Glazed Sweet Potatoes in a Crockpot

Lat week, caramelized turnips, this week, glazed sweet potatoes. As I have mentioned on here before, I order produce and local meats from local North Carolina farmers through www.farmersfreshmarket.org and last week there were three different types of sweet potatoes available to order! How could I say no? I didn't want anyone to feel left out so, of course, I ordered all three kinds. For this recipe, I mostly used the Beauregard Sweet Potatoes - mainly because I like saying "Beauregard, Beauregard, Beauregard."

If sweet potatoes are not sweet enough for you, give this recipe a try. Brown sugar and butter... need I say more? In a crockpot... delicious AND easy. There were no leftovers. None!

Ingredients: 

4 large sweet potatoes (about 2 to 3 pounds)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider
1 large tablespoon corn starch (as a thickener)
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 to 2 Tablespoons butter

Local Apple Cider - Yum!

Directions: 
1. Peel and dice sweet potatoes. Put in the crock pot.
2. Combine brown sugar, apple cider, corn starch, and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl or Pyrex measuring cup. Pour over sweet potatoes.
3. Sprinkle with sea salt. Dot with small pieces of butter.
4. Cover and cook on low about 4 hours.

Ready to eat... who needs to wait for the rest of the meal?

We served these delicious sweet potatoes with a blackened pork tenderloin. I ate a plate full of potatoes while I was waiting for the pork to cook. These were so easy to make, I will definitely make them again!

Caramelized Turnips

Last weekend was very chilly here in Charlotte. Undaunted, the girls and I still managed to make it to the farmers market and wander around for a bit - indoors, of course! (We're wimpy now that we moved out of the snowy northeast.) I was looking for a different winter veggie to give me some inspiration and I found TURNIPS!  Yup, turnips. Admittedly, they are not my favorite vegetable, but I was determined to try something new and get the kids to look fondly on this pretty purple root veggie.

Last night, looking for something yummy to accompany our turkey burgers, I knew this was my chance to pretty-up the turnips. Honestly, what doesn't taste great with a little butter and brown sugar? About 15 minutes later, voila, caramelized turnips. They were a huge hit. Devoured. Next time I shall buy more!


Directions: 

Slice the ends off the turnips and "peel" the skins using a knife - I roughly cut the skin off the same way that I "peel" a butternut squash. Dice the turnip into bite-sized pieces.

Turnips and Butter

Put about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons butter and diced turnips into a heavy bottomed pot. Cook over medium-high heat for about ten minutes. You want the turnips to start to brown. Stir frequently.

After the turnips are sufficiently browned, add about 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Stir ingredients together and cook for a few more minutes. Taste test your turnips to make sure they are soft and, if so, you are ready to serve! The subtle salty flavor mixed in with the sweet caramelized taste is really amazing. Enjoy!

The final product... Yum!

Cookie Dough Swirl Brownies

I'm getting better at one-armed cooking...

Baby R and I are at an awkward stage these days... he needs me to hold him and yet he isn't loving any of my baby carriers... and so I have been practicing one arm cooking for the past few weeks.  In spite of my heavy appendage, we have been able to produce some lovely food.  Last weekend we made cookie dough swirl brownies - two batches - one to give away to friends and one gluten free batch to keep in the house.  Delicious.

I began this blog four years ago because I loved to bring food to friends and then I would promise them the recipe and, of course, I never gave it to them.  Sometimes I forgot to hand over the details, other times I simply forgot the details.  Hmmm... how DID I make that??? Initially, it never crossed my mind to take photos of my food (I'm better now!), I just used the blog as an information transfer system - "Need the recipe?  Here's the link."  It worked really well and over the years I have gotten better as a cook and a recipe recorder (I hope).  Now I am trying to challenge myself to get 10 recipes up per month... and hoping to entice more people to follow my quirky culinary adventures! Wish me luck.  

This is one of those recipes that people seem to like and I keep promising them the recipe... For this recipe, I used a tried-and-true Saucepan Brownie recipe that I have been making since middle school and I dropped tablespoons of cookie dough on top of the batter.  Presto!  Cookie Dough Swirl Brownies! I hope you enjoy it.

