Sweet Potato Corn Cakes

I try so often to avoid food waste, so when I found myself with a five halves of corn on the cob, I needed to come up with something to do with the stripped kernels so I didn't have to toss them (no one likes reheated corn on the cob.) I headed over to my veggies and sides board on Pinterest, and I was lucky enough to find a recipe that used just enough corn and allowed me to use up the remaining sweet potatoes that were filing for retirement in cold storage.

It's important to follow the directions completely. Without the 30 minutes to form up in the fridge, the patties will crumble when you try to form and fry them. They made a unique addition to grilled chicken and the kids enjoyed them as well.

You need:

3 lbs. sweet potatoes
1 cup corn kernels
2 green onions
¼ bunch cilantro (divided)
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 large egg
⅓ cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
½ cup vegetable oil (for frying)
1 cup plain yogurt
1 clove garlic

Begin by cooking the sweet potatoes. You can bake them in the oven or microwave until soft and cooked through. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them open and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Slice the green onions and roughly chop a handful of cilantro (about ⅛th of a bunch). Add the green onions, cilantro, frozen corn kernels, salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper to the bowl with the cooked sweet potatoes. Stir until well combined. You can taste it at this point and adjust the seasoning as desired. Add the breadcrumbs, cornmeal, and egg to the bowl. These ingredients will bind the mixture together and keep it from falling apart while cooking. Stir until evenly combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to absorb moisture. While the sweet potato mixture is refrigerating, mix up the garlic sauce. In a small bowl combine the yogurt, one clove of well minced garlic, and a handful of cilantro leaves (roughly chopped). Stir until combined and then refrigerate until ready to serve. After the sweet potato mixture has refrigerated, it’s time to cook. Add enough vegetable oil to fully cover the bottom of a medium skillet. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until the surface appears wavy (if it begins to smoke, remove it from the burner immediately and turn down the heat). Shape the sweet potato mixture into small patties (about 2-3 Tbsp each) and cook about 4 at a time in the hot oil. Cook until golden brown on each side; about 2 minutes per side. After cooking, place on a paper towel covered plate to drain. Add more oil to the skillet as needed.

Recipe courtesy of bestfoodcookbook.com

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

One of the things I look forward to most at the start of summer is the abundance of rhubarb and strawberries. I love strawberry rhubarb pie, and I find myself forever searching for the perfect recipe - one that balances the sweetness of the berries with the tartness of the rhubarb.

I think I may have found it.

The link below is to one of my favorite blogs, Farm to Table Baby Mama. Her recipe hits all the right notes - flaky crust, tasty filling - and is easy to follow. You can also watch her clips on PBS or on the PBS app.

http://www.farmtotablebabymama.com/recipe/strawberry-and-rhubarb-pie/

Black Bean Burgers

These. Were. Delicious.

Meatless Mondays can grow tiresome after a while, not because we crave the meat, but because I want to ensure my family is getting enough protein without every eating tofu. Ever.

Tonight, I hosted ten Girl Scouts in my kitchen to learn about healthy eating habits and make a few recipes to take home. By the end of the hour, I was joyful and sitting in a very messy kitchen. I didn't have much energy to do anything, and I considered calling out for pizza. Fortunately, my wheat belly and passion for trying this new recipe prevailed, and M and I banded together and made quite possibly the easiest and most flavorful recipe for black bean burgers. We all inhaled them.

You need: (for four burgers)

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Smash the beans with a fork or potato masher. Combine with the remaining ingredients. Grill.

See what I mean? And SO good!!

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers with Goat Cheese

Although we don't eat a tremendous amount of meat, we do find that at least three to four meals a week will have meat as a main ingredient. During the lenten season, we cut back tremendously on our meat intake as a way to abstain from indulgences and simplify our lives (and our diets). Throughout the year, we make a conscious effort to eat at least one entirely vegetarian meal a week, and we always celebrate Meatless Mondays. As a result, I've spent the last few months researching and pinning more meals with vegetables and grains at the center and meat to the side, if not absent entirely. This meal promised big in the nutritional arena - a healthful blend of colors and more than sufficient protein in the quinoa. 

My kids are major quinoa fans, usually asking for quinoa bowls on Meatless Mondays. This seemed to follow their tastes, so I decided to give it a try. It did not fail me. Both kids ate plenty and there are still five halves remaining for lunch leftovers. A worthy, inexpensive, and healthy weekday dinner. 

