Gluten Free Sweet Potato Muffins
Gluten Free Sweet Potato Muffins
When a family member was diagnosed with Celiac disease eight years ago the selection of gluten free foods was pretty limited. Happily, today going gluten free is much easier. I buy a gluten free flour at Costco that can be used in any recipe that calls for all purpose flour. Gluten free flour is available in many grocery stores, too. It seems to bake, or at least brown, a little faster, so you have to keep an eye on what you use it in. It doesn’t get much easier than that. In this recipe you could also just use all purpose flour if that is what you prefer. Just increase baking time 3-5 minutes. The muffins are moist and not too sweet. They are great for breakfast, snacks or even as a dessert. They also freeze well so you can make a batch and freeze the extras for later. Wonderful for busy days when you don’t have time to make them.
These would make a nice addition for a Thanksgiving breakfast. They can also be served with Thanksgiving dinner, in place of more traditional rolls.
Sweet Potato Muffins- Gluten Free
4 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 c. oil
1 c. sugar
2 c. cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
1 3/4 c. gluten-free flour
1 T. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
Blend together in large bowl eggs, sugar, sweet potatoes and oil and set aside. In another bowl combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and stir until well blended. Pour into paper-lined muffin tins, filling about 2/3 full. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until muffins spring bake when touched lightly. Makes 30-36.
“Pumpkin” Cheese Dip
“Pumpkin” Cheese Dip
My friend Amy has been talking about baking a dip inside a pumpkin for awhile now. She really likes fun presentations for parties. I do, too. The idea is to serve this for Thanksgiving dinner. She wanted to test it out first, though, to be sure it would work. Thanksgiving Day is no time to be testing out a recipe.
Since she was coming over to dinner the other night, I surprised her by putting this one together. It worked out great, and now Amy has directions for making her own cheesy stuffed pumpkin.
It really is simple and could be filled with any number of combinations of cheesy goodness. I have included the one I made that night, and my recipe for Spinach and Artichoke Dip, which we will have at my family’s Thanksgiving dinner this year.
You just get a pie pumpkin, about 2-3 lbs. Cut off the lid and scoop out the seeds, like you would if you were making a Jack -o-Lantern. Wipe off the outside and then just fill it up with the dip mixture. Put the lid back on, bake for an hour, and you are good to go. The fun part is scraping some of the cooked pumpkin in with the cheese dip. More detailed directions follow.
So here is the recipe for making the cheesy filled pumpkin. I think it is simple enough to serve anytime, not just on a holiday. Enjoy!!
“Pumpkin” Cheese Dip
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut off top of pumpkin. Cut in at an angle, so top will fit like a lid and not fall in. Set top aside. Scoop out seeds and clean out any stringy bits*. Set pumpkin on a baking sheet. Combine cheese filling of your choice and place inside the pumpkin. Place the top of the pumpkin back on the pumpkin, and place in oven. Bake for 1 hour. Remove pumpkin and place on heat proof dish. I used a glass pie plate. Remove lid. Serve with crusty bread or crackers.
Smoky Cheese Dip
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
4 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz. bacon, cooked and crumbled
½ c. sour cream
¼ c. mayo
¼ c. chopped parsley
½ t. cumin
Pinch of nutmeg
½ c. hulled pumpkin seeds
In medium bowl, stir together all ingredients, except the seeds. Place this mixture in the pumpkin when ready to bake. Don’t add the pumpkin seeds until right before serving. Stir them in a little, if you like.
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
1 (12-14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
½ c. diced onion
¼ c. Italian dressing
Dash of hot sauce
In medium bowl, combine dip ingredients, stirring to combine. Place in pumpkin when ready to bake.
* You can rinse off the seeds, lightly salt them and toast them, if you like. Then serve with the pumpkin dip. If you aren’t interested in eating them- please put them outside for the birds to eat.
Are You Eating Sweet Potatoes or Yams?
Sweet Potatoes
I just wanted to clear something up. With all the sweet potato and “yam” recipes circulating, it seemed like a good time for this post. Are you eating sweet potatoes or yams?
Well, if you live in North America, you are having sweet potatoes. No matter what the produce department labels them, everything in the store is, botanically speaking, a sweet potato. Red, orange and yellow, big and small – all are sweet potatoes.
So where did the yam thing start? Well, many years ago the state of Louisiana had an abundant crop of sweet potatoes. They wanted to sell them in a competitive marketplace, so they decided to call them yams. Just a name change in an effort to give their product an edge over the competition. You’ll often still see them sold as Louisiana Yams. They aren’t yams, though. Louisiana Yams are, in fact, just sweet potatoes with a name change.
There are real yams- they are larger than sweet potatoes and quite starchy. They might be found at South American restaurants, or in specialty markets in the States, but they are NOT in your local grocery store.
A sweet potato by other name will taste as sweet.
Mom’s Cornbread
Mom’s Cornbread
I have made a lot of versions in cornbread in my life, but this one might just be my favorite. Perhaps because it is my Mother’s recipe.
