Tag Archives: Recipe

St Patrick’s Day Sweet Potato Stew – No More Mallows!

March 13, 2012
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As announced last week, it is time for our Annual Blogger Recipe Contest with the theme of ‘No More Mallows’.  Regular readers know that sassy sweets are such a versatile and adaptable ingredient that it really is a shame to condemn them to a monotonous culinary role as “that marshmallow casserole.” To me, it’s like taking a fine dry-aged prime-rib and using it to make a chicken fried steak.  Sure, it would probably taste good, but think of the potential cuisine that could have been.

Here is a little inspiration for your recipes. Over the past few years, this blog has highlighted sweet potato biscuits, nachos, cookies, pizza, soup, salad, ice cream, burritos, and sandwiches. Out sassy sweets have been paired with endive, mushrooms, quinoa, avocados, oranges, and even chocolate.  They have been featured in Italian, Spanish, German, Mexican, Indian, Jamaican, Korean, Jewish, Chinese, and American cuisine where they were fried, grilled, boiled, baked, sauteed, fricasseed, juiced, gravied, frozen and even served raw….all without a mallow in sight. 

And that’s not all. The sweet potato truly is the wonder of the kitchen.  It is a superfood that tastes delicious…How does it get any better than that?  I doubt I could eat spirulina every day, but sweet potatoes are something I just can’t do without.  I’m eatin’ em for breakfast lunch and dinner…and getting all those health benefits with hardly any effort on my part. What’s not to love!

As a final bit of inspiration, here is a recipe that is perfect for the season. With St Patrick’s Day right around the corned, I am featuring an Irish inspired dish, Sweet potato Stew with Pork.  Traditionally, Irish cooks used pork instead of corned beef. The beef tradition was actually started in New York, not Ireland, but I digress.  If you just can’t do without that corned beef flavor, try adding a bouquet garni of pickling spice as the pork simmers.  The spice blend pairs beautifully with pork.  And speaking of pairing beautifully, there in almost no better combination than sweet potatoes, pork and onions. Give this recipe a try, and I am sure you will agree.

Irish Sweet Potato Stew with Pork

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless pork, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2-1/3 cups chicken broth
  • 4 to 5 small onions, quartered
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley


Directions

  • In a large bowl, toss pork with mustard until lightly coated. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour and brown sugar; add pork and shake to coat.
  • In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, brown pork in oil. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add broth; bring to a boil. Scrape bottom of skillet to loosen any browned bits. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until pork is no longer pink.
  • Add the onions, sweet potatoes, salt and pepper; cover and simmer 30 minutes more or until the pork and potatoes are tender. Stir in parsley.

Sweet Potato Intrigue

June 14, 2011
11

Making this weeks recipe was a culinary adventure.  It began with a casual search for recipes.  While browsing blogs and recipe sites, I came across this beautiful picture.  The vibrant colors immediately grabbed my attention and my mouth began to water….but there was no recipe attached.  I faced a bit of a conundrum – a dish this appetizing just begs to be made, but where to begin? 

I knew I had to get to the kitchen right away and get to work. I printed the pic to use as a reference and spent the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen making up variations based on the image.  What a blast!  Figuring everything out was so much fun!

First I had to decide was this a salad or a hash?  It didn’t really appear to have a dressing, so I went with the latter.

Next, what are the main ingredients? Obviously the dish contains tomatoes, avocados and sweet potatoes, but what about spices?  That was all up to me.  After a few tries, I decided that New Mexican Chili Powder, Cumin, and Garlic really worked well together. I also added a dash of cayenne to kick it up a notch. I toyed with adding some cubed bacon, but eventually decided to keep it vegetarian. 

I love roasted garlic and roasted bell peppers, so I added both to the dish.  I considered putting the sweet potatoes on the grill to continue the roasted theme, but since it was raining cats and dogs, I opted to pan-fry instead. The result was a creamy soft sweet potato with a wonderful crust on the outside. Call it fate, call it karma, but I don’t think it could have worked out any better.

