Tag Archives: Southern

Tis the Season for Southern Fixin’s

October 31, 2011
10

 Cool weather is here. The leaves are changing, Halloween is over and the Holiday season is about to begin. Autumn has officially arrived.  These cool months are the perfect time to make use of seasonal favorites like apples, pears, winter squash, and of course, Sweet Potatoes!  These are also the perfect ingredients to allow the slow cooker to work its magic. So dust off your crock pot and get started. This collection of savory fall Sweet Potato recipes will help you utilize your slow cooker to its maximum potential while requiring only minimal effort from you.  Before you know it, you will planning meals for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day, so why not ease into the season with these simple, yet delicious homestyle favorites.


Pork and sweet potatoes always go well together, so my first offering features the two ingredients. I add a touch of cayenne to make sure this meal warms you all the way to your toes.  Sweet potatoes and apples make an awesome side, but with their sweet cinnamon glaze they could almost be a dessert. 

Whichever recipe you try first, make sure to cook up some corn pone to go with your crock pot goodness.  Yellow corn, not white. This meal is in living color. While you are at it serve up some greens – toss in a cup of country ham to give ‘em that down home flavor. Sit back relax and enjoy. It may be cold outside, but it’s comfy cozy inside and supper is ready!
 

Crockpot Pork and Sweet Potatoes Recipe

This Crockpot Pork and Sweet Potatoes recipe makes 8 servings.

What You Need
• 4 sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced
• 2 pound pork roast
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

What To Do
1. Place sweeet potatoes in bottom of crockpot, then pork on top.
2. Combine remaining ingredients and sprinkle over top.
3. Cover; cook on low 8-10 hours.
4. Remove pork and slice. Spoon juices over pork and potatoes.
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Sweet Potatoes with Apples Recipe

This Sweet Potatoes with Apples recipe makes 4-6 servings.

What You Need
• 5 medium sweet potatoes
• 3 apples, peeled, cored, cut into wedges
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup maple-flavored syrup
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup pecan pieces

What To Do
1. Generously grease the bottom and sides of crockpot with butter or margarine.
2. Peel sweet potatoes and slice a half-inch thick. Place slices on bottom of crockpot.
3. Top with apple wedges; then nutmeg and cinnamon, maple syrup, and the melted butter.
4. Cover and cook on low about 4 hours or until potatoes are tender.
5. Sprinkle with pecans the last 30 minutes.

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!

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.

Sweet Bytes Quick Tip

March 26, 2009
7

I was talking to a friend recently. She told me about a great Sweet Potato tip that I just have to share with everyone. Bake five to seven sweet potatoes, and allow them to cool completely. Individually wrap them with plastic wrap and pop them in the freezer. Now whenever you are craving sweet potatoes, all you have to do is zap one or more in the microwave and Voila – fresh from the oven taste in seconds.

This is also the perfect way to have cooked sweet potatoes on hand for all of your favorite recipes. Every minute counts in the kitchen and this tip dramatically cuts back on prep time! Wow, fresh baked taste and super convenience! Thanks Marjie for such a great idea.

Exciting Recipe Contest News

February 24, 2009
27

I’ll bet most of y’all have noticed the $1000 contest by now, but just in case, I’ll give you a few details. All you have to do to win is make your best Sweet Potato dish and then post the picture and recipe on your blog. More details can be found on the right hand side of this page.

We already have a couple of great entries!! Kath from the Kath Eats Real Food blog has submitted a delightful soup – Nutty Vanilla Sweet Potato + Kale Soup, to be exact. With coconut milk, garam massala, and vanilla extract, it is sure to get your taste buds excited! She even tops it off with roasted peanuts and shredded coconut. It sounds so good!

Another excellent entry comes from the Slow Cook, Ed Bruske. His recipe is a Sweet Potato Galette that has layers of home grown sweet potatoes, fresh greens and creamy blue goat’s milk cheese. With the pungency of the greens and blue cheese contrasting the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes, this recipe knows how to layer a lot of flavors into one delicious package.

Wow, two completely different takes on sweet potatoes, both so unique and different! These opposites have attracted…attracted me to the kitchen, that is, where I intend to give them both a try. I hope you are inspired to send in your recipe. Whether it is a down home favorite, or something a little more avant-garde, we would love to see it!! Who knows, you might just a have a winner on your hands.

Sweet Potatoes Fit For A King (or President)

January 21, 2009
14

Hey everyone, I’ve got exciting news! The traditional Inaugural Luncheon was held yesterday, and it featured a very special version of Mashed Sweet Potatoes. The menu traditionally consists of All-American foods representing the home states of the incoming administration. This year our new President, Barack Obama, was served Molasses Whipped Sweet Potatoes along with Pheasant, Duck and Apple Cinnamon Sponge Cake. Even more exciting, the actual recipes have been placed online! This delicious dish was served in the Statutory Hall of the US Capitol Building yesterday, and you can serve it in your home tonight.

I love the use of Molasses in this recipe. It adds a rich, sweet twist to this traditional favorite.

Molasses Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients
3 large sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup orange juice
½ tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of molasses
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.
3. Peel the skin off of the sweet potatoes while still hot.By hand or mixer, smash potatoes until all large
chunks are gone. Combine the potatoes, butter, salt, orange juice, brown sugar, ground cumin,
molasses and maple syrup in a large bowl. Continue to mix all together until all lumps are gone.