Savory Sweet Potato Mash, Gluten-free, Dairy-free

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I’m not gonna lie, I don’t much care for sweet potatoes.
I know, I know, everyone has told me I should eat them because they are good for me, but my experience with them has been cloyingly sweet, or chili-pepper hot, deep-fried with heavy dipping sauces, neither are my favorite.
To be honest, once in awhile I’ll bake one and stuff it with chorizo, butter, cotija and cilantro, but with the dairy-intolerant in the crowd I have to save that option for days they are not visiting.

It was family dinner nite and I was racking my brain on what to do with my 6 Jersey Sweets on hand. (They are the ONLY ‘sweet’ potato I tolerate, primarily because they are not that sweet.)
As I rolled things around the savory/dairy-free conundrum in my head, it dawned on me: instead of butter (or fake butters) what if I used an infused oil instead?

Ah HA! (pat myself on the back!)

This is what I came up with: Herbs de Provence & garlic scented, sage infused olive oil (a good tasting one), along with bacon, chives and garnished with parsley. For those who feel the need to ‘brighten’ up the flavors you could add a squeeze of lime, but I LOVED the way they turned out. So did the rest of the family!

***Note: I do not recommend any other ‘sweet’ potato for this recipe. Jersey Sweets (they are light brown in color and can vary in shape and size) are ideal because of their lower sugar content and earthy flavor.

Savory Sweet Potato Mash, Gluten-free Dairy-free
(serves 6)

6 medium sized Jersey Sweet Potatoes (approx 6-8 inches long), peeled and cut into equal sized chunks
2 cloves Garlic, peeled & whole
1 generous palmful of Herbs de Provence
1/3 C Olive Oil, good tasting-like an EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Sage, leaves from 2 sprigs
2 Green Chives, white & light green part only
6 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled, 1-2 slices reserved for garnish
Parsley, minced for garnish
Kosher Salt & Pepper

Peel and chunk the potatoes, adding them to a pot of cold water to cover by a couple of inches. Add the garlic cloves and Herbs de Provence, and a good generous palmful of kosher salt  then bring to a simmer. Cook potatoes until a fork can easily pierce them.

While the potatoes are cooking, in a small saute pan add the oil and sage leaves. Turn on low heat and allow to come to a simmer.  Simmer the leaves (it looks like they are frying) for a minute. You are aiming to get them to release their oils, not brown them, but they will change color and texture.
Turn off heat and let leaves continue to perfume the oil while the potatoes cook. Reserve a generous tablespoon or two of the oil for garnish.

When the potatoes are tender, drain.
Put hot potatoes (including the boiled garlic cloves) back into the pot on the – now turned off but still hot – burner to let the excess water in the potatoes steam off and dry out a bit.
Using a potato masher or a fork, mash the potatoes and garlic in the still hot pot. You really want to render some of that excess water out. You can turn the burner on very very low for a few minutes to assist, adding some of the sage infused olive oil to keep from sticking.
Add 3/4 of the olive oil to the potatoes, reserving some to spoon over the top at serving.
Mix in the chives, bacon and stir to combine.

Pile potatoes into a warmed bowl, garnish with bacon bits, parsley and drizzle the extra oil over the top.

I hope you enjoy this as much as my family did, its a real keeper! You could add a DF/Vegan cheese if you wanted, or change up the herb to infuse in the olive oil.
Personally, I think they were perfect the way they were, and paired extremely well with a roasted pork tenderloin but they will go well with roasted chicken or steak.
If you are vegan or vegetarian, this would work without the bacon.

ENJOY and let me know what you think!
(Check out the photo below, glistening with that drizzled sage-y flavorful olive oil!!)

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Domestic Goddess Tip: Peeling Garlic

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Peeling garlic can be tedious and messy. One day, while contemplating the daunting task of peeling two heads of garlic for a recipe that needed 40 whole cloves, I recalled a commercial for a garlic peeler I had seen on TV. They were peddling a tube made of rubber that you put the garlic into, roll, and voila! Out came the peeled garlic cloves all pretty and naked!
Well, I’m not a fan of gadgets and I’m kind of a kitchen minimalist. I’m not a big fan of single task tools, (unless I use them quite regularly) which is why I have never thought to buy one.

It dawned on me however, that the rubber gizmo was made from material no different than my Silpat mat. I grabbed my baking mat (You can find off brand non-stick baking mats but the original is called a Silpat) and gave it a whirl:

Simply lay the cloves in a line parallel to the edge, and then ‘roll’ them gently, pushing down slightly while you roll. Use the palm of your hand to roll and keep the pressure firm but light as you feel the cloves turn under your hand.

I found I could process quite a few at a time if I kept them about the same size. I would remove the ones that were peeled and if needed, rub a couple more times to remove the stubborn skins.

This may sound almost simplistic, but trust me, it works. It saved me a good chunk of time and more than a few pennies for a product that I would have to store and only use once in awhile. And clean up is a breeze! Simply wipe down your mat with a damp cloth and let dry. If the garlic was juicy and you pressed too hard, you might need a bit of soap, but still…what a breeze!

I use this method for large quantities of garlic. You can use it for one or two cloves, also. I have an amazing garlic press which I use for one or two cloves which ‘minces’ the garlic and leaves the skin behind. Not the same result as whole cloves, but a tool I found worth the investment for minced garlic. That tip might be for another post.

Or maybe I should start a product review category?

Your thoughts?