I added the avocados and tomatoes last to preserve their cool refreshing essence. A squirt of lime juice added a bit of acidity (and kept the avocado nice and green). Below is my final recipe. Give it a try, and be sure to let me know what you think. 

Pan Fried Sweet Potato Avocado Hash

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes
1 small red onion diced
1 Medium Vine Ripe Tomato Cubed
1 Medium Avocado Cubed
1 Roasted Bell Pepper, peeled and chopped (homemade or from a jar)
1 tsp roasted garlic (homemade or jarred)
1/8 tsp cumin
Dash Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp New Mexican Chile Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh Cilantro
Fresh Lime Juice

Microwave Sweet potatoes until almost done.  Cut into cubes and set aside.  In a frying pan, sweat onion with a little olive oil until tender.  Add Sweet potatoes, garlic, bell peppers, and spices.  Cook until potatoes are lightly browned and are tender.  Add Tomatoes. Toss for 30 seconds and remove from heat. Toss mixture with avocados, squirt with fresh lime, and garnish with cilantro.

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.

A Sweet and Savory Thanksgiving!

November 15, 2010
12
Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes

This is the time of year when our Sassy Sweets really get the attention they deserve.  Would any Thanksgiving meal really be complete without sweet potatoes.  When my family gets together for Turkey Day, it is not unusual to have two or even three sweet potato dishes.  And why not?  Sweet potatoes are so versatile – roasted, mashed, fried, baked, boiled, and of course, casseroled!  The possibilities are endless. Unlike a lot of the foods we might consume in the coming weeks, sweet potatoes are really good for us. Just 4 ounces of sweet potatoes exceeds the RDA of Vitamin A, plus you get lots of fiber and potassium to boot.

Since Sweets are so versatile, I decided to offer two recipes this week.  Both are roasted, but one is savory and the other is a little sweet.  Both are super quick and easy to make and both are delicious additions to any Thanksgiving meal plan. Bon Appetit and Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes 

The tartness of the orange combines with the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes to make a dish that you will not soon forget. This one is almost guaranteed to become a holiday tradition.

1 tablespoon butter
3 large sweet potatoes or yams
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a 9” x 9” baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Brown butter in a small skillet over medium heat, swirling the skillet, until butter turns a nutty color. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  3. Peel sweet potatoes or yams, cut in half lengthwise, and then into 1/2”-thick slices. Place in the prepared baking dish. Pour orange juice over sweet potatoes or yams. Sprinkle with orange peel, salt, and nutmeg. Top with brown sugar and browned butter. Cover and bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until sweet potatoes or yams are crisp-tender. Uncover and cook 12 to 15 minutes, or until juices are almost absorbed

Savory Onion Roasted Sweet Potatoes 

This recipe is packed with so much flavor! Your guests will never realize that it only takes about 10 minutes of prep time.

Ingredients:

1 Envelope Onion Soup Mix
4 – 6 Medium Sweet Potatoes, Cut into bite size pieces.
1 small onion, cut into small chunks
⅓ cup vegetable oil
Fresh herbs (parsley, chives, or rosemary are my faves)

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients in a 9×13 baking dish.  Toss until well coated.  Chop fresh herbs (or use whole sprigs of rosemary) and sprinkle over sweet potatoes. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or 425 degrees for 35 minutes.

Spring Is In The Air

March 29, 2010
14
Spring has arrived and the land is filled with wonderful colors of the new season.  Cherry trees are filled with gorgeous pink blooms, the grass grows greener by the day, and clusters of bright yellow daffodils spread their sunny cheer  to all.  On the Spring menu, light flavorful fare rules.  When I want a dish that truly captures everything that Spring has to offer, the choice is obvious, “Spring Rolls”.  Sweet Potato Spring Rolls with Thai Peanut Suce to be precise.   These delightful rolls are so scrumptious that your mouth will be watering by the time you finish reading the recipe.  I really love the the vibrant shades of bright orange and green in this dish.  What could be better for Spring?
There are quite a few ingredients in this recipe, but don’t let that dissuade you from giving it a try.  You will be surpised by how easily it all comes together.
Marinade:

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

Rolls:
8 ounces pork loin, cut into 2×1/4-inch strips
14 small shrimp, peeled, deveined, and rinsed
2 cups peeled, grated sweet potatoes
8 ounces cellophane noodles
2 cups hot water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
14 rice paper sheets
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 cup shredded Napa cabbage
14 fresh cilantro leaves, rinsed and patted dry with paper towel

Peanut Sauce:
1/2 cup Hoisin sauce
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger root
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce

Rolls:

Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, cornstarch, garlic, and ginger root in a bowl. Add pork to mixture and marinate 15 minutes at room temperature. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork with marinade; sauté until pork is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Set pork mixture aside to cool.