You need:

4  large or six medium red bell peppers (any color will do, or a mix)
1 cup quinoa
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 pound fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 5-ounce log goat cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Slice bell peppers in half, remove stem, seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, cut side down, onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast peppers for 15-20 minutes until just starting to char and soften. Remove from oven, flip pepper halves over and set aside. Meanwhile, place quinoa in a dry saucepan over medium heat. Toast quinoa, stirring or shaking pan often, about 8-10 minutes or until just turning a light brown. Add 2 cups water, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook quinoa for 10-15 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Mix together garlic, lemon zest and juice, olive oil and black pepper, whisk until combined. Place quinoa, cherry tomatoes and asparagus in a medium-sized bowl. Add dressing and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Fill pepper halves with quinoa mixture. Divide goat cheese into 8 portions and crumble over the top. Place stuffed peppers back in oven for 5 minutes until asparagus is crisp-tender and tomatoes and goat cheese are softened. Can serve immediately or at room temperature.

Adventures in Baking #4: Irish Soda Bread

Each year, we celebrate St. Patrick's Day with our dearest friends. Jim and Denise make the most delicious corned beef and cabbage you could ever savor, and Mike and I are responsible for three things: dessert, beer, and Irish soda bread. For  years, we've ordered the soda bread from one of Mike's co-workers, but she has decided to stop baking and selling. What a perfect opportunity to add Irish soda bread to my Adventures in Baking series.

This was absurdly easy to make. Unlike leavened breads, which are amazing but time consuming, this bread was assembled and baked in the same morning. It was dense, moist, and beautiful. Don't wait until next March to try it.

You need:

•  1 and 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 4 and 1/4 cups flour
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 and 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1 cup raisins (I used half golden, half Thompson)
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 8-10 inch oven safe skillet or dutch oven with butter or nonstick spray. A baking sheet will also do, though the bread may spread out a bit more. Whisk the buttermilk and egg together in a small bowl. Set aside. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender, two forks/knives, or your fingers. Work the dough until into coarse crumbs, then fold in the raisins with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Gently fold the dough together until dough is too stiff to stir. With floured hands, work the dough into a ball as best you can. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and knead the dough for about 30 seconds or until all the flour is moistened. Dough will be sticky, but if it is absolutely too sticky add a little more flour as needed. Do not over knead. Transfer the dough to the prepared skillet/pan. Using a lightly buttered serrated knife, score an X on the top. Bake until the bread is golden brown and center appears cooked through, about 45 minutes. Loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil if you notice heavy browning on top about halfway through bake time. Remove skillet/pan from the oven and allow bread to cool for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. It's best with a really great Irish butter or my own marmalade. 

Chocolate Orange Challah Bread

I found this recipe on Pinterest. It looked delicious and complicated and just what could tackle on vacation.

It has proven to be all three. It takes forever. The recipe and instructions are so complex that I'm simply including the link to the original blog post from Yin and Yolk. It was worth the challenge, however. If you dare...

http://yinandyolk.com/2015/09/27/chocolate-orange-challah-bread/

Bolognese

I love slow Sunday suppers. I enjoy having all afternoon in the kitchen, experimenting with flavors and putting my own spin on recipes. However, we often find ourselves so busy over the weekend that it's hard to devote that kind of time.

This weekend's subzero temperatures afforded me the opportunity to hunker down and go for it. I had no interest in leaving the house for any reason. This was the perfect weekend for a four-hour Bolognese. You have to make the time for this recipe, but the best part is that it makes a generous amount, affording you with leftovers to freeze and enough to share with a fellow foodie. It's best over a flat noodle. Today, I used my fettuccine and served it up with a slice of Dutch oven bread and an arugula salad. 

You need:

2 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. olive oil

4 oz. pancetta, chopped

1 lg. onion, chopped

2 med. carrots, chopped

stems of 1 head fennel, chopped (about 1 cup)

3 lb. meatball mix (beef, pork, veal)

2 c. dry red wine

1 1/2 c. whole milk

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 28oz. can San Marzano tomatoes, undrained

1 rind of Parmesan cheese

In a large Dutch oven, heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until just starting to brown, about five minutes. Add onion and cook five minutes more. Add carrots and fennel and cook for an additional two minutes. Add the meat and season with 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Break up the meat and cook until browned. Add the wine, stir, and simmer, uncovered, until the wine has evaporated. Add milk and nutmeg. Simmer, uncovered, until the milk has evaporated. Add tomatoes, crushing in your hands as you add them, as well as their juices. Bring to bubbling simmer. Add Parmesan rind, reduce to low, and simmer for three hours.