sweet potatoes Tag

26 Oct

Posted at 09:08h in Recipes by
1 Like

Sweet potatoes are jam packed with nutrients and vitamins.  They can be roasted, boiled, grilled, or fried and served at any meal.  I love creating recipes that are a little different and use the farm produce in ways we wouldn’t normally think of.  This recipe does just that by using the sweet potatoes in a cookie- not one that is super sweet, but definitely one that is full of flavor.  They would be perfect for on the go breakfasts or a healthy snack after school or work.

Sweet Potato Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato
Pinch sea salt
¼ cup butter, melted
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups Morganics Family Farm oats
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
5 medjool dates, finely chopped (optional)*

  • Peel and dice sweet potato into ¼ inch pieces. Place sweet potato cubes in a medium pot with enough water to cover by at least an inch.  Add a pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to medium heat and cook until tender, about 18-20 minutes.

  • Once sweet potatoes are done, drain and place in a medium bowl. Mash until texture is smooth.  Allow to cool to room temperature.
  • Combine ½ cup sweet potato puree, butter, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl. Mix well. (Freeze any extra sweet potato puree for another time.)

  • In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, sea salt, and nutmeg.
  • Slowly add dry mixture into the sweet potato mixture. If adding dates, do that now.  Once well combined, let the batter sit for 10 minutes.
  • While batter is sitting, preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Drop batter onto a cookie sheet a tablespoon at a time. You will get about 2 dozen cookies.

  • Bake for 10-12 minutes.
  • Enjoy these warm or cooled!
  • Store in an airtight container for up to a week. You may also freeze.

*Adding the dates to this recipe, adds additional sweetness and texture.  If you prefer a cookie that is more savory, try the recipe without first, as the sweet potatoes and maple syrup add their own sweetness alone.

 

Recipe and photos by Stephanie Borzio.  Stephanie is a mom of three active boys and is an autoimmune warrior.  After battling her own health for several years, Stephanie found healing through food and lifestyle changes, including joining Blooming Glen Farm CSA of which she is a long time member.  She is a Board Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who is passionate about sharing healthy living tips and real food recipes.  Instagram and Facebook: Tru You Essentials; Website: www.truyouessentials.com

28 Oct

Posted at 10:29h in Recipes by
5 Likes

A twist on the traditional sweet potato casserole, this recipe is full of flavor and combines butternut squash and sweet potatoes with a nutty streusel topping. Stop there and and let the sweetness of the squash and sweet potato shine, or keep going and give a nod to tradition with the addition of some mini marshmallows. Either way this is a delicious fall recipe, perfect for a sweet treat or a holiday side.

Twice Baked Butternut Squash Streusel

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
4 Tbsp coconut oil or butter, melted
2 medium sweet potatoes
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp nutmeg
3 eggs

Streusel Ingredients:
1 cup pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp sea salt
½ cup flour (can sub with gluten free option)
6 Tbsp salted butter, cold

Optional- add up to 2 cups mini marshmallows

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Slice butternut squash in half and remove the seeds. Discard seeds or save to roast.
  • Place the squash halves in a baking dish cut side up. Poke holes in the squash with a fork.
  • Brush on 1 Tbsp oil or butter.
  • Clean sweet potatoes. Poke with a fork or knife and wrap in foil.
  • Place squash and sweet potatoes in oven. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  • When squash and sweet potatoes are done, they will be fork tender.

  • Remove and let cool a little bit.
  • Scoop out the flesh of the squash leaving ½ inch border on the skins. Be careful not to break the outer shell.  Place flesh in food processor.

  • Remove the skins from the sweet potatoes and discard. Place the flesh in the food processor with the squash.
  • Add oil/butter, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, sea salt, nutmeg, and eggs to food processor.
  • Process on high until all ingredients are well combined and mixture is smooth.
  • Spoon mixture back into squash shells.
  • Return to oven and cook for 10 minutes.
  • While squash is cooking, make streusel. Combine pecans, cinnamon, sea salt, and flour in food processor.  Pulse to chop the nuts.

