recipe – Page 4

Quick Quiche

It was one of those nights. You know what I mean. Low (and I mean low) on groceries and in the middle of a hell of a week with more of it to come. Yeah, one of those.

The hubs was asking what he could do to help, so instead of saying “nothing” and running around like a bitter idiot trying not to stress him out, I asked him to head to the grocery store. By the time he got back, I hoped, I’d have dinner ready and the baby fed and bathed. And, dude, it totally happened like that. Score!

My directions for this recipe aren’t very specific because, well, I was ALMOST out of milk (I would’ve used 1/4 – 1/2 cup more if I’d had it) and was winging it 100%. Oh, and we were so starved by the time we sat down to eat (after the baby was down, well into the new Office episode), I didn’t take pictures. Let’s pretend it looked something like this picture on the left, shall we?

Actually, it kinda sorta did (sans the pretty little parsley). I cooked mine for around 35 minutes (when the directions I was using as a guide suggested 45+), and it came out a tad darker than I’d have liked. I like my quiche softer, but it was still tasty enough to write about on the ol’ blog! So, okay, here’s the vague recipe:

(Relatively) Quick Quiche

Thaw your frozen pie crust for 10 minutes and turn the oven on to 400° (this was demanded by my pie crust’s instructions; do what yours tells you and all will be fine). While this is pre-heating, mix together 4 (or 5) eggs with about 1 cup of milk (or half-and-half, or cream, it ain’t no thang). To this mixture, sprinkle in a couple of dashes of paprika, nutmeg, and a grinding of pepper. Also grate yourself about one cup (more if you like) of sharp cheddar cheese; again, use whatever cheese you like, this is just what we had lying around. Prick the crust and bake it on a baking sheet (you’ll see why) for 10 minutes.

Decide what else you’d like in your quiche. In my case, to make it faster, I had already thawed out some asparagus I froze back in the day (you can use broccoli, too…or get creative! Way faster and easier if it’s already cooked, to an extent). If you want the taste of onion, you’ll want to saute some, but I just chopped up a few scallions, instead.

When the crust is ready, layer in half of the cheese, then your green veggies and onion, then the rest of your cheese and pour your wet mixture on top. This was a vegetarian option, so if you want meat, feel free to use your fingers to pull apart a few slices of deli ham, or go nuts and cook off some bacon. Seriously, we didn’t even notice the lack of meat, ’twas that yummy.

Bake the quiche (it’s officially a quiche, yay!) on the baking sheet (it catches overspill in case the thing decides to vomit in your oven…and it may) for 35-45 minutes or until it reaches the consistency you prefer (no longer jiggly). Take it out of the oven and allow it to rest/set up for 30 minutes (ours appeared ready to eat once we took it out of the oven, though, so this IS actually kind of a quick meal…if you don’t follow directions…wink, wink).

Eat as is or pair with a simple side salad. (And wine. I can’t have wine, still. So, yeah. Drink wine…for me.) We had a couple humongous pieces, plus enough to gobble a quick bite down before heading to the theater for a show the next night — two dinners in one? Score!

Fajita Fiesta

Continuing with our recent foodcentric posts, I thought I’d share a meal that I made for a (not too) recent dinner party we had.

Wait. Did I just write “dinner party”? Whoa. I’m an adult? When the hell did…

Anyhoo, I guess you could call it a dinner party. We had Dave’s bro, Dan, and his wife, Tara, over a few Fridays (okay, weeks…okay, maybe months….) ago for dinner ‘n chats ‘n a bit of baby time. I’m pretty comfortable in saying that everyone had an incredible time. Even the baby, I think. But you never can tell with him.

Since it was towards the beginning of lent, I wasn’t sure if the meal should be vegetarian or if I should just be gutsy and make a meat main. So, looking at the tortillas sitting in my fridge, an Edison-style lightbulb went aglow over my head. A fajita station!!

