recipesSweet potato steaks topped with roasted vegetables
I’m a meat lover, that’s no secret, but once in a while the time comes to lighten up. Well, for me that time has come, so I’m starting the Daniel fast to help get me on track. This recipe for Sweet Potato Steaks with roasted vegetables really filled the bill. The fennel turns candy sweet when roasting; it’s absolutely incredible.
These are the finished veggies after roasting for an hour and fifteen minutes.
Sweet Potato Steaks with Roasted Vegetables
Roasted Vegetables
2 zucchini
2 yellow squash
1 onion
1 red bell pepper
4 Roma tomatoes
1 fennel bulb
2 cloves of garlic
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Chop all vegetables and place in a roasting pan that is about 2 inches deep.
Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and roast at 400° for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Directions for Sweet Potato Steaks
Cut the sweet potato into “steaks” about a half inch thick. Saute in olive oil until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add 1/4 cup of water and steam for 5 minutes.Top with roasted vegetables and serve6 Comments
recipesSweet peppers stuffed with Quinoa presented in a deviled egg plate=brilliant
I’m usually on the other side of the chef’s jacket, but not this night. This time instead of teaching a cooking class I got to take one from fantastic chef and food stylist Nancy Waldeck (TasteandSavor.com )at COOKSWAREHOUSEMerchants WalkNancy had great ideas about using unusual items to present your food. She told us a story about how once she and her assistant bought tons on mushrooms from the grocery store just for the cute boxes they were in ( I’m sure she did something wonderful with all those mushrooms). Her recipes were lovely, light and healthy appetizers great for any party.
The assistants at Cooks Warehouse had the mise en place prepped and ready to goAdorable presentation for pork sliders with red pepper jellyThis was the dish my “lab partner” and I chose to make. Teeny potatoes filled with Cajun crab salad. Also pictured, delicious Spanish paprika chicken bites with Romesco sauce.
I created this little app out of the potato scraps from the stuffed mini potato recipe and some stuff I found when I raided the fridge at Cooks Warehouse. Waste not want not…and eat well. This is a kale, broccoli and potato cake with bacon.
Mini Potato Cakes with Kale, Broccoli and Bacon ( makes about 15 potato cakes)
1 and 1/4 cups diced Yukon gold potatoes boiled and mashed
1/4 cup finely chopped kale
1/4 cup finely chopped broccoli
1/4 cup diced cooked bacon ( save a few pieces of bacon for garnish if you like)
2 garlic cloves grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise (or light mayonnaise)
2 tablespoons butter or canola oil
2 tablespoons sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Mix mashed potato, kale, broccoli, bacon, garlic mayonnaise and salt together in a bowl. Scoop about a tablespoon of the mixture and form into a small scallop shaped disk.
Heat a skillet on medium with butter or canola oil. Brown the potato cakes on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Serve on spoons (Chinese soup spoonsor regular tablespoons)
Garnish with a dollop or sour cream or Greek yogurt and top with a piece of bacon
Strawberries dipped in chocolate, peanuts and Dukkah (an African spice blend) DELICIOUSI love this presentation of tomato soup and shrimp skewers in shot glasses on top of a pedestal and gorgeous detailed wooden matThe fabulous Nancy Waldeck and me at Cooks Warehouse Merchants Walk5 Comments
recipesCrustless quiche, filled with veggies and cheese, is a delicious low carb dish that the entire family loves.Basic custard mixture for deep dish quiche, 2 1/2 cups half and half, 6 eggs1 1/2 cups of cooked veggies. Squeeze out excess water from vegetables or your filling will be soggy. I used chopped broccoli, spinach and scallionsCustard filling, cheese and vegetables. I used 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup shredded aged asiago cheese. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of grated hard cheese like Parmesan, Romano or aged asiago over the top to promote browning. This quiche is ready to bake.Finished crustless quiche. Serve with bacon and fresh fruit and brunch is done,
Quiche Recipe
pre heat oven to 325 degreesBasic Custard:
2 1/2 cups of half and half
6 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
Finely chopped fillings, 2 1/2 cups total:
Cooked; spinach, broccoli, leeks, peppers, caramelized onion, bacon, chicken, ham, crab. Shredded cheeses like cheddar, mozzarella. Soft cheeses like goat cheese
Raw; scallions, soft herbs like chives, thyme or basil
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Butter a pie dish, the one I used is for “deep dish” pie.
Cook vegetables (should be cool before you pour custard in) or use leftover cooked vegetables. Chop them to very small size and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Evenly distribute vegetables, meat and shredded cheese in pie dish.
Beat half and half, salt and eggs until combined. Pour over vegetables. Top with grated hard cheese like Parmesan, Romano or aged asiago.
Place on a sheet pan in case it bubbles over. Place in center of the oven and bake for 50 minutes. Should be a bit wobbly in the center, kind of like a Jello mold.
This beet and pickled egg wrap was so DELICIOUS!! The raw beets were marinated for 2 days in salt, olive oil, honey and spices making them a bit more tender. The provolone frico black pepper is crispy and sharp.marinated beet salad with juicy fresh orange segments, cured olives and salty, crumbly feta cheese.
Beet salad- basic recipe ( adjust all measurements to taste)
2 beets about 2 inches in diameter peeled and grated in a food processor
1 teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed between your fingers
2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
Mix together and store in the refrigerator. The beets become a bit softer as they sit
Aged provolone cheese ( make a frico by grating the provolone onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. I cracked black pepper over it and baked at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes until just lightly browned. It will be pliable for a few seconds so you can bend it into shapes)
I love this simple vegetarian dish, I’m using patty pan squash ( I don’t know the specific varieties) that I bought from the farmers market this weekend. They were so beautiful that I almost couldn’t bring myself to cook them….actually I didn’t cook one of them, it’s just too pretty. When you make this, cut the squash so that you show off the beautiful flower shape.
Seared Patty Pan Squash Steaks
2 Patty Pan Squash (about 2 1/2 inches in diameter)
1 teaspoon of canola or olive oil ( I used canola oil for it’s mild flavor)
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Slice the squash into 1/3 inch steaks ( see the picture attached to this note for an example)
Coat the patty pan squash slices in oil and season with thyme, salt and pepper
Let this stand (or sit) at room temperature for about 5 minutes
Heat a frying pan over high heat…let the pan get really hot. Sear the patty pan squash slice quickly over high heat for about 1-2 minutes per side..until beautifully browned
