27 Sunday Mar 2016
I had a conversation in which we ranked chicken parts. Yes, a very important debate here. This judgement was based on taste, not nutritional value or ease of cooking. No other parts were under consideration. In other words, you can have the feet. We decided: 1. Thighs 2. Drumsticks 3. Wings 4. Breasts To celebrate: […]
https://whatfoodimade.wordpress.com/2016/03/20/chicken-with-leeks-apples-and-cider/
22 Sunday Nov 2015
Posted in cooking, Food, Thanksgiving, vegan, vegetarian
Tags
apples, Cooking, Cranberries, Cranberry salad, Food, marshmallows, recipe, salad, Thanksgiving
What’s a family holiday dinner without a salad that in no way resembles a salad??? Every other day of the year, we mom’s try and get vegetables into our kids, but these sweet dishes that more closely resemble dessert sneak on to the dinner table! This one is delicious with the tartness of the cranberry and green apples being offset by those little white marshmallows!
This is another recipe that my mother-in-law shared with me when I first married my husband. We have had it many times over the years. Of course, the kids love it!!! We snuck vegetables into some of my other recipes in this Thanksgiving series, so if you’re cooking some of those you’ll still sneak some vitamins into your crew!
Cranberry Salad
Grind cranberries and green applies together (or mix in your food processor). Mix with marshmallows and sugar. Let stand overnight in refrigerator. Just before serving, whip cream (a little added sugar and vanilla are a good add) and fold into fruit mixture.
10 Tuesday Nov 2015
Posted in cooking, Food, Thanksgiving
Tags
apples, Cooking, Food, recipe, side dish, Sweet potatoes, Thanksgiving, Tips, vegetable
About 20 years ago (man, I’m old!), I was at an office potluck and a co-worker of mine brought the most wonderful sweet potato dish. Keep in mind, prior to this I did not like sweet potatoes. My mom didn’t cook them much at all growing up, so my only exposure was that dish where they’re covered in marshmallows and to top it off, I don’t like marshmallows much either!
Anyway, this dish my coworker brought was both sweet and savory. In addition to the sweet potatoes, there were apples in the dish.
I asked her for the recipe and she said she didn’t have it. Her mother had made the dish for her to bring, so I asked her to please ask her mom for the recipe. She comes back into work and tells me that her mom won’t give her the recipe. It’s a “secret” family recipe. What’s a girl gotta do to get that stinkin’ recipe!?! Thanksgiving was coming and my friend said that her mom would make those sweet potatoes every year, so I gave her marching orders to hover around her mother and take copious notes. Well she came through!!!
This dish has been a family favorite for the last 20 years and it always gets rave reviews when I share it with others. I’ve taken it to a few church potlucks and the such.
Not only is this dish delicious, it’s also pretty darn easy to make. Nothing complicated, but the flavors come together wonderfully! The recipe I have is pretty rough and these days I usually just make it from memory. It’s kind of a vegetable lasagna as you’re simply layering the ingredients and it’s easy to increase/decrease the recipe based on how many people you’re feeding. I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do!
4-5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in half, short-ways
2 – 15 oz cans apple pie filling
Butter or margarine
Brown sugar
1 tbsp Brandy
Place sweet potatoes and 1 tbsp brandy into large pot of water making sure to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil and let boil for about 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove potatoes from hot water and slice into ½ inch slices. Spray a baking pan with non-stick spray and spread one layer of sweet potatoes, then thinly cover this with a layer of pie filling (about ½ can or more if you need it), spoon dots of butter over apples about a teaspoon or so 2-3 inches apart. You just want them spread apart. Then sprinkle about 1/3 cup brown sugar. Now repeat these layers. I usually try to end with the brown sugar on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until warmed through and bubbly. If you’re making a bigger batch, it may need to cook longer.
You really can’t go wrong with the amounts of the ingredients, so play with it and see what looks good to you. It’s amazing how much flavor that little bit of brandy in the water adds!
02 Monday Nov 2015
Once again, my organic produce delivery inspired a wonderful dinner! This week’s delivery included organic sweet potatoes, onions and apples. I love to cook apples and onions with pork. I thought the sweet potatoes would be a good add. The apples and sweet potatoes are both pretty sweet, so I wanted to a some savory spices to balance out the dish.
1/2 – 3/4 lb pork chops or pork loin, diced
1/2 – 3/4 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 tbsp canola oil
1 apple, diced
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground all spice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
In a dutch oven over medium heat, heat canola oil until beginning to smoke. Add pork, onion and sweet potatoes and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add apple, chicken broth and all seasonings and simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes with lid askew, so steam can escape. This will allow everything to cook through, but the broth to reduce.
I served this over brown rice (1 & 1/2 cup instant brown rice, 1 & 3/4 cup water). Making about 4 servings.
Inside Kel's Kitchen 