  • Add cold butter and pulse to combine. Your mixture should be crumbly.  Do not over mix.
  • Remove squash from oven and top with streusel topping.
  • Bake for an additional 10 minutes. If adding marshmallows, remove after 5 minutes, top with marshmallows, and then cook remaining 5 minutes.
  • Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe and photos by Stephanie Borzio.  Stephanie is a mom of three active boys and is an autoimmune warrior.  After battling her own health for several years, Stephanie found healing through food and lifestyle changes, including joining Blooming Glen Farm CSA of which she is a long time member, and CSA Cooking Coach.  She is a Board Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who is passionate about sharing healthy living tips and real food recipes.  Instagram and Facebook: Tru You Essentials; Website: www.truyouessentials.com

14 Oct

Posted at 20:01h in Recipes by
5 Likes

sweet potatoesIt’s hard to find a person who can’t appreciate sweet potatoes. They’re often something I recommend to clients who need to add a little more color into their diets — both literally and figuratively — because their sweet flavor, beautiful color and ease of preparation make them a relatively safe new veggie to try.  I’ve found that sweet potatoes, specifically fresh ones, have the ability to impress even the most fastidious of palates 🙂

Nutritionally speaking, sweet potatoes are most noted for providing beta carotene, which helps increase the cancer-fighting antioxidant, vitamin A in our blood. They also provide a healthy shot of fiber, vitamin C and manganese, in a low calorie, low fat, low cholesterol package.  As is the case with many fruits and vegetables, it’s important to eat the skin since that’s where many of its nutritional benefits are stored.

Unfortunately, we have a tendency to add far too many sweeteners in sweet potato recipes — the most classic example being, of course, the marshmallow-topped Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole! There’s nothing wrong with adding a small drizzle of maple syrup to sweet potatoes, but having these potatoes fresh in our CSA shares each week offer a great opportunity to experiment a bit and try them prepared different ways. We can simply bake them and top with a small dollop of butter, or mash them adding a sprinkle orange zest and cinnamon. They also make a good addition to soups and chilis, as seen in the chili recipe below. This chili pairs the sweet potato with savory and smokey spices, and boosts nutrition with heart-healthy black beans and one one of my all-time favorite superfoods, kale. An added bonus: In total, it uses five veggies (potatoes, kale, onion, peppers, tomatoes) from our share!

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

sweet potato and black bean chili

Ingredients
2 small onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 tbsp chili powder
1-1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 cups chopped kale
1 cup sweet peppers, diced
3 – 4 cups sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean and diced.  Leave the skin on, but cut out any gnarly spots.
2 15-ounce cans black beans
1 24-ounce can diced tomatoes or equal amount of fresh diced tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth
salt and pepper

Method
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot (I used a Dutch oven), sauté onion and garlic with a sprinkle of salt over medium-high heat for a couple minutes until onion begins to soften.  Mix in spices and cook for another minute. Add potato, kale and peppers and a splash of the broth and stir well.  Cover and cook for ~5 minutes until veggies begin to soften.  Add tomatoes, beans and broth, stir well and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Salt and pepper to taste, serve with vegan (or dairy) sour cream and fresh cilantro.

Post sources: Nutrition Data

Post and photos by Mikaela D. Martin: Blooming Glen CSA member since 2005, board-certified health counselor, and co-founder of Guidance for Growing, an integrative wellness practice in Souderton. Read more about healthy eating and living on her site, http://guidanceforgrowing.com!

19 Oct

Posted at 12:59h in Recipes by
1 Like

This Thai-style curry is a light, mild version of the one I usually get at my favorite Thai restaurant. Filled with seasonal veggies such as sweet potatoes, spinach and cauliflower cooked in a creamy peanut sauce, this vegetarian dish is packed with flavor. You can adjust the amount of curry if you like a more bold flavor and substitute the tofu with chicken or beef if you like. Serve alongside brown rice.

Serves 4-5.

Massamun Curry

-In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of coconut or olive oil. Chop 1 yellow onion and saute for a few minutes until onion starts to sweat. Throw in 3 cloves of minced garlic and 1 inch cube of fresh ginger, also minced finely. Saute for 2 more minutes.

-Add in:

1 tablespoon of mild curry powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (only if you want it a little spicy)
1 cup of coconut milk
2 tablespoons of peanut butter

-Stir all the ingredients together before adding 2 cups of broth or stock and 2 cups of sweet potatoes, diced. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes with the lid on.

-Break up 2 small cauliflower heads into florets (about 2 cups) and add in. Cook for 10 more minutes with the lid on.

-Roughly chop 1 bunch of fresh spinach (or substitute with tatsoi or bok choy) and throw in the pot, mixing until wilted. Cook for 5 more minutes with the lid off.

-Let cool slightly and serve on top of brown rice. ENJOY!

Recipe and photos by Jana Smart- Blooming Glen Farm employee and frequent creator of creative recipes using farm fresh seasonal ingredients.