Sweet Potato w/ Butter, Syrup, and a Host of other Goodnesses

If life has something better, in the edible world that is, than a soft, mushy, starchy, sweet potato drowning for help in real maple syrup, real butta' (sorry, just spent some time in Boston), and sage leaves, let me know. Because this is a fall dinner/fall side dish ( I absolutely renounce any claims that sweet potatoes could potentially be a 'dessert'. Bosh!) you will not want to miss out on. Your taste buds will pick out every flavor it senses of how butter really tastes, each sweet little molecule from the syrup, and each speck of sage-flavor sageness from that leafy herb and somewhere in the impeccability of that, you may also have spicy sensations ringing in your cheeks from the crushed red pepper.

And do you know what maple syrup and butter and sage leaves do when they are all combined and compressed between two thick and extremely hot flaps of potato??

Absolutely nothing.

That, is why it is sooooo good.

Sweet Potato with Butter and Maple Syrup and Crushed Red Pepper and Sage Leaves. OH, AND Cumin.

{Inspired by Good Housekeeping October 2011}

2 sweet potatoes-or yams, or whatever the thingies are called that are orange fleshed inside- let’s also not talk about how I much I shun at the word “flesh”.

½ stick of butter (yes it’s a lot of lard for only two people, but worth it my darlings..), softened

½ cup PURE maple syrup (seriously, don’t even bust out the sugar free-wanna-be stuff for this one)

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

Sage leaves, minced (fresh sage leaves, people, fresh)

Cumin

Kosher salt

Pam OLIVE OIL spray

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash and scrub the potatoes very well, using all your wrist power. Pat them off with a towel, and lay them on a cookie sheet. Prick them with a fork all over. Spray each one well with PAM spray and then rub salt and cumin all over its surface. Stick in oven and cook baby cook!

Meanwhile… nope, no resting yet.. meanwhile, mix the softened butter, maple syrup, and crushed red pepper together in a bowl until it’s all nicely combined and “whipped”. Refrigerate until the potates are soft.

Once the potatoes are somewhat cool enough to handle (i.e. your fingertips aren’t scorched off)… slice halfway down, and squish some potato flesh up and out. Take the largest butter knife you can possibly find, scoop up at least ½ cup of the butter mixture, and throw it down into the potato. Sprinkle some minced sage leaves over the entire thing and watch everything melt and glisten before your very eyes.

Zucchini Fries

Oh boy are these easy. And good.

No frying, no oil, no unnecessary fats needed for this.

We used ketchup as our choice of dip, but marinara sauce was whispering to me later. That would also be a good pairing. Here's to another healthy and different way to utilize that darn plentiful squash!!!

Zucchini Fries

1 large zucchini, cut into "fries"

2 egg whites, lightly beaten in a large bowl

1-2 cups, Italian bread crumbs, put into another bowl

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Grease a large cookie sheet pan with spray and set aside.

Take your zucchini strips and dip them first in the egg whites, until each part is covered. Then transfer these to the bowl of Italian bread crumbs. Then, onto the oven! Spread these out all over your sheet pan and bake until golden brown on the outside.

Eat hot with dips.

Chili Sweet Potato Fries

We all need a favorite side dish.

This is ours.

We eat this nearly every week and let me tell you, it goes with everything. Burgers, pasta, fish, tacos, soup.... you name it, it goes. Succulent, sweet and spicy, healthy, easy... yes yes please.

Sweet Potato Fries

{Keeping Up Cookbook}

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into “fry” strips (we keep ours slightly thicker)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp kosher salt

Dash of cayenne (our addition to the recipeJ)

Preheat oven to 425. Combine all the above, tossing well so that all the fries are covered with the oil and spices and bake for 20-35 minutes until soft. Serve warm.

OOHH SO GOOD!

Saucy Meatloaf and Sides

I am a lover of many things.

Like lemonheads. Fresh snowfall. Newly buffed skis. "Ferris Buhler's Day Off". Banana Republic sale racks.

Meatloaf has a place at the top of my "love" list as well. I don't know if it's because my palate developed a real taste for it through out my childhood; I don't know if it's because it reminds me of grandmother's; I don't know if it's because to me, meatloaf represents an iconic American dish that has survived the ages and still reigns as a favorite American meal.

It is, undoubtedly, the aggregate of all of those. I could eat meatloaf nearly every night of the week during the cold winter months and never feel a drop of guilt.

When paired with fabulous side dishes too, the experience of eating moves out of reality and somewhere into the sublime. This dish, well heck, you can't eat meatloaf without some potatoes, and the carrot dish is something I saw somewhere at sometime in the Martha Stewart empire that is now failing to come to my remembrance. The recipe I've jotted down is my own version, inspired by MS.

Here are recipes for the two images shown. Love it!