It didn’t end up being a “station”, per say (meats were still in their pan on the stove, etc), but it definitely had a fun kind of “make your own fajita” thing goin’ on. The cool thing is that you can make this to suit whatever your needs are. Here’s what I did (in what I like to call a “Confusing Non-Recipe Description”):

Fajitas
~ a couple of pounds of shrimp, de-veined and de-tailed
~ a few boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into slices/chunks
~ 2-3 limes (zest and juice)
~ a couple cloves of garlic
~ 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. each cumin & chili powder
~ 1/8 – 1/4 tsp. crushed red chili pepper flakes (depends on how hot you want it)
~ medium yellow onion, sliced
~ one each of red and green pepper, sliced (or any color you prefer)
~ a buttload of mushrooms, sliced
~ about one cup of cheddar cheese (use whatchya like — I know traditional fajitas don’t use cheese, so omit if you like)
~ fajita-style tortillas (I used whole wheat)
~ plain Greek yogurt
~ chopped cilantro

Saute one of the cloves of garlic in a pan with olive oil (medium-low heat) until cooked but not brown. Add shrimp along with the zest and juice of 1/2 a lime, cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and chili pepper flakes. Cook for a couple of minutes (until pink), then flip and cook for another minute — don’t over-cook shrimp! Do the same with the chicken (garlic, lime, seasonings) but cook until no longer pink in the middle — only a couple minutes more than the shrimp.

While doing this, saute (in more olive oil, but not too much – start with a tablespoon) the onion, red and green peppers, and mushrooms SEPARATELY. This way, if someone doesn’t like something, they don’t have to use it. I used several pans to do this; to use fewer, you can grill or saute up the onion, put it in a bowl, saute the peppers, then put the onion back in on one side of the pan.

Throw the tortillas in the microwave per package instructions. Let everyone make their own plate up, and be sure to let folks know to add yogurt (or sour cream), cilantro and a squeeze from an extra wedge of lime.

I also cooked some corn and wild rice as sides, which our guests (and my husband) used on the fajita — so this could very quickly turn into a burrito party, too. Looking over the recipe, I also have realized that this would probably be a great summertime grill shindig, too — just marinate the meats (throw in a little oil, too) and throw it all on the grill, including foil-wrapped tortillas (and maybe foil-wrapped veggies, although they’d take longer).

Once In Awhile, I Cook

Every once in awhile, the stars align and I actually cook a substantial meal for me and the hubs. When I say “stars align”, I actually mean that my baby-mama exhaustion subsides (enough to cook), my mind is able to plan ahead enough to have all ingredients on hand, my mood rises, and the temperature demands I turn on the oven. How my mother did this at least once a week (of course, she always cooked for us, but we had a huge, rivals-Thanksgiving meal every Sunday) with four kids and no spouse is miraculous to my tiny brain.

I recently had a friend ask where I get my grassfed meat. Generally, when we’re at a farmers’ market (at this time of year, the all-year Cooperstown indoor choice), we stock up, big-time. I make this meat stretch quite a bit. We don’t do very much in terms of beef, but I’ll occasionally use the ground beef (way cheaper) for chili or shepherd’s pie.

Unfortunately, between time restraints and other obligations, we’ve been unable to get to any farmers’ markets or co-ops. At times like these, when I know we haven’t had a “meat ‘n potatoes” type meal in awhile, I opt for meat that doesn’t hit all of our checkpoints. It may not be grassfed. It may not be certified organic (my local grocery store doesn’t stock organic meats…hmph) and is fed a “vegetarian diet” (I assume this means it includes corn, probably genetically modified…double hmph). But, it was treated humanely and without the use of antibiotics. Gotta weigh the options sometimes and make unfortunate compromises. It’s not worth starving, I suppose.
A couple of Sundays ago (not daylight savings; the one before that…yeah, it’s taken awhile to write this!) was one of those times. I’m trying to maintain a semblance of a grocery budget by allowing myself only to use the cash I’ve withdrawn for this purpose, so since it’s early in the month, I *wisely* took a look at all I’d like to have on hand for a few weeks. So, the aforementioned meat was purchased; this time, a pork tenderloin, some boneless pork ribs (Crock Pot time, baby!), and some stew beef. See? All things that will make at least two meals. Oh, and I already have some ground beef, chicken breasts and a wayward turkey breast in the freezer, for the record. 😉

