Sensational Sides: Sweet Potato Souffle

Ingredients

5 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed
6 bananas, unpeeled
1 (4.6-ounce) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, put them in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes.

Add the bananas into the pan and continue roasting for 10 to 15 minutes, until both the bananas and potatoes are very soft. Remove the pan from the oven but DON'T turn the oven off.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl. Peel the bananas and add them to the bowl along with 1 stick of the butter.

Add the evaporated milk, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, beaten eggs, salt and pepper, to taste.

Beat the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon until everything's well combined and the mixture is fluffy.

Pour the mixture into a casserole dish, and bake for 25 minutes.

In a small bowl, toss together the marshmallows, and coconut.

Remove the casserole dish from oven and top with the marshmallow-coconut mixture. Bake until the marshmallows are lightly toasted, about 5 to 10 more minutes.

Remove the casserole from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Gearing Up for the Holidays!

Thanksgiving came a little early for me this year.  I wanted to test a new entree recipe I found online but tweaked my own delicious enhancements, Turkey Loaf Muffins.  While tweaking and reviewing my recipe I asked myself, "What can I pair with this muffin?" I didn't want the traditional mashed potato and I wanted to do something different than rice and beans (which is a staple in a Haitian-American household).  My Mother suggested sweet potato! What a genius! 

My Mother has been making a roasted sweet potato in a brown sugar glaze for years. Normally, this is a delight reserved just for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and maybe Easter if we were extra good during Lent.  OMG this glaze is DEE-LISH with both turkey and ham, so I decided to learn this dish for myself. But then I got the bright idea that I'd make mashed sweet potato from the roasted sweetened potato...MMMM...

Too bad my stamina went into the toilet quickly some time while the potatoes were boiling. The mashed sweet potato will have to wait for another day. 

Still, all of this talk of sweet potato and turkey has me officially thinking about my menus for the coming holidays.  Thanksgiving is next month, Christmas in December, and New Year's Day's Seafood Extravaganza! I'm going to be a recipe testing fool for the next few weeks. I'M BUBBLING WITH EXCITEMENT!  WHOOOO-HOOOO!!!  I don't wanna serve my guests anything that isn't absolutely PERFECT!

Enjoy these two great recipes, new additions to my cooking arsenal,  Turkey Meat Loaf Muffin and Brown Sugar Glazed Roasted Sweet Potato...DEE-LISH!

NOW, LET'S GET COOKING!

Sensational Sides: Roasted Brown Sugar Glazed Sweet Potato

Ingredients

2 pounds sweet potato, peeled and chopped in thirds
5 cups of water, just enough to cover the potatoes in the pot
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon, divided
1 teaspoon nutmeg, divided

Directions

Fill pot with water. Add the brown sugar, 1/2 the cinnamon and nutmeg, and the butter. Cover and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.

Add the potatoes to the boiling water bring back up to a boil. Reduce to medium and continue to cook until the potatoes are fork tender.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Pour the liquid and the potatoes into a 13 X 9 baking dish.  Sprinkle the potatoes with the remaining cinnamon and nutmeg.

Bake in the preheated oven 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes just begin to brown and sauce reduces by about 1/4.

Baste the potatoes with the glaze, serve hot and ENJOY!  This pairs great with any turkey dish, but especially the  my Turkey Loaf Muffins!

Extraordinary Entree: Not-So-Traditional Shepard's Pie

* Here's another Turkey Shepard's Pie I really enjoy making and eating!

Ingredients

Garlic mashed potato (try this recipe)
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 1/2 pound ground turkey
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2  yellow onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 green onion, chopped including greens
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
1 cup matchstick carrots
1 cup broccoli slaw
Alfredo Sauce (try this recipe)
1 bulb roasted garlic
Olive Oil flavored cooking spray
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons Italian bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray coat a 13 x 9 inch Pyrex pan with olive oil cooking spray, and set aside.

Prepare garlic mashed potato.

Prepare Alfredo sauce.  Whisk the roasted garlic into the Alfredo sauce.

On medium heat, in a large saute pan heat olive oil. Add garlic and onion, and cook until onions are translucent. Do not allow garlic to burn. Add celery, green onion, parsley, and oregano and continue to saute.

Add ground turkey to the saute pan and saute until turkey is almost cooked through. Add matchstick carrots and broccoli slaw and continue to cook turkey until completely cooked through. and vegetables are wilted.  Turn heat down to low and add Alfredo sauce to the saute pan. Continue to cook until sauce and turkey are heated through. Set aside.

Coat the bottom of the pyrex using half of the garlic mashed potato. Layer turkey mixture over the mashed potato base. Top the turkey with the remaining mashed potato.

Mix together the Parmesan cheese and Italian bread crumbs. Top with the crumb mixture over the top mashed potato layer. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, or until top coat begins to turn golden.

Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving. ENJOY!

LET'S GET COOKING!

Extraordinary Entree: Sweet Turkey Shepard's Pie

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet onion, peeled  and grated
2 cloves of garlic
2 pounds ground turkey
Salt and pepper
5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup light brown sugar
2 celery stalks from the heart, diced
1 stick butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
2 cup mixed vegetables, thawed
2 very ripe banana, mashed


Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Lightly grease a 13 X 9 glass baking dish with butter flavored nonstick cooking spray.

In a deep skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion becomes soft and translucent. Do not allow the garlic to burn.  Add the turkey and break it up with a wooden spoon; season with salt and pepper.

Place the peeled sweet potatoes in a pot with brown sugar and water to cover. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, then cook the potatoes for 15 minutes, or until fork tender.

Add the carrots and celery into the skillet with the turkey. Stir and cook until the vegetable have wilted into the meat.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Add the flour to the melted butter and whisk for 1 minute, then whisk in the stock and season with salt, pepper, and 

Worcestershire. Cook for a few minutes, until thickened, then add to the turkey mixture. Stir in the thawed mixed vegetables into the turkey mixture and turn off the heat.

Drain the potatoes and return the hot pot to the heat turn down to low.  Add the remaining tablespoons of butter.  Add the 2 bananas to the pot of potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes and banana until they are well combined, and adjust the seasoning as necessary. You're looking for a good balance between the savory (from the salt and pepper) and the sweet (from the banana, sweet potato, and the syrup it was boiled in).

Spoon half of the the mashed potatoes onto the bottoms of the glass baking dish, spreading them evenly with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Then add the turkey filling, spreading that evenly over the mashed potatoes. Top the turkey filling with the remaining half of the the mashed potato.

Bake uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the mashed potato begins to slightly brown.  Let stand for about 10-15 minutes before serving to allow the dish to set.

LET'S GET COOKING!

Sensational Sides: Amaretto Mashed Sweet Taters

Ingredients

1 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons half and half
1 tablespoon butter
1-1/2 teaspoons Amaretto (almond liqueur) or maple syrup
Cinnamon, to taste
Ginger, to taste
2 teaspoons toasted almonds

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

With an electric mixer on low, blend potatoes, slowly adding half and half, about 1/2 a cup at a time.  Use more or less to achieve desired texture.

Add butter and maple syrup, to taste. Blend until smooth. Serve warm.