Saucy Meatloaf

{Keeping Up Cookbook, 163}

1 lb lean ground beef (may also use ground pork, ground turkey, etc)

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups bread crumbs

¾ cup minced onion

2 TBSP prepared horseradish

¾ tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

¼ cup milk

¼ cup ketchup

Mix the ingredients together and press into a lightly greased loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make the sauce (which, I would double in the future).

½ cup ketchup

6 Tbsp brown sugar

¼ cup yellow mustard

Mix the top three ingredients together and spread over the top of the meatloaf. Bake for 1 hour. Slice, and serve.

Carrots, Parsley, and Feta

1 lb bag of tall carrots

1 cup feta cheese

1 large handful of Italian Parsley, minced

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Peel the carrots and then slice them thinly on a diagonal and throw onto a large cookie sheet. Drizzle a little olive oil all over, and season with salt and pepper. Cook in hot oven until they are just browned on top and tender in the middle (use a fork to double check that).

Just before serving, toss with feta cheese and parsley.

New Way of Eating Them Spuds!!

One of my favorite side dishes this year for Thanksgiving was mashed potatoes with celery root. For quite a few years now I've seen and/or heard about this combination being absolutely majestic together and so finally, my mom and I broke it out and gave it a whirl.

I am hooked. It is really quite a unique but subtle fusion of the two textures and flavors. We added about a 1 tsp of minced fresh thyme to it (chives are also a good option) and it sealed the deal! The celery root, much to my surprise, is totally easy to work with- treat it like any other root vegetable with only requiring a tiny bit of TLC in it's prep- say, some peeling, some chopping, and wala!!! Use a chef's knife too in cutting.

At any rate, this recipe from Martha Stewart is a good guide to follow, though we kind of winged the measurements in our kitchen. Whipping cream is a desired preferable option, not make or break deal. The butter, however, is a must. What are any mashed potatoes without it? Bland and lackluster.

And don't shy away from making this for your Xmas holidays party. I think this is perfectly winter-appropriate all season long!

Mashed Potatoes and Celery Root

{loosely adapted from Martha Stewart}

4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes

1 pound celery root

1 cup heavy cream

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Fresh thyme, minced (Optional), or Chives, chopped

Peel potatoes, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel celery root using a paring knife, following the shape of the root. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Place potatoes and celery root in a small stockpot with enough water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, return to pot; place over low heat to dry out.

Combine cream, butter, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan, and place over medium heat until butter is melted and mixture comes to a simmer. Pour over potato mixture, and combine, using a potato masher, until fluffy and smooth.

Add choice herb for garnish.

Acorn Squash with Sage Cream and Syrup

Finally posting something healthy!!!

After this, and this, and this, and this, and this, I thought it was fine time to prove we do eat more than just tarts, torts, cakes, and treats around here.

So yes, like I say, something healthy today! Some roughage! Some fiber! Something vegetably! Something...

..............

I got too glib before realizing that this ahem, "healthy" dish contains heavy cream and maple syrup. Eh, what's a little dairy and sugar, right??

Together. Drizzled heavily and deliberately all over a helpless little lacking squash.

Okay okay. Well. I suppose and purport that perhaps more healthier versions of recipes will grace this blog in the near future but in the meantime I must confess that I'm flirting with ideas of changing this blog to reflect the title, "Kate's Bakes" instead of Kate's Plate-- and especially since Xmas is making its way around the corner, that might be meet and appropriate.

At any rate though, horray for squash and sage season!! I love it, I do.

Last year at this time I was 8 weeks along, gagging and barfing over anything that remotely smelled or appeared like squash, risotto, mushrooms, or pumpkin and 365 days later with a new appetite and a new baby, it's been erased from my system and I rejoice that it was not an indelible, permanent aversion!!

And don't be intimidated by the method of reduction-- though easy to buckle and shy away from this instruction, it's actually quite simple and requires only your stove, a little stirring, and some vigilance of watching over the liquid. My only advice is to NOT LEAVE the kitchen when allowing cream to simmer on the stove top- it's easily scalded and then you have a debacle. Have a wooden spoon near by to keep things nicely stirred, and keep the heat down to medium, resisting the urge to turn it up. Reductions take time, so don't hasten it by cranking up the heat to high. The cream ultimately will be thickened and lessened.

Finally, the syrup drizzle in the final step is a must. Kirkland has a nice brand of GRADE A and Trader Joes has a good version of GRADE B, if I recall correctly and both brands are eh, relatively affordable if you decide to invest in pure maple syrup. Mrs. Butterworths will not cut it here, I am sorry and reluctant to add.

This is completely delicious and elegant! Turn around and use the leftover sage in a rice dish, i.e. risotto, or for a squash soup, or for a browned butter sauce to pour over pasta.