Blanch shrimp by plunging them into salted boiling water until cooked through, 1–2 minutes. Drain shrimp and let cool. When shrimp are cool enough to handle, cut each in half lengthwise. Blanch sweet potatoes in a fresh batch of salted boiling water until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Rinse sweet potato with cold water, drain, then spread on paper-towel-lined plate to dry.

Place noodles in a bowl; cover with boiling water for 15 minutes, then drain well. Use kitchen shears to cut noodles into short pieces. Combine hot water and vinegar in a large bowl.

Soak one rice sheet until softened, about 1 minute. (Keep remaining rice sheets in their package so they don’t curl). Place softened sheet on damp towel.

To assemble roll, arrange pork, sweet potatoes, noodles, mushrooms, and cabbage on bottom edge of softened rice sheet. Pull edge of sheet over filling and tuck edge under as you roll. Keep it tight and watch so filling doesn’t push out ends of roll. Try to maintain a 1-inch margin on sides. Roll up rice sheet halfway. Arrange 2 shrimp halves, with cut side facing up, and 1 cilantro leaf on rice sheet. Leave a 1-inch margin on each side. [Photo 3] Fold sides of rice paper inward; finish rolling. Place completed roll seam-side-down on tray that has been lined with damp paper towels. Cover with damp towel. Prepare remaining rolls.  Serve with Thai Peanut Sauce. (See Below)

Thai Peanut Sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer sauce for 2 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and cool to room temperature. Serve cool or keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Makes: 14 rolls

Harvest Moon Brings Sweet Potato Goodness

October 1, 2009
10

This October 4th is the Harvest Moon, when the moon turns a rich shade of orange. As mother nature shines brilliant hues down from above, we can bring the same glorious shades into our kitchens. Enter The Sweet Potato! With its vivid color and velvety sweet texture, it is the perfect veggie for all seasons.

Why is the Sweet Potato the star of the show? Because its natural sweetness and delicate texture readily adapts to any cuisine and outshines the competition. From polenta to pancakes to sorbet or salsa, sweet potatoes are used as the stellar ingredient. With such decadent flavor, it is hard to believe that this gem is as nutritious as it is delicious. It’s not just a Superstar, it is a Superfood.

To accentuate the sweetness of this versatile staple, try pairing it with a piquant, salty or spicy counterpoint. The contrast is absolutely divine. Try these Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Chiles and I’m sure you will agree. This recipe features a spicy twist to the already yummy baked sweet potato.

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Chiles

  • 4 medium sweet potatoes
  • 1 to 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 chipotle chile, minced until paste
  • 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 lime, cut into quarters

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Rub potatoes with oil and bake about 50 to 55 minutes (or until a or fork slips easily into the potato. Cool potatoes, but leave the oven on.

2. Slice off one-third (lengthwise) of each potato. Peel and discard the skin from this top section and put the potato flesh in a medium bowl. Use a spoon to scoop out the rest of the flesh of each potato. Leave about 1/4 inch of sweet potato inside each skin to help retain its structure.

3. Beat the sweet potato flesh, sour cream, chile, butter, and salt until smooth. Add more Chipotle to taste Mound the mixture into the potato skins and set them in a baking pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with lime wedges and sour cream.

P.S. While your oven is on, be sure to roast a bunch of these beauties for all of the wonderful recipes that are coming your way.

