get your yummy back

musings from a health supportive culinary artist

Sweet Potato Heaven November 28, 2010

Filed under: how to make it,where to see it — chezdesblog @ 2:09 am
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This year, we tried a new sweet potato dish for Thanksgiving and it was delicious! Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Shallots is a great way to enjoy sweet potatoes without fuss. The original recipe called for adding brown sugar to the shallots, which is totally unnecessary. Given a little time, the natural sugars in the shallots caramelize, rendering them a sweet and delightful topping for the rosemary-scented mashed potatoes. 

Of course, sweet potatoes are not just for Thanksgiving. As if I required convincing, the NY Times recently ran an article espousing their virtues and celebrating their liberation “out from under marshmallows.” I also enjoy sweet potatoes roasted or added to soups such as this Moroccan-Style Chickpea and Vegetable Stew.

I love, love, love sweet potatoes. Let’s be clear – sweet potatoes and yams are not the same thing. Sweet potatoes are native to the US and the flesh is typically orange, yellow, reddish, or even purple in color. One of the most nutritious vegetables around, sweet potatoes are packed with carotenoids, have anti-inflammatory properties, and actually help regulate blood sugar. Yams, on the other hand, are native to Africa, their flesh is off-white in color, and they are a little sweeter than sweet potatoes. 

In other yummy news, a customer came into the market on Wednesday with chanterelles - a wild, wonderful mushroom, golden in color. I could not resist. I bought some and prepared them very simply by sauteing them in olive oil, salt and pepper. Delicious!

 

Cajun Red Bean and Rice Salad November 21, 2010

Filed under: how to make it — chezdesblog @ 5:23 pm
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We woke up this morning and struck out for walk to one of our favorite SB breakfast joints, The Cajun Kitchen. While our friend bellied up to a Gumbo Omelette, I started thinking about this Cajun Red Bean and Rice Salad recipe. I used to make it all the time, and, as is my way, lost track of it, but am now about to make it again. It’s healthy, hearty, and makes a great side dish or satisfying lunch on its own. I think this salad is especially tasty when served with grilled chicken sausages. Yummy!

Cajun or Creole seasoning can be found at the supermarket, usually by the seasoning salts. It’s a nice blend of herbs and spices (usually onion and garlic powder, thyme, oregano, cayenne, celery seed, paprika, salt, and pepper), which you can use for a variety of purposes. No one particular brand is better than another, so just use whatever is available to you. You can also make your own blend with one of the hundreds of recipes on the web (which allows you to control the amount of salt included). 

Of course, this week is Thanksgiving, so we all have turkey dinner on the brain. I like my turkey grilled, and with the leftovers, I can’t wait to make Turkey and Wild Rice Salad. I think it’s sort of funny how we all plan to over-indulge when Thanksgiving is one only day and Thanksgiving dinner, one meal. This week, I intend to focus on getting my daily workouts in and eating lots of  fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and reduced-fat dairy. Small, healthy mini-meals throughout the day help fuel my metabolism, as does exercise. A good night’s sleep does more of the same. These are the few things I can control, and when I make an effort to do so, it makes such a difference in how I feel. It also leaves me wriggle room for a lovely Thanksgiving meal. So, do whatever works for you to make it a healthy and enjoyable holiday!

 

How to Grill Your Turkey + Grilled Figs November 14, 2010

Filed under: how to make it — chezdesblog @ 8:11 pm
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That’s right. Grill your turkey. Many of you know I do this every year. It’s really the only way I know how to cook a turkey, thanks to my Dad who has always done it this way. I blogged about this last year, but just recently, I published a step-by-step guide for grilling turkey, which includes a list of required equipment, ingredients, and specific directions. The first step to a delicious grilled turkey is brining the bird, which keeps it moist during hours of roasting. Not only will your turkey be moist and taste like grilled goodness, your oven will be empty for other dishes ON THANKSGIVING. That alone should be incentive to give this a try!

I went to the farmers’ market yesterday and loaded up on fresh vegetables and figs. It’s also persimmon season (I shot this photo at the market with my phone – gorgeous, no?). Last night, I grilled chicken, the vegetables, and then served them with a cool cucumber yogurt sauce. Yummy. For dessert, I cut the figs in half, sprayed them with olive oil, and grilled them for about 3 minutes on each side, just until they caramelized. I put them over a little vanilla ice cream and added a drizzle of honey. Oh my. So easy. So delicious! Grilled figs would also make a nice accompaniment to your grilled turkey or roasted pork. As for the persimmons, I sliced them and served them as an appetizer with fresh figs and manchego cheese. Let the season inspire you!

 

Make Stuffing You Will Love + Cran-Apple Couscous November 8, 2010

Filed under: how to make it,where to see it — chezdesblog @ 10:37 pm
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I know what you’re thinking. Stuffing is that dish on the buffet table, sort of like fruit cake, that is either forgettable or unforgettable (usually for reasons you don’t want to remember!). Personally, I love to eat (and make!) stuffing full of high quality, fresh ingredients. Making stuffing is a process, really, of preparing a base, adding flavor and moisture, and then baking. The base is typically bread, but wild rice makes a delicious alternative. By following a few simple guidelines, you too can turn out a delicious stuffing. For a full explanation of the process, equipment you will need, and suggested flavor combinations, see my article, Make the Perfect Stuffing.    

In other kitchen shenanigans, I whipped together a Cran-Apple Couscous last night that was pretty tasty. I started by cooking 1 cup of whole wheat couscous. To the cooked couscous, I added chopped apple, dried cranberries, chopped green onions, and sliced toasted almonds. I then dressed it with apple cider vinegar, grape seed oil, orange zest, salt, and pepper. Yummy! For inspiration on making simple dressings at home, click here.

Last year, around this time, I was feeling especially crafty and posted this piece on how to make a pumpkin bouquet.  I’ve got the pumpkins – perhaps I’ll get to it this weekend!

 

Southwestern Turkey Soup November 1, 2010

Filed under: how to make it — chezdesblog @ 9:07 pm
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I developed this recipe for Southwestern Turkey Soup to satisfy a craving for a warm, zesty soup-based meal. It was just that kind of day and I wanted comfort food. It was so tasty, I decided it was blog-worthy!

This is a one-pot meal that comes together quickly and is even better the next day. I used ground turkey because I had it on hand. I think cooked turkey, cut into cubes, would do just as nicely, and will be a terrific way to use leftovers in the weeks ahead. You can even save your turkey carcass and use it to make turkey broth as a base for the soup. If you have some fresh cilantro, chop it and add it to the soup before serving, or garnish your soup bowls with whole cilantro leaves. Enjoy!

 

 
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