sweet potatoes

(Vegetarian) Sweet Potato Curry with Aged Cashew Basmati

/ Ren

Deep crimson in color with a slightly fruity flavor and mild to medium heat, Kashmiri chiles (Kashmiri mirch) are in such demand that there just aren’t enough to go around.  Combined here with ghee-fried onions, garlic, fresh ginger, Ceylon cinnamon and diced sweet potatoes..

Sweet Potato Curry with Aged Cashew Basmati

 

2 tablespoons ghee (substitute raw coconut oil)
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1-2 small green chilies, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 large ripe tomato, diced
1 4″ section fresh curry leaf
1 3″ piece Ceylon cinnamon
2 tablespoons Kashmiri mirch
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut cream, plus extra for garnish
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaf, chopped
sea salt and black pepper

Melt the ghee in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat until shimmering.  Add onions and chilies and gently fry until tender.  Add cumin, curry leaves and cinnamon and cook 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add Kashmiri murch and turmeric and stir to form a paste.  Continue to stir and fry for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add tomatoes, sweet potatoes and stock, partially cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in coconut cream and coriander.  Season to taste and serve immediately over aged cashew basmati.

Like fine wine, basmati rice tends to improve with age.  High quality basmati may be stored for up to 10 years to enhance its flavor, bouquet and cooking characteristics.

This post is part of Meatless Monday!

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Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Stinging Nettles and Parmesan Cream

/ Ren

Sweet and russet potatoes are boiled and mashed with sprouted wheat flour, pastured egg, sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper and served in a sauce of fried sage, shallots and garlic with fresh cream, steamed nettles and grated Parmesan.  Topped with toasted pine nuts and shaved Asiago..

Sweet

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Stinging Nettles and Parmesan Cream

For the Gnocchi

3/4 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 pound russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup sprouted wheat flour
1 large, pastured egg
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
bowl of ice water
olive oil

Boil potatoes until soft then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a cutting board (reserve cooking water). Mash the still-hot potatoes with ricer or a large fork until mostly smooth, then allow to cool 5-10 minutes.

Gather the potatoes into a mound and create a well in the center. Sprinkle the flour over the top, then crack an egg into the center.  Add salt and pepper and stir into the flour and potatoes as you would regular pasta. Knead gently until nearly dry, about 4 minutes.

Roll dough into 3/4″ diameter cylinders, then cut into 1″ lengths. Squish each gnocchi against the back of a fork then drop into boiling water and cook until they float, about 1 minute. Transfer to ice bath and allow to cool.  Drain, lightly coat with olive oil and hold until ready to use.

For the Cream Sauce

1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 clove garlic, slivered
8 fresh sage leaves, torn
1 tablespoon butter
1 oz white wine
1 cup fresh cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups fresh nettles, steamed, drained and chopped as you would for fresh spinach
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add shallot, garlic and sage and fry until slightly crisp. Add wine and reduce until nearly dry. Reduce heat to medium low and slowly whisk in cream. Cook until reduced in volume by about 1/3, then stir in Parmesan and nettles.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add the gnocchi to the pan and heat through.

To serve, spoon gnocchi and cream sauce onto a plate or shallow bowl and garnish with toasted pine nuts and shaved asiago.

This post is part of Meatless Monday!

Santa Fe Hot Pot

/ Ren

Human occupation of New Mexico stretches back at least 11,000 years to the Clovis culture of hunter-gatherers, who left evidence of their campsites and stone tools. After the invention of agriculture the land was inhabited by the Ancient Pueblo Peoples who built houses out of stone or adobe bricks. They experienced a Golden Age around AD 1000 but climate change led to migration and cultural evolution into the modern Pueblo peoples who lived primarily along the few major rivers of the region. (Wikipedia)

A contemporary New Mexican-style pork stew with dried beans, toasted chilies, onions, peppers, onions and sweet potatoes with cinnamon, cloves, green garlic, cumin and corn flour..

Santa Fe Hot Pot

Serves 2

1/3 cup mixed dried heirloom beans such as yellow Indian woman, tepary, pinquito & black
4 cups chicken stock, divided
1/2 pound braised feral hog (substitute leftover pork belly or pork shoulder roast), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons leaf lard (substitute bacon grease)
1/4 cup mild chili powder
2 dried New Mexico chilies, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly-grated cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground cloves
1 large tomatillo, husked, rinsed and chopped
2 red Fresno chilies, sliced
1/2 Spanish onion, chopped
1/4 cup poblano pepper, chopped
1 bulb green garlic, including leaves, chopped
1/3 cup sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon smoked black pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon corn flour (not corn meal)
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Rinse, pick over and soak a variety of dried beans overnight. Place in a pot with 2 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender, about 1 hour.

Heat lard in a heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add diced sweet potatoes and cook until browned along the edges and somewhat tender.  Add onions, fresh and dried chilies, peppers and green garlic and sauté until softened.

Add tomatillo, pork, beans, stock, pork, chili powder, paprika, cinnamon and cloves, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.  Add corn flour, stir and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Add cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Ladle into bowls and serve with wedges of lime and corn chips or cornbread.

This post is part of the Nourishing Gourmet’s Pennywise Platter Thursday!

Duck Fat-Fried Sweet Potato Chips

/ Ren

Mandoline-cut sweet potatoes fried in rendered duck fat then sprinkled with coarse salt and freshly-ground pepper..

Chips frying in duck fat

Salt and Pepper Sweet Potato Chips frying in Duck Fat

Wash and peel as many sweet potatoes (garnet yams) as you intend to fry.  Using a mandoline set to about 1/16″, slice potatoes on a bias directly into a bowl of ice water.  Allow potatoes to sit in ice water for 1 hour, then spread out on clean kitchen towels and pat completely dry.

Heat rendered duck fat (substitute beef tallow) in a scrupulously-clean skillet to a depth of about 1/2 inch until it shimmers.  On my electric stove, I set the dial to mark below medium. If the oil is smoking, the pan is too hot.

Place sliced potatoes into hot oil and fry, turning once, until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.  Work in batches so as not to crowd the pan.  Transfer to kitchen towels to drain and season immediately with coarse sea salt and freshly-ground pepper.  These chips are best served still hot, but still great at room temperature.

Sweet Potato, Bacon and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

/ Ren

Fresh flour tortillas spread with mole rojo and topped with pan-roasted sweet potatoes, bacon, red onions, poblano peppers with crumbled goat cheese and fresh cilantro..

Assembling Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Assembling Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Sauté diced bacon in a heavy skillet until some of the fat has rendered and it begins to brown.  Add diced sweet potatoes and continue to cook until browned and softened.

Add cumin seeds, diced red onions, diced poblano peppers and sauté until softened.  Add Mexican oregano and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Lightly spread fresh tortillas with thinned mole rojo (a thick paste of Ancho and Guajillo chiles, onion, tomatoes, pecans, peanuts, sesame, garlic, oregano and a hint of chocolate).

Top tortillas with sautéed vegetables, fresh cilantro and crumbled goat cheese.  Place a second tortillas over the top and press the edges together to form a seal.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is bubbly, about 12 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly, then cut into wedges and top with fresh diced avocado, quartered grape tomatoes, diced white onion, garlic, s&p and avocado or olive oil.