How To Make My Saucepan Brownies: 

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine the following ingredients in a saucepan. Bring just to a boil and remove from heat:

3/4 c. sugar
2 T. water
1/3 c. butter

Step 2. Add 1 c. semisweet or dark chocolate chips and blend until smooth.

Step 3. Add 1 t. vanilla.

Step 4. Add 2 eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each egg.

Step 5. Gradually add: 3/4 c. unsifted flour combined with 1/4 t. salt and 1/4 t. baking soda. (For the gluten free version, I simply replaced the regular flour with Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour.)

Step 6. Stir in 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pour into greased 9 x 9 pan.



The Final Process: 

The Gluten Free Batch

After the brownies have been made, drop your favorite cookie dough by the spoonful on top of the batter.  For the gluten free batch, I made up a batch of gluten free cookie dough out of a box - nothing homemade.  For the friend version, I used cookie dough I had previously made and already had on hand.  You do not need much cookie dough - maybe enough to make 9 or 10 cookies - so use whatever is easiest!  


I cooked the brownies for about 10 minutes until the cookie dough had softened and then I opened the oven (a big no-no, I know!) and took a knife and swirled the cookie dough a bit and then quickly shut the oven and let it cook for another 20 to 25 minutes. Enjoy! 

Right out of the oven!  

Rice Cooker Love - It Even Makes Great Baby Food!

After posting about my search for the perfect rice cooker on my Facebook page, many friends chimed in that they loved their Zojirushi Rice Cooker.  I did a quick online search, read some reviews, and ordered one for myself.  I have used my rice cooker every day since it arrived - this has certainly been a purchase I will not regret.  Last week I tested out different kinds of rice with different seasonings and veggies and all were successful.  This week I decided to use my rice cooker to make baby food.  So easy!  Once again, why buy it when you can make it?

Add rice, water, and veggies

Let it cook...

Puree it!

This baby food process was incredibly easy... I measured the rice, chopped up some carrots, poured in the water, and turned on the rice cooker.  I wanted to use brown rice and carrots because I thought that might be a good first food combination for the baby.  After the rice and carrots were done cooking, I put them in the food processor, added some breast milk to thin it out and let it process until it was the consistency I was looking for.  I poured the rice into ice cube trays to make baby sized portions and now I have a freezer bag full of baby-friendly breakfast!  Doesn't this seem more appetizing than adding liquid to some powdered flakes out of a cardboard box?  

Gluten Free Pie Crust

Using Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour, I modified my regular single crust recipe just a bit and got a great gluten free pie crust.  I generally find that gluten free flour can have a bit of a bitter aftertaste so I added sugar to balance out the strong flavor.

Ingredients: 

1 cup flour
7 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (or so) of chilled water

Directions:

Cut the flour, salt, and sugar into chilled butter with a pastry blender or two forks.  You want the consistency to be crumbly.  Gradually add the tablespoons of water and work them one at a time into the dough with your hands.  (To get the water chilled, I usually fill a pyrex measuring cup with water and throw   a few ice cubes in there and then measure the water a tablespoon at a time.)

Using extra flour, sprinkle your countertop with flour and roll the dough starting from the center until it is larger than the size of the pie pan you are using.  When rolling out gluten free dough, because it tends to fall apart a little easier than regular pie crust, I generally do not fold it, flip it, and roll it out on the other side.  I roll it out once, use a spatula to lift the crust gently from the counter without tearing it, and place it in the pie plate - repairing the tears as necessary.  Crimp the edges and your pie is ready for its filling!

For this pie crust, we used the last of our local North Carolina pecans to make a delicious pecan pie.  Yum.  Happy Baking!

Spinach And Sausage Baked Pasta (Bake It Forward!)

2 Meals Ready To Go... 

I recently had my fourth baby and was blessed to have many marvelous friends drop off a meal, some fresh veggies from the farmers' market or some yummy sweet treats.  Every thoughtful gift was so appreciated - not only by me - but my husband and children as well.  No one made me a meal with the expectation to get one in return, but now that my baby is a few months old, I am so happy to "bake it forward" and pass along some loving meals to others.