August Food Celebrations

August 5, 2009
25

August is the perfect month for food-lovers with over 47 food holidays on its celebration calendar. August 1st kicks of National Eat Your Dessert First Month and the fun continues until National Eat Outside Day ends on the 31st. This is the perfect month to make a sweet potato dessert, and remember you are supposed to eat it first! While I am looking for more great sweet potato recipes, stop by the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission’s Recipe Archive. With over 150 recipes, they have a savory side dish or a hearty main meal for every occasion. Remember, August is the month to have fun with your food, and no food is more fun, more delicious or easier to cook than an NC Sweet Potato.

A Berry Sweet Potato

July 27, 2009
21

Summer always brings thoughts of fresh fruit, ripe berries and a wonderful variety of seasonal recipes perfect for taking advantage of summer’s bounty. Whenever I can, I go to a local farm and pick my own, and right now is the perfect time to pick blueberries. No matter where you are in the USA, the berry bushes are hanging full and waiting to be picked. There are many advantages to picking your own. The berries are fresher, sweeter, last longer in the fridge are are often cheaper than prepackaged boxes. Give it a try, you will be surprised at how fast your bucket fills up with sugary sweet goodness. Just be sure to pick only ripe berries. Unlike many fruits, blueberries don’t turn after picking. The recipe for Blueberry Sweet Potato Muffins below is great update to the classic muffin. The sweet potatoes add moisture to the batter for a deliciously soft middle and a delightful crunchy outside. What a combo!

Peaches are another summer crop that is in full swing. There are hundreds of orchards that offer fresh picked and self pick services. Nothing quite compares to the flavor of fresh peaches. For an extra decadent treat, try this recipe for Peach Pecan Sweet Potatoes. The combined flavors of peaches, sweet potatoes, and Kahlua liqueur are just heavenly.

BLUEBERRY SWEET POTATO MUFFINS

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup Sweet Potatoes, drained and mashed
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin cups; set aside. Combine
flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in large bowl and stir until
blended. Add sweet potatoes, milk, butter, and egg. Stir until just moistened. Stir in
blueberries. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling two-thirds full. Sprinkle with additional
sugar and cinnamon. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until toothpick inserted in muffins comes out
clean. Remove from muffin cups and cool on wire racks 5 minutes.

Feast in the Spirit of Aloha

July 19, 2009
17

It’s hot outside, summer vacations are in full swing. It’s the perfect time for a Luau Party. Create your own backyard paradise with colorful flowers, tiki torches, and perfect Island cuisine. The possibilities are endless. Just head to your favorite dollar store or party supply house and load up on the fun. Keep it light and don’t worry too much, Luaus are all about taking it easy. Buy some bird song CDs, or download some Hawaiian music for the radio, turn a convenient broomstick into a limbo bar and don’t forget to buy drink umbrellas. You can put the finishing touches on your decorations with some seashells, hula-skirts, coconuts, bamboo, banana leave, melamine plates – whatever you can find that fits the theme – just go for it and let the good times roll.

Traditional luau food is Kalua Roast Pork cooked in an imu oven, or as we call it a pit of hot coals. This recipe does away with the pit, while still delivering the authentic slow cooked flavor. Serve our Hawaiian Sweet Potato Salad as your side dish and you’ll have top notch food that is oh so simple to prepare. Complete the meal with fresh pineapple, papayas, your favorite party appetizers and banana boats for dessert. Don’t forget the tropical shirts and be sure to throw the shaka hand sign. For an extra sweet memory use the great photos you take as personalized thank you cards for all the guests. Aloha!

Hawaiian Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients:

4 medium sweet potatoes
20 ounces pineapple chunks, drained
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup pecans – chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 orange – grated
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon – chopped

Directions:

Wash potatoes if using fresh. Cook until tender but firm. If using canned, drain.
Peel cooked potatoes and cut into bite sized chunks.
In a large bowl, toss potatoes, pineapple, nuts and orange juice. Canned sweet potatoes are soft so toss them gently so they don’t break apart.
In a small bowl, combine the mayo, milk, vinegar, curry powder, orange peel and tarragon.
Pour the over the potato mixture. You may not need to use all of it.
Toss gently and chill for several hours.
Serve chilled.