Acorn Squash with Sage Cream Reduction and Maple Syrup

{Williams Sonoma Holiday Entertaining}

2 acorn squash, cut vertically down the middle, and then cut into 1" half moons

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 cup heavy cream

8 fresh sage leaves

2 tsp sage leaves, minced

Pure maple syrup, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350. On a cookie sheet, place sliced acorn squash all over and brush each with some olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and a little pepper. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until tender, or until when the fork test is successful (i.e. a fork poked into the flesh of acorn goes all the way through with little effort:)).

Meanwhile, pour cream in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a soft boil and steep (aka, throw in) the 8 sage leaves. Stir occasionally, allowing this to simmer for about 30 minutes (keep your eye on it so it doesn't scald or burn).

Once it's thickened a bit, remove the 8 sage leaves and discard. Add in the 2 tsp of sage leaves, bring to a boil again, and reduce until it's about 2/3 of what it was (i.e. you should have about 1/2 cup to a 1/3 cup of cream remaining). This shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes....cream should be smooth, but thickened. Remove from heat and pour all over the tender acorn squash slices.

For finishing touch, drizzle pure maple syrup all over and serve immediately.

Makes no leftovers.

Das ist mal Rotkohl, sehr lecker!

When I received my mission call for Berlin, Germany back in late 2003, I knew from that time forward that rotkohl ("red cabbage"), brats, and sauerkraut, among other things, would become part of my normal diet for a long time.

Much to my pleasure, I embraced rotkohl whole-heatedly and sincerely from the first time it tickled my taste buds. It's easily likable and a perfect, quintessential German side dish that pairs well with traditional Rouladen (a thinly sliced, rolled-up meat filled with goodies), Kloese (potato balls), Kartoffelen (potatoes), and like I said, sauerkraut (pickled, sour cabbage). Even if you've never set foot in Germany, the first time you eat it will make you feel as if you're sitting in old town Dresden or somewhere in Bavaria under the Alps.

I remember going through a very strange phase during my mission of drenching my precious rotkohl in ketchup. I think it sent nearly every native German that saw me do this into cardiac arrest by this unruly, disgraceful American behavior. Grossed out by it today, I love to eat rotkohl minus the ketchup, but with fabulous missionary memories storming my brain with each spoonful.

It's a really, quite easy dish to make. Jarred rotkohl is available in most major grocery stores and is actually really good too, should you want to give it a first-time whirl. But if you want to be medium-ambitious, try making it yourself; the pot and stove top does most the work anyways. Some recipes of rotkohl call for Speck, or in English, bacon-- just tiny bits of it, which you can certainly add if you wish. I prefer it Speck free.

Okay, auf wiedersehen!

German Rotkohl

1 red cabbage, washed, and cut into thin shards and slices

2 apples, chopped into small dices (Granny Smith work well)

~ 3 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup brown sugar (or a tad more)

Salt

Pinch of ground pepper

Water

Pinch of cloves

Splash of cider vinegar

In a large pot over medium high, heat up the butter. Add the shredded cabbage and apples, stirring often. Add 1 cup or so of water and bring everything to a boil. Add brown sugar, salt, a little pepper, cloves, vinegar, and put lid on top. Simmer until very soft (may take up to 1 hour), adding a little water as needed (you don't want it to be runny, only enough water to keep it from sticking the bottom of the pan). Adjust seasonings as needed- making sure there's enough salt so it's flavorful (Rotkohl should be somewhat sweet and slightly tangy). Remove from heat and serve warm.

Italian Rice Meets India & Thanksgiving

My Autumnish Risotto Concoction
{My husband thinks Risotto is Rice a Roni's twin and I was utterly offended. It's SO much better, creamier, and worlds more versatile. I'll never go back to RoR..}

2 Tbsp butter
1 medium white or yellow onion, finely chopped
12 oz. Arborio rice
3-5 cups of chicken broth
¼ cup cream (or half n half)
1-2 Tbsp curry
3-4 fresh sage leaves, chopped

In a heavy skillet over medium heat, cook onion in butter until translucent. Add rice and 1 cup of chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until chicken broth is absorbed. Continue this process, adding 1 cup of broth at a time, stirring until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed (it’s about a 20-25 minute process usually). At the very end, add curry powder, salt and pepper (make sure the rice isn’t bland in terms of salt. Because chicken broth typically has a LOT of sodium, the rice should be fine, but just adjust accordingly). Remove from heat and stir in cream and sage leaves. Serve hot.

Mashed what??

Smashed Potatoes with Blue Cheese
{MP 15th Ward Relief Society Cookbook}
These sound a little bizarre, but trust me, if you are one for strong cheeses, this is fantastico!

3 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 garlic cloves

Cook the above together in boiling water until soft.

1 stick butter (must not use the entire stick)
1 cup Blue Cheese, crumbled
1 cup half & half (milk also works)

Drain the potatoes and garlic once soft. Add the remaining ingredients and mash until everything is combined, giving it the “smashed” effect (doesn’t have to be silky smooth). Enjoy. We had these with ham steaks/mustard sauce, and blanched green beans. The entire combination of everything hit the spot!