year, we saw recipes for soups, salads, breads and ice creams. From Pizza to Pasta – don’t hold back. Have fun and good luck to Sweet Potato Aficionados everwhere!

This recipe for Sweet Potato Burgers with Caramelized Onions is sure to kick your salivary glands into overdrive. It is a perfect example of thinking outside the “recipe” box, with fantastic results.

Ingredients

Onions:

  • 1  teaspoon canola oil
  • 3  cups sliced onion
  • 2  tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1  teaspoon sugar
  • 1/8  teaspoon salt
     

Burgers:

  • 2 1/2  cups  (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
  • 2 1/2  cups  chopped onion
  • 3  garlic cloves
  • 1  cup  regular oats
  • 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground cumin
  • 3/4  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/4  teaspoon  pepper
  • 1/2  cup  chopped pecans, toasted
  • 1  tablespoon  canola oil, divided
  •  Lettuce leaves and Buns
  •  Heinz chili sauce

Preparation

1. To prepare onions, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion to pan; sauté 12 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar, sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; cook 30 seconds or until vinegar is absorbed. Remove onion mixture from pan; keep warm. Wipe pan dry with a paper towel.

2. To prepare burgers, place potato in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until tender; drain.

3. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chopped onion and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender.

4. Place potato, chopped onion mixture, oats, cumin, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a food processor; process until smooth. Place potato mixture in a large bowl; stir in nuts. Divide potato mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

5. Wipe pan dry with a paper towel. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add 3 patties to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned. Carefully turn patties over; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and 3 patties. Place lettuce leaves and patties on bottom halves of buns; top each patty with 1 tablespoon chili sauce, about 3 tablespoons onion, and top halves of buns.