I went off-the-cuff (once again) for the meal since I couldn’t quite find what I was looking for in my cookbooks. The meal was: mustard maple roast tenderloin with carrots and mushrooms (a way to add flavor but not force the shrooms down Dave’s throat), an all-natural boxed rice pilaf I needed to use up, and wassail-inspired homemade applesauce. Here’s what I did for the pork and applesauce (and, if you try this, please be forgiving — my memory is like an open window; things fly in and out willy nilly; feel free to say “yo, wait, that temperature sounds wrong” and I’ll probably say, “I bow to you. You are correct. I’ll go stand in the corner for 30 minutes now. And probably nap.” Also take note that I like to “wing it” when cooking.):

Quick Quiche - image on https://megactsout.com

Roasted Pork Tenderloin
– ~1 lb. pork tenderloin
– a teensy bit of salt, good amount of pepper
– dijon mustard (or we happened to have a beer and balsamic mustard spread that I’ve gotta use up)
– a drizzle of honey
– sprinkle of rosemary (or sage)
– extra virgin olive oil for pan and veggies

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Rinse and pat dry the pork tenderloin, then coat with mustard, honey and seasonings. Bake, uncovered, for about 35 to 45 minutes or until internal temperature is about 160°F. I also used the roasting pan to roast some baby carrots and mushrooms (also in olive oil and seasonings).

Side note: To get the pork more caramelized, you can quickly brown both sides in a pan before putting into the oven, but lower the cooking time and keep checking for internal temp.

Wassail Applesauce
– 4-5 apples (more or less, depending on how much you want to make), peeled, cored and cut into chunks
– 1/4 tsp. each cinnamon and nutmeg
– 1/8 tsp. cloves
– splash of orange juice

Combine all ingredients in pan. Bring to boil, lower heat and allow to simmer until apples are soft. Mash with potato masher (you want to keep some of the texture). Add water if you need it looser.

The Pie That Wasn’t

This is the first in a series I like to call Staples, which consists of recipes that I turn to time and time again. Today’s staple is near and dear to my heart, mostly because of its Irish (or English, depending on who you’re asking) origins…like my ancestors! Yep, I’m a proud Irish lassie and am known to blast an Elders CD while making this recipe.

Sorry for the cell phone pics. I literally had a child on my hip for every part of this recipe besides the chopping. Oh, and another side note: be creative with this, it’s half the fun. I’ve never made it the same way more than once, so suit it all to your own taste.

Shepherd’s (or Cottage) Pie
– approx. 1 lb. ground beef (ours was local, grassfed) or lamb; I’ve never used turkey or chicken, but it might taste yummy
– 1/2 medium onion or 1 small onion, chopped
– 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
– 3-4 stalks celery, diced
– 3-4 carrots, diced
– 2 tsp. to 1 Tbsp. thyme (to taste)
– 2 tsp. rosemary
– salt and pepper
– a couple dollops earthy mustard (I used a balsamic garlic mustard)
– a few Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
– 1/2 to full bottle hard cider, beer, red wine, or stock
– a few Tbsp. flour
– 1 c. (give or take) each of frozen peas, frozen corn and/or any other veggies you have on hand
– leftover mashed potatoes (depends on how much filling you’re making; I had ~ 4 c. leftover garlic smashed potatoes; it doesn’t have to cover the entire top, but if you’d like it to, make more potatoes)
– grated cheese for top, to taste (I used cheddar and parmesan)

At medium-high rown the ground meat in a couple Tbsp. of olive oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent (you can add the salt and pepper now; the salt helps the onions sweat), then add the celery, carrots, and garlic and cook at medium heat until you cook the “bite” out of the veggies.

Add the seasonings, mustard, Worcestershire, liquid of your choice, and whisk in the flour (you can also whisk the flour into some of your liquid or water before adding it to avoid lumps, but sometimes I just throw it in and the whisk helps take care of that). Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to allow to simmer. The goal is to achieve a thick (but not TOO thick) consistency, which can take ten minutes or twenty, but you can really let it cook as long as you’d like. (I think I went the 20-30 minute range.) In the last 5-10 minutes, add the corn and peas (I forgot to do this and added them way early. They look yucky but taste fine.)