The secret? She put a layer of shredded cheese between layers of batter. She also added cream style corn to some of the batter. You get a cornbread that is full of flavor. It is very tender and crumbly, but not dry. I baked mine in a cake pan, but there is no reason you could not bake this recipe in cast iron, if you prefer.
I served this version of cornbread with chili the other night. Everyone loved it. One friend even asked me to make a batch for her Thanksgiving dinner. I was so pleased. I hadn’t made Mom’s version of cornbread in awhile. I will definitely be making it more often from now on.
Mom’s Cornbread
1 c. cornmeal
1 c. flour
2 T. sugar
4 t. baking powder
¾ t. salt
2 eggs
1 c. half and half
¼ c. oil- or melted butter or bacon fat
4 oz. pepper Jack cheese, shredded
1 c. cream style corn
Grease a 9-inch square pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl, and set aside. In small bowl, combine eggs, half and half and oil and beat until smooth. Stir egg mixture into dry ingredients, stirring until combined. Don’t overmix. Pour half of the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the batter in the pan. Combine remaining batter with the cream style corn. Pour this mixture over the cheese in the pan. Bake 20-25 minutes. Serves 8-9.
Chili – My Mom’s Version
Mom’s Chili
Today would be my Mother’s birthday. Every time I prepare something she used to make, I feel like I am honoring her a little. I had friends over for dinner the other night for chili and cornbread. Everybody loved it. One of my friends said it tasted like her Mother’s chili, too.
I love chili and make all sorts of variations, but I crave this simple version my Mother used to make. It was one of my favorite dishes when I was a kid. She’d often make cornbread to have with it. I admit to spicing it up more now, often adding a good shot of hot sauce, but it is still the same dish I remember so fondly.
I always think about the book Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier when I think about Mom’s chili. It was a really cold, rainy day, and I was stuck inside. I’d lost myself in the book and was totally engrossed when she called me to dinner. I think chili was about the only thing that would have pulled me away from that book.
Miss you Mom. Love you.
Mom’s Chili
1 large onion, chopped
Oil
3 lbs. coarsely ground beef
3 (28 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes – I used 3 quarts of home canned tomatoes
2 cans (about 15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 T. minced garlic
¼- ½ c. chili powder, or more to suit your taste
2 t. cumin
½ t. cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot pepper sauce to taste
In Dutch oven or soup pot sauté onion in oil until tender. Add meat and cook until no pink is visible. Drain off excess fat. Add tomatoes, beans, garlic and chili powder to taste, cumin and cinnamon. Cover and simmer over low heat until flavors blend, at least 30 minutes. Longer cooking is even better. I often transfer the chili to the crock pot for a couple of hours. Adjust seasonings and serve. Serves 4-6.
Can be eaten as is- or top with shredded cheese or a dollop of sour cream.
Brussels Sprouts Salad
Brussels Sprouts Salad
I have always been a fan of Brussels sprouts. Even as a kid, I loved the “baby” cabbages. I usually eat them steamed or roasted, but I also enjoy eating them raw. We eat cabbage in cole slaw, so why not eat Brussels sprouts raw?
This salad is a great way to enjoy their crunchiness in raw form. I made this salad for a dinner with friends last night. It was a big hit. There was none left, which is always a good sign. The dressing, sweetened with a little maple syrup, really makes the dish work.
The nice thing about this salad, is that it tastes good even the next day. The sprouts are like little cabbages. Unlike leaf lettuce, which wilts quickly once dressed, the sprouts soften some, but retain most of their crunch. This would be a nice salad to serve for Thanksgiving, too. Lighten up the meal a little.
Brussels Sprouts Salad
8- 10 oz. Brussels sprouts
2 large oranges, peeled and cubed
¾ c. raisins
½ c. peanuts
Dressing:
¼ c. olive oil
¼ c. apple cider vinegar
2 T. maple syrup
1 T. fresh chopped parsley- or 1 t. dried
2 t. hot sauce, or to taste
½ t. dried thyme
½ t. dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Trim bottoms off the sprouts, cut in half and slice thin. You should end up with about 4 cups of sliced sprouts. Place in large bowl with the remaining salad ingredients. Place dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well to combine. Toss over Brussels sprout mixture. Serves 6.
Note: The salad ingredients can all be assembled a day ahead, then just dressed when ready to serve. I actually like it dressed an hour or so before serving, but I do toss in the peanuts right at the end. This salad is also good the next day.
Swedish Limpa Bread
Swedish Limpa Bread
This rye bread is a favorite of mine. It has a soft texture and makes great sandwiches. The flavor in enhanced by a combination of caraway seeds and a little orange zest. It even makes wonderful French toast. My brother-in-law says it is just like the bread his Swedish mother made.
It is not like rye breads you might traditionally think of. Limpa is lighter in color and texture. I baked mine in two round loaves, but you can also bake this bread in loaf pans, if you prefer. You can also shape the dough into dinner rolls, if you like.
