Sweet Potato Muffins

Annoyingly, grocery stores seem to think that people don't use canned pumpkin year-round since I haven't been able to find it in any stores near me. Thus, I decided to make sweet potato muffins instead! I used fresh sweet potatoes that I boiled and then pureed, but if you don't have time, you can use canned, just decrease the sugar by 1/4 cup since it usually comes canned in a sugar or corn syrup.

Notes:

1. These muffins are soft and creamy inside, and a little dense; if you prefer a drier muffins, increase the flour by 1/4 cup (but they will come out a little heavy).
2. To really kick these muffins to the next level, add 1 tsp of lemon or orange zest.

Sweet Potato Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked, pureed sweet potatoes
1/3 cup soy milk or other substitute
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Mix together sweet potatoes, soy milk, eggs, vanilla and sugar.
2. Sift together baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, flour and salt and stir into wet mixture.
3. Fold in pecans. Divide evenly into 12-muffin tin; bake at 350 18-22 minutes or until tops are browned.

The cost:
sweet potatoes: .98
soy milk: 1.99
other ingredients: <2.00

Grand total: $4.97

Dinner Party (Part 2 of 5): Twice Baked Parsnip & Sweet Potato Mash w/ Pecan Streusel Topping

Dear Readers,

For the first time since I started tracking my blog with Google Analytics, I have surpassed 1,000 visits in a 30 day period. And it's because of you! Thank you so much to all of my loyal followers (and first-time visitors too!), and please continue to enjoy my recipes and ideas :)

Dinner Party Menu:
Cucumber, Fennel & Radish Salad
Twice Baked Parsnip & Sweet Potato Mash w/ Pecan Streusel Topping
Balsamic Glazed Chickpeas w/ Red Swiss Chard
Coconut Curry Chicken
Banana Nut Cake w/ Candied Walnuts (Recipe Remix from this Recipe Remix)

I've been wanting to try something with parsnips ever since I used them a while back and asked people for recipe ideas. For this dish, I baked them with sweet potatoes and mashed everything together, then topped it with a mixture of oats, cinnamon, pecans and honey. I popped it back into the oven just to brown the top and get the streusel all crispy.

Note: I thought this dish was great, but it would have been spectacular had I thought to stir in a Tbsp or so of fresh ginger or lemon zest.

Twice Baked Parsnip & Sweet Potato Mash w/ Pecan Streusel Topping

Ingredients:

Mash:
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Topping:
1/2 cup oats (I used gluten free)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup honey, brown sugar or agave
pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Place sweet potatoes and parsnips in a 9 x 13 pan and drizzle with oil. Cover and bake at 400 degrees 20-25 minutes until veggies are very soft, stirring occasionally.
2. Mash (or I used my immersion blender) veggies until they are smooth. Stir in cinnamon and salt and spread into back into pan.
3. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over mash. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake 8-10 minutes or until topping is golden brown and crispy.

The cost:
sweet potatoes: 1.49
parsnips: 1.99
other ingredients: <1.00

Grand total: $4.48; serves 8 as a side dish

Another Chanukah Recipe: Fried Pineapple

It struck me this morning that the association of the potato with Chanukah is actually completely arbitrary--it's the oil we fry up the latkes in that is a symbol of the holiday (commemorating the miracle that the menorah [candelabra] in the Temple stayed lit for 8 days when the amount of oil shouldn't even have lasted one), not the potato.

So here is a recipe to help celebrate Chanukah--my mom used to make it all the time, and it can work as a side dish or as a dessert (and it does incorporate a bit of sweet potato for good measure :)).

Fried Pineapple

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of black pepper
1 can pineapple rings
oil for frying

1 sweet potato
shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Combine flour, BP, sugar, salt and pepper in a shallow dish.
2. Dredge pineapple rings in flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess.
3. Heat oil in deep saucepan and fry pineapple until crust is golden and crispy, 1-2 minutes on each side.
4. Cook sweet potato and mash or blend smooth. Garnish each pineapple ring with a dollop of sweet potato in the center and sprinkle with shredded coconut. Serve immediately.

The cost:
pineapple: 1.89
sweet potato: .30
coconut: 4.99/bag

Grand total: $7.18; serves 4-6

Curried Spinach & Lentils

I took a trip to Costco with a friend this weekend; it really is amazing how things are so much cheaper when you buy them in bulk. I bought a 2.5 lb bag of fresh spinach for 4.99--that's 50% cheaper per ounce than usual. However, that left me needing to find something to do with 2.5 lbs of spinach :)

I wanted something filling and nutritious so I paired the spinach with lentils and a sweet potato I had lying around. A little curry to spice things up, freshly grated ginger to brighten the whole dish, and voila! A pot of fragrant scrumptiousness.

Note: I use red lentils here, which require less liquid than green or brown lentils, so you may need to add more liquid if you see it has been absorbed but the lentils are not yet tender.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 large onions, chopped
1 large sweet potato, sliced thinly
1 lb spinach, cleaned
2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
2-1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp curry powder (less if you don't like it too spicy)
2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger (or 1 Tbsp dried)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil and saute onions over low heat until soft and browned, 10 minutes. Add sweet potato and cook 5 minutes.
2. Add spinach to fill saucepan; stir occasionally until wilted. Add spinach and repeat until it has all been added to the pan.
3. Add lentils, water and spices. Bring to a boil then turn down and simmer until lentils and sweet potatoes are tender.

Fun additions:

• 1 tsp allspice and a can of chickpeas.
• Cubed tofu, baked in the oven until crispy.
• 1 can diced tomatoes.
  

The cost:
onions: .55
sweet potato: .35
spinach: 1.99
lentils: 1.32
ginger: .45

Grand total: $4.66; serves 6-8

I Have a Crush on Sweet Potatoes

No joke. I am a huge fan of sweet potatoes, not only because they are delicious and filling, but also because they are packed with fiber, vitamins and nutrients. They have a highly versatile flavor profile and do well as sweet, savory, even spicy. My fave: baked sweet potato fries. It's a minimalist recipe, but that really makes sweet potato the star of this dish.

Warning: These fries are healthy and highly addictive. You have been forewarned.

A note about peeling sweet potatoes (and most fruits and veggies): Many of the vitamins and nutrients are located just under the skin, and you lose that when you peel it off. The skin also helps crunchify these fries, so unless you are extraordinarily averse to potato skins (or eating healthy), just scrub it clean and leave it on!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
2 Tbsp light olive or vegetable oil
1 tsp sea salt (more if you like your fries super salty)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut sweet potatoes into strips (you can do shoestring or boardwalk size, just know you'll have to adjust the baking time depending on how thick they are).
3. In a large bowl, drizzle strips with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Stir to coat. Spread strips in a single layer on a baking sheet (they won't crisp up if they are all jumbled--if you don't have enough room, use more than one sheet).
4. Bake in the oven 30-40 minutes or until fries are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Stir every 15ish minutes so they bake evenly. Cool completely before storing.
   

Fun variations:

• Toss with chopped fresh rosemary and a few peeled garlic cloves before baking.
• Toss with 1/2 tsp of chili or curry powder before baking.
  
• Omit salt and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese before baking.

P.S. Playing this song while munching on your fries will really enhance the experience:)

The cost:
sweet potatoes: 1.58

Grand total: $1.58; serves 5-6 as a side