Use the free time to play with your helper.

Yes, his hair is “fluffy” and has a tendency to stick up like that.

That’s what I call bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

Oh, right. Also use this time to heat up your mashed potatoes. You could avoid this step, but they’re easier to spread (and you may find you need to add more milk) if you just throw them in a pan and heat them.

When ready, put the mixture in the bottom of an oven-safe dish (I used a 9×13 casserole; if you make a smaller one, use a smaller dish; round ones are great for this and make for a more “deep dish pie”) and dollop mashed potatoes over the top. Then, spread the mashed potatoes (easier than plopping it all on at once), add shredded cheese and a dash of salt and pepper, and maybe some more thyme or rosemary.

I usually make this ahead then bake it off when I’m ready for it, so make sure it comes to room temperature before cooking it — I do 375 or 400 degrees for around 20-30 minutes. If you want it brown, go ahead and put it under the broiler for the last few minutes.

It may not look like much, but it’s not really supposed to, and I promise you ’tis tasty, especially with a few extra dashes of Worcestershire at the end. Plus, it provides leftovers for a few days’ worth of lunches (or more dinner, if you like). It’s a good way to take one meal (in this case, the hubby’s birthday steak dinner with garlic mashed potatoes and peas) into something equally as yummy. I suggest serving it with a side salad brimming with fresh greens and a light dressing, and perhaps a glass of whatever “liquid” you chose to use. Comfort food at its finest!

Lunchy Lunch Lunch

It’s one of those vacation days that you find it to be a miracle that you got a shower (while popping your head out every 8 seconds to keep the baby from wailing) or O-N-E load of laundry folded or the baby to sleep for a brief nap. The “who calls this vacation? At least I’m not at work” kind of days. So, clearly, it was also a miracle that I ate anything that didn’t involve a spoon and a jar of peanut butter.

When such a miracle occurs, even if it’s a bowl of frickin’ cereal, you wanna brag. I, however, managed what I’m calling a burrito quesadilla. What makes it a burrito? Because it’s got leftover brown rice and black bean salsa (you could use re-fried beans but I wanted to get rid of this stuff).

Here’s the recipe:

Burrito Quesadilla (serves one hungry mama or two normal people)
– two whole wheat tortillas (wish I could find these with minimal ingredients)
– 1/4 c. corn and black bean salsa (Paul Newman’s, in this case)
– a few handfuls of leftover pre-cooked brown rice
– a couple of Tbsp. feta cheese
– 1/4 c. (+/-) grated cheddar
– dollop of plain Greek yogurt and regular tomato salsa for garnish

Build as you would a traditional quesadilla, smearing the black bean salsa on one tortilla, then the rice, then cheese. (I was going to sprinkle some chili powder and cumin on at this point but I was doing this with the baby in one arm, so…yeah. I forgot.) Place second tortilla on top and cook on an oiled grill pan for a few minutes on each side (medium heat). Slice and serve with salsa and yogurt (and guacamole or avocados, if you have them). Enjoy!

Call it the magic of silently falling snow (yes, meteorological friends, I know it’s science, not magic…and, yes, I know numerous meteorologists, don’t you?) or the baby mix I’m playing on iTunes, but let it be known that a person CAN write an entire blog post (including edited photo) with a napping baby on her lap (and left arm). I almost considered leaving “spoon” as “spoob.” And do not ask why I won’t venture to put him down or my eye may start to twitch.

My Lunch as a Mommy

“Food” these days has taken on a new meaning. Thanks to breastfeeding, it’s an extension of the past 9+ months — what I eat affects the baby. I still haven’t figured out if certain food items (highly acidic, super spicy, etc) make Hadley act/feel differently, but I do know that the evening I decided to *gasp* drink a cup of coffee made for a looooong night. What’s equally as important with breastfeeding (or, really, for any new mom, in my opinion) is keeping up my caloric intake. Earlier, I felt my body’s energy draaaaiiiiin if I didn’t eat or drink enough; it’s better these days, but still need to keep on top of how much I eat. Oh, and sure I’ll occasionally grab a bowl of ice cream as one of my “snacks”, but for the most part I’m trying to keep those 4-5 meals a day healthy. See? Extension of the previous 9 months, generally speaking.

