Potato Potato

1.  Mashed potatoes, hash browns, and potatoes au gratin are not exactly "light" fare.

2.  During the late 90's, many sweet potato farmers were on the verge of growing something else.  After all, the only time anyone ever ate sweet potatoes was on Thanksgiving when they had all the flavor boiled out of them and then were coated in a heavy layer of butter and sugar.

3.  People realized that sweet potatoes are amazing.  They taste great and they are incredibly good for you.


When I was growing up, a fairly common breakfast was sweet potatoes that had been slow baked over night.  The sugar had caramelized, the potatoes were soft.  They made an amazing breakfast!

I have done many many things with sweet potatoes over the years.  They are great cubed and par-cooked in salad.  They rock the house as a side lightly mashed with cranberries, caramelized onions and toasted pecans.  They are incredible grilled on the stove top or out on the barbecue.  At the same time, sometimes they are a bit too intensely flavored for my taste buds that day.  A couple of years ago, I was inspired: what would happen if I mixed sweet potatoes with good old fashioned russets?

Magic.  Magic happened.

Sweet potato and potato mash.  Sweet potato and potato twice baked.  Sweet potato and potato hash browns.  Sweet potato and potato au gratin.  IN-CRED-I-BLE.

So let me tell you about these dishes.  They are lower fat.  Why?  Well, so often, to make potatoes moist and delicious, what do we add?  Cream, butter, oil, milk, cheese.  These are all ingredients that I love, but they don't always love my waistline.  But when I use sweet potatoes along with regular potatoes, there is a higher level of natural moisture present.  In addition, the sweetness of the potato is heightened by the sweet potato.  The addition of the sweet potato also adds a beautiful orange color and a complexity of flavor.

Before you go off and try these, let me make a few suggestions: first, if you are going to cook them for mashed potatoes, steam them above the boiling russets.  Second, if you usually use a lot of cheese in a recipe, back WAAAAY off if you are going to add sweet potato; sauteed onion is a great addition instead.  Lastly, don't parboil your sweet potatoes, even if you are going to do so to your white potatoes; they cook faster and they don't need it.

Lastly, here is a recipe to get you started:

Twice Baked Sweet Potato-Potato

-Bake 4 Russets and 2 Sweet Potatoes
-Gently remove the potato from the skins, leaving shells from the russets behind.
-Rice the potatoes into a bowl (you can just mash them if you don't have a ricer)
-Stir in 1/4 stick melted butter, 1/2 block cream cheese, and 1/2 cup sour cream
-Re-fill the russet shells with the mixture and lightly sprinkle with cheese of your choice.
-Bake at 350-400 for about 10 minutes or until top has melted or lightly browned

Enjoy experimenting!

White vs Original

I like using Balsamic vinegar in my food.  It is tangy, sweet, rich and just plain fabulous.  I have used it to glaze carrots in conjunction with maple syrup.  It is awesome on dates that have been wrapped in bacon and stuffed with blue cheese.  And of course, who hasn't dipped bread in balsamic and olive oil or dressed salad with it?

But have you tried white balsamic?  A little more mild, clear, and tangy and deeply flavored just the same.  White balsamic is now a staple in our cupboard and is just as versatile as it's darker cousin.  In fact, recently, while making possetts with blood oranges and kumquats instead of meyer lemons, it was a fantastic acid to add to the mix.

"Spaghetti" (squash)

For a healthier, and still very tasty alternative, try spaghetti squash.  Now, this is by no means a replacement for a good plate of pasta, but it is a great occasional dinner, or side.


Cut in half and de-seed a spaghetti squash.  Cover each half in plastic wrap and microwave for about 10 minutes each (or roast on a pan in the oven on 350 for about 45 minutes.

Now, scoop all the yummy squash out from the inside (it is okay if some of the squash is still stuck together).  It will string apart and start to look a bit like spaghetti.  Saute your squash in olive oil, garlic, onions and salt (add other seasonings to taste if you are going to eat it plain).

Now serve it with your favorite spaghetti sauce and meat if you so desire.


Enjoy!

Artichokes

I love them!

Beyond my favorite vegetable, they are also one of my favorite foods.  Their mild, yet distinct taste is almost buttery in flavor.  Eaten with toppings or without, these delectable flowers are a treat.  Beyond the common uses steamed and in spinach artichoke dip, there are many ways to enjoy them...here are a few ideas.

Grilled Artichoke Quarters After steaming 2 artichokes(but leaving them slightly underdone, quarter them, remove the choke and toss into a gallon bag.  Add a splash or two of balsamic and a splash or two of olive oil.  Sprinkle in some salt, some garlic powder or finely diced garlic, and some pepper or hot sauce.  Close bag and distribute ingredients.  Marinate for 30 minutes plus, up to a day.  Grill to heat right before serving.  No dip is required because they have marinated in it!

Goat Cheese Artichoke Leaves For a fancy appetizer, first steam a large, well trimmed artichoke until tender.  Take off all of the leaves and lay out on a platter.  Mix equal parts of sour cream and a soft goat cheese.  Put a small dollop or canelle or spoonful of the mixture on the edible end of each leaf and sprinkle with finely chopped roasted red bell pepper.  Enjoy!

Fried Stuffed Artichoke Hearts purchase canned artichoke hearts, not marinated.  Allow to drain well.  gently remove the very center of each one, replacing it with a sliver of brie wrapped in prosciutto.  Dredge each piece in egg and panko bread crumbs twice, allowing to rest at least 10 minutes before re-dipping.  Deep fry until crispy.

Toss with Pasta  While a pain, the end product is well worth it: with a sharp knife, carefully trim the leaves and choke away, leaving only the heart.  Thinly slice the remaining heart.  Saute sliced garlic, chopped onion and the artichoke hearts in olive oil.  Boil your favorite pasta.  Throw in some crisped bacon, rendered pancetta, or prosciutto slices into the sauce if desired.  Toss the pasta in the sauce and throw in fresh tomatoes.  Enjoy!


I hope I have inspired you to take a new look at artichokes!