 

Protein & Veggie Packed Light ‘Alfredo’ Pasta (Gluten Free)

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When the temperature hovers at -10 degrees outside, with wind chills pushing that down to -30, the last thing one wants to eat is rabbit food. ‘Rabbit food’ is what my father called healthy, low-fat diet food, usually associated with salads. No, during these bitterly frigid periods, we turn to warm, comforting foods, which tend towards the fattier side. It’s really hard to get excited about a chilly, crisp pile of veggies when it’s a struggle to keep warm. This brings me to a weeknight dinner dilemma – fresh zucchini, a couple of ripe tomatoes, and a couple of defrosted chicken breasts stared back from the opened refrigerator. What to do? What to make?

Many times when searching for a meal to make, I get inspired by a quick google recipe search, or a ‘mental walk’ through my pantry.. After so many years of experience, I can usually spot a dud recipe vs a winner just by reading and envisioning how it would taste. One of the advantages of keeping a well stocked pantry is the ability to create a meal without having to dash out to the grocery.

This meal is a product of a decently stocked pantry, freezer and fridge.

*From the Pantry: Noodles, canned evaporated milk, cayenne, tomato, garlic, olive oil. (keep tomatoes & garlic at room temp, they lose flavor in the fridge.
*From the Freezer: Boneless/skinless chicken breasts, roasted red peppers, parmesan cheese. (peppers are cheap in late summer. Blacken them on your grill, sweat in a ziploc bag, peel-seed and freeze individually before packing into ziploc bags for long term storage. Parmesan can be bought in bulk at the wholesale club and stored in the freezer)
*From the Fridge: Butter, milk, zucchini, parsley, thyme

Below is the recipe I came up with. As you have probably noticed, I am not a formal recipe writer. I lay out the process as I do it, so read through the entire recipe before starting. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section and I’ll do my best to resolve them.

I tried to make this as easy as possible. I hope you enjoy it. This is an easy, healthy and flexible dish when you have the whim for ‘rich’ comfort food. An added bonus is you only dirty one pot, one pan and a cutting board!

(This recipe can be made with wheat or gluten free noodles)

Protein Packed Veggie ‘Light’ Alfredo (serves 4)

4 Zucchini, 2 sliced in half longways, then sliced in to 1/2in half medallions, 2 julienned (long thin strips like spaghetti)
1 whole Roasted Bell Pepper, sliced in to ribbons
1 Tomato peeled and chopped in to 1 inch dice (peeling is not necessary)
2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, pounded to even thickness (put chicken in between 2 layers of saran wrap and use a rolling pin), seasoned with salt and pepper
Fettuccini (GF)  Noodles- 1 small handful uncooked, cooked al dente in boiling salted water. (Cooked equivalent of a generous 2 cups cooked. Make a circle out of your index finger and thumb, the pasta should fit in that circle)
1/2 cup Non-Fat Evaporated Milk
3/4 cup Low-Fat Milk
1 tbsp GF Flour (or all-purpose wheat)
1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp chopped Italian Parsley
1.5 tsp fresh Thyme
3-5 cloves of Garlic (depending upon your taste)
grated Parmesan Cheese
Cayenne Pepper
Olive Oil

Put a 4-5 quart pan of water on to boil. Cook pasta to Al Dente according to directions. While GF noodles benefit from a rinse, in this dish you need them hot to ‘cook’ some of the ingredients.

1. In a small bowl combine milks, add flour, and whisk to blend evenly.
2. While water is heating, begin by heating your large skillet over a med-high heat. Peel and mince all but one clove of garlic. When the pan is hot, add approximately 2 tsp of olive oil to the pan, then garlic and immediately layer zucchini medallions in the pan and season with salt and pepper. Toss and flip over to brown both sides as best as possible. Do not overcook and do not burn the garlic. This will take about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, put zucchini on a plate and set aside. 3. Return skillet to heat, but reduce to medium heat, add another tsp of oil. Swirl pan. Season the chicken breasts on both sides, and brown, cooking until just done. (about 5-8 minutes, depending upon how thinly you pounded them) Remove pan from heat and transfer chicken to a plate that will hold any juices that accumulate, and set aside to rest. When chicken has rested for 3-5 mins, slice and chop in to bite sized pieces.
4.  There should be a ‘fond’ or browned bits in the bottom of the pan from the chicken. Add butter to melt, add last clove of minced garlic and briefly cook until fragrant. Add any juices released from the chicken. These are tasty and will help loosen the fond on the bottom of the pan. Add milk/flour mixture and whisk to combine, scraping up any remaining browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Taste for seasoning and sprinkle in cayenne to taste. Bring to a simmer, then add noodles and let cook in hot sauce for 1 minute. Then add chicken, both cooked and uncooked zucchini, pepper and tomatoes. Heat to warm, tossing with tongs gently. Add herbs and parmesan to taste. (about 1/2 cup)
5. Toss and serve warm.

I pared this recipe down to serve 3, two portions to eat plus leftovers for Big Man to take to work for lunch. Wintertime produce brings lovely, cold-sweetened beets, which is what I made into a side salad to accompany the creamy pasta. I dressed the greens with a simple dressing made from fig vinegar and grape seed oil and added some goat cheese.

***Note: Recipe Modifications
If you don’t have fresh herbs, you may substitute dried. Other herb alternatives are basil, oregano, marjoram or thyme. Don’t have garlic? Substitute shallots or diced yellow onion.  Need to feed hungry teens? Add more pasta and double the sauce. Need to cut carbs? Use very little pasta and add in another julienned zucchini. Don’t have a handy little tool? Hone your knife skills or use a mandoline. Don’t be limited by the recipe, use your imagination and personal tastes.