Swedish Limpa
6 ½ c. flour
2 c. rye flour
¼ c. brown sugar
2 t. salt
2-t. caraway seeds
2 t. grated orange peel
2 pkt. Active dry yeast
2 T. butter, softened
2 2/3 c. hot water (125-130 degrees)
Set aside 1-cup flour. Mix remaining flours and other dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add butter and water to flour mixture and stir to blend. Mix in enough additional flour to make a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth about 8-10 minutes. Place dough in oiled bowl turning to oil top. Cover and let rest in a draft free area until doubled, about 30 –40 minutes. Punch down. Divide dough in half and form into 2 balls. Place on greased baking sheet and cover until doubled in bulk, about 30 –40 minutes. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 30 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped lightly. Makes 2 loaves.
Note: you can also divide the dough and place in 2 (9×5-inch) greased loaf pans.
Turkey Cookies
Cookie Turkey
Every year, I spend the day before Thanksgiving making some special treat or craft with my niece, Elia. Last year we made these cookie “turkeys”. She liked making them so much we are making them again this year. They are really easy to make, and since there is no baking involved, you don’t tie up the oven if you need it for other things, like maybe a real turkey. Here are the ingredients you will need. We did them sort of assembly line fashion, because Elia wanted one for each person’s place at the table.
Turkey Cookies
chocolate sandwich cookies
candy corn
mini peanut butter cup
malted milk balls
candy pumpkins
melted chocolate
To start, place a cookie on your work surface. Affix a peanut butter cup, for the body. with a little melted chocolate. Place a malted milk ball on top of the peanut butter cup, using a little more melted chocolate to make the head. Once the chocolate hardens a little break off the tip of a candy corn and affix with chocolate to make the beak. Stick a few candy corn between the cookies- into the frosting layer- for the tail. Open up a cookie and use a little more chocolate to stand up your turkey on the frosting surface- Elia wanted them to be standing on snow. Or you can use a whole cookie, if you prefer. Place it off center, so you have room for your pumpkin. Let it harden for a minute, then add a candy pumpkin, using another drop of melted chocolate.
Sweet Potato and Herb Biscuits
Sweet Potato and Herb Biscuits
These biscuits are a favorite of mine. They also make a nice dish to serve at Thanksgiving. I like sweet potatoes cooked any number of ways. Steamed, roasted, mashed. In this biscuit recipe, raw sweet potatoes are grated and added to the dough, along with some herbs. The biscuits come out tender, with great flavor and texture. They go well with any number of dishes. I enjoy them with a bit of butter, warm from the oven. When you mix the dough, don’t be worried if it seems too dry. It takes a little bit of kneading to get the moisture out of the potatoes. The extra effort is worth it.
I cut them into triangles, but you can also just form the dough into a log shape. Then, slice the dough for round biscuits. They taste wonderful, no matter the shape.
Sweet Potato and Herb Biscuits
2 1/4 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. grated lemon peel
1/4 t. each baking soda, dried basil and dried thyme
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 c. shredded sweet potato, about 1 large
1/2 c. fine chopped green onions
1/2 c. sour cream
2T. butter, melted or olive oil
Stir together dry ingredients in large bowl and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients and add to flour mixture mixing until just blended. Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead a few times until dough just stays together. Dough will look too dry- but it will come together after you knead it. Press into an 8-inch square and cut into four squares.* Cross cut each square into four triangles. Place on greased baking sheet and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. Makes 16.
* I press the dough into a lightly floured 8×8-inch baking pan and then flip it out onto the work surface, before cutting. That way you’ll get nice, even edges.
Hot and Sour Soup
Hot and Sour Soup
Many years ago, my dear friend, Martha, got me to try Hot and Sour Soup. I have been in love with it ever since. I stock up on the ingredients when I am shopping at my local Asian grocery store. Since many of the ingredients are canned or dried, it is easy to keep them on hand. The soup itself does not take that long to make. You do need to soak the black mushrooms for a little while, but once they are ready, the soup comes together pretty quickly. The black mushrooms are available already sliced in thin strips. That is what I use. You can also find them dried whole. In that case, you would soak the mushrooms first, then slice them.
Feel free to play around with the additions. Sometimes I’ll add some shredded nappa cabbage. I have also made a vegetarian version by using vegetable stock and omitting the sliced meat. It was still a very tasty bowl of soup.
You get plenty of heat from the white pepper, but you can add some hot sauce, if you like it hotter.
Hot and Sour Soup
5 c. chicken broth- or vegetable broth
2 c. pork, sliced in thin strips or you can use chicken or omit
1 T. soy sauce
¾ c. dried sliced Chinese black mushrooms, soaked 30 minutes in water and drained
1 can straw mushrooms, drained
1 c. sliced bamboo shoots – I use the braised ones in a can- nice flavor
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
10 oz. tofu, cubed
½ -1 t. white pepper
¼ c. cider vinegar
4 T. cornstarch mixed with 1/4 c. water*
2 beaten eggs
Sesame oil
1 green onion, sliced thin, or chives
Combine broth with pork, soy sauce, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts in pot and simmer 10 minutes. Add tofu, pepper, vinegar and cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. As soup thickens and clears pour egg in slowly. Remove from heat; stir in a little oil and onions and serve.
Serves 4.
Note: For extra heat you can add hot sauce to taste.
* I use a type of cornstarch called Clear Gel. It remains thick, even after reheating. You can find it in Amish stores and on line.