Today I made a super easy Spinach and Chicken Sausage Baked Fusilli for some good friends who were definitely in need of an easy Friday night meal.  This recipe actually made 2 casseroles so I was even able to treat two families to a nice surprise with one little cooking session.

Five Ingredients: 

1 pound pasta, cooked (I used Organic Fusilli from Trader Joe's)
1 large jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 pound fresh Baby Spinach
1 pound Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Sausage
2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Directions:

Crumbled Sausage

1. Cook pasta according to directions on package.

2. Remove sausage from casings and cook completely.

3. Add baby spinach to the cooked sausage.  Let it wilt down.

Wilting Spinach

4. Add spaghetti sauce and pasta.  Stir to combine.

5. Add about 1 cup of the mozzarella.

6. Spread in one 9 x 13 pan or two 9 x 9 pans.  (Lightly spray pans with cooking oil to expedite clean-up.)   Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top of the casseroles.

7. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  (Or wrap it up and freeze it for later!)  

This meal is definitely a one-pan wonder, but I dropped it off with a loaf of garlic bread, some carrots and celery with hummus for an after-school snack, and some delicious chocolate chip cookie dough brownies for dessert.  Disposable pans alleviate the necessity of tracking down your pyrex at a later date ...

Ready for the sauce and cheese.

Gluten Free Mexican Beer Bread

My mom has always made incredibly easy, yet incredibly delicious beer bread.  I recently noticed that Bisquick had a gluten free version hit the shelves so I decided to give it a try - why not start the experimenting with beer bread?

This beer bread came out a little denser than traditional beer bread, but it was delicious and went very well with our chili for dinner on this cold snowy day here in Charlotte!

I bought a single bottle of gluten free beer from the fabulous Dean and Deluca - I love that they carry gluten free beer!  Combine bisquick, beer, sugar, cheese, and chopped jalapenos and you have yourself a beer bread.  Really, it is that easy.

Ingredients: 

1 box gluten free Bisquick (almost 4 cups)
1 bottle gluten free beer
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/2 small jar chopped jalapenos
1/4 melted butter

Directions: 

Combine first five ingredients.  Stir well.  Put in a greased loaf pan.  Pour melted butter over the top, sprinkle with a little extra cheese.  Cook at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes.

Enjoy!

Baby Purees (Local Produce... Not Just For The Big Kids)

My littlest one finally got jealous enough of the big kids eating all of our delicious local produce from our North Carolina farmers.  The time had come to steam up some yummy fruit and veggie purees for the the little guy.  Even in these winter months, it is possible to buy delicious and healthy local fruits and veggies.  This month, Puzzle Peace Farm located in Bostic, North Carolina had three different varieties of sweet potatoes to try - of course we will be taste testing them all in this house!  Last week we shared a bushel of delicious Granny Smith apples from Ben Lynch Orchards with some friends of ours - although the children have been eating them so quickly, I think we should have probably kept the entire bushel to ourselves!

Baby Purees ... Making your own baby food is so incredibly easy and economical.  This week we made two different baby purees - the first was Pink Lady Apples and Pears and the second was Sweet Potatoes and Granny Smith Apples.  Both were very easy to make and were a big hit with the baby.

Apples and Pears: Peel and dice apples and pears (I used 2 apples and 2 pears), put in heavy bottomed pan, add 1/4 cup of water and heat over low to low medium heat.  Stir and cover.  The apples and pears will get mushy.  Stir some more.  Mash with a potato ricer.  If you are preparing this for a very little baby, you might want to run the apples and pears through a food processor and add a little water to thin it out.

Sweet Potatoes and Apples: Peel and dice sweet potatoes and apples (I used 1 sweet potato and 1 apple).  I steamed them in a colander with a small amount of water.  Heat covered over medium heat - watch the water level - don't let all the water steam off!

After you steam your veggies and fruits until they are easily mashed, you can use an ice cube tray to make baby-sized portions ready for instant access.  Freeze small portions in an ice cube tray and then pop them out after a few hours.  Store your veggie cubes in freezer bags labeled with the ingredients and the date.  Thaw one or two at a time as needed.  After I thaw out a cube or two, I like to thin it out with a little water or breast milk before I feed it to the babe.  Delicious, easy, healthy.  Who needs jarred baby food when home made (local!) food is this simple?

Ready for the freezer... 

Ready to go back to the freezer

I think he likes it!

Enchilada Verde Pie

Ready for Enchilada Sauce! 

There are a lot of meals that I can prepare even when one arm is holding a baby...at this point, I have had almost 6 years of practice.  However, Enchiladas are not a meal that can be prepared using only one arm.  Out of nothing but necessity, with a crying baby on my right hip, three antsy kiddos in the playroom, and the dinner hour quickly approaching, I decided Enchilada Night would become Enchilada Pie Night.

Enchilada Pie...Sounds strange, I know.  But really, all I did was to combine the ingredients I had already set aside to make enchiladas and instead layer them like in a 9 inch deep dish pie pan.  Quick and easy.

Ingredients: 

6 small tortillas - 3 cut in half
1 pound diced chicken
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup diced onion
1 cup shredded mexican cheese
1 cup frozen corn (optional)
1 can black beans (optional)
Cumin
Chopped Cilantro (if you have it!)

Top with: 
Tomatillo Salsa or Small Can of Enchilada Verde Sauce
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese

Directions:

Combine chicken, sour cream, shredded cheese and seasonings.  If you would like to - add in corn and/or black beans.  You could even replace the chicken altogether with corn and black beans.

Layer 1 whole tortilla and 1 tortilla cut in halves so it covers the bottom of the pie pan (spray first with cooking spray).  I find that cooking shears are a handy tool for cutting tortillas.

Spread half the chicken mixture over the tortillas.

Arrange 2 more tortillas over the chicken - one whole, 2 halves.

Spread the remaining chicken and top with remaining 2 tortillas.

Cover the tortillas with tomatillo sauce or green enchilada verde sauce and sprinkle with cheese.

Cook at 425 for 45 minutes covered with foil.  After 25 minutes, remove the foil and allow the top to get a little crispy.   I cut it into triangles - pie sized slices - and served it with rice.

Enjoy!

Right out of the oven...

Hambone and Lentil Soup

Local NC Bay Leaves

While I was preparing to post this recipe, I had to check and see if "hambone" was actually one word or two... anybody??  It is really just one word.  Who knew?  My children were singing "Hambone, hambone, where ya been?" for the past few days and the song will not get out of my head.  (Click the link if you need a lyric refresher - it is a great song for kids!)

This soup is super easy to make and a great use of a leftover hambone after a big Sunday dinner or holiday meal - or if you just happen to see one in the meat section at your grocery or farmers' market - grab it!  I made this soup with just a few ingredients - lentils, onion, carrots, garlic, chicken broth, 2 bay leaves, and ham.  Threw it all in a big pot and let it simmer on low for a few hours.  Easy peasy.

Ingredients:

A little olive oil
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bag of baby carrots
1 1/2 cups brown lentils
2 handfuls of chopped ham (or more)
7 or 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 hambone

Directions: 

1. Lightly saute the onion, garlic, and baby carrots in a little bit of olive oil.
2. Add the lentils.  Stir to coat the lentils in the olive oil.
3. Add the ham.  Stir to combine.
4. Add the chicken broth and 2 bay leaves.
5. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 or 3 hours.

After the soup is done simmering, I use a fork to help remove some more meat off the hambone.  I remove the hambone carefully from the soup and take off the rest of the ham and toss it into the soup.  Because the ham is sitting in the soup for a while, I prefer to use the low sodium chicken broth or a combination of chicken broth and water or the soup might taste a little too salty.

I think lentil soup tastes even better the second day so be excited if you have leftovers!  We served this soup as our main course for dinner.  My husband tossed a few croutons into his soup and thought that was a nice crunchy addition.  Enjoy!