So, I thought I’d share a cucumber dip (loosely, a tzatziki sauce) that I recently whipped up. We had been sent home from my mom’s with leftover chicken and I thought this sauce would help us use it up in a healthy way. Plus, we had a buttload of cucumbers to use up. Unfortunately, I started mixing and chopping before I realized our plain Greek yogurt was expired. *wop wooooop* So, on a whim, I substituted cottage cheese, and whadya know? It worked just fine! Here’s what I did…

Cucumber Sauce/Dip (Tzatziki)

Dice or shred 1/2 a cucumber (more or less, up to you! It’s all relative, too, since homegrown cukes have been HUGE this summer), zest 1/2 a lemon, and mince a clove of garlic. Mix these together with ~ 1/2 cup cottage cheese (or plain yogurt), ~1/3 cup all-natural mayo, and (to taste) salt ‘n pepper, oregano, dill, and the juice of the 1/2 lemon. Enjoy! Here’s a look-see:

Sure, it doesn’t look like much, but it’s tasty. My favorite thing to do with it? Wraps!!! Whole wheat wraps up the nutrition factor, and there are things you can make with wraps that you couldn’t do with plain ol’ sandwich bread.

On this particular day, the wrap was made with mesclun mix, all-natural deli turkey, shaved romano cheese and chopped apples. Oh, plus the cuke sauce and, of course, the whole wheat wrap…’cuz it ain’t a wrap unless it gets wrapped!

But, a wrapped sandwich does not a full meal make. So, here’s the full Monty – wrap, small handful of pretzels (or, at least, I think it’s small ;-)), a sliced apple, some Nutella and peanut butter (y’know…for dippin’), and a glass each o’ water and juice. Yeah, I’m generally double-fistin’ it these days.

It ain’t good unless you’ve got a sweet, overweight kitty admiring your plate…and a stack of baby laundry to accompany the deliciousness.

Quick Quiche - image 6cd3c-jasperlunch1 on https://megactsout.com

I’ll be doing my best to keep up the healthy factor upon returning to school this week. Since Dave and I have both been fighting a virus (mine admittedly more bearable than his; I blame the healthy-ish eating and prenatal vitamins I’m still downing), this is wicked important to have the energy (both mental and physical!) to make it through the first “not with the baby 24/7” days. Plus, I haven’t done the best job at stockpiling the ol’ boob juice, so I’m trying to see if there’s anything (food or otherwise) I can do to make pumping more successful. So far, I’m drinking Mother’s Milk tea and have just discovered that oatmeal helps (generally whole grains, depending on what you read).

By the way, I’m truly sorry I haven’t been posting more this summer. Seriously. I wouldn’t apologize if I didn’t feel badly about it — it’s not just guilt. Ideas for posts have popped up in my head (usually when I took a shower, strangely enough), and I’ve got a kazillion drafts of posts started. Truly, I’d like to try to post a touch more since a) it’s kinda therapeutic, b) I enjoy sharing my thoughts and experiences, c) hopefully folks get a kick out of what I write, and d) I can look back as Hads grows up to see the evolution of our family and remember the small, good times I may not otherwise recall. So, yes. I will try. 🙂

Meatless Monday Update

Howdy, all. It’s a drizzly, cold Monday here in our neck of the woods. I suppose it’s what one should expect from a late April day, but we’ve had such crazy weather patterns lately, we’ve had at least one day in the 80s…and folks just west of us are getting snow. So, yeah. It’s one of those days where everyone you talk to seems to need a nap as much as you do.

So, I thought it’d be a good night to check in about our meatless adventures. Of course, what am I making tonight? Pasta. Sooooo boring, Meg! Sheeshis. The first “Meatless Monday” post I ever wrote included a pasta night, too. Honestly, though, I haven’t had nearly as many pasta days since getting pregnant (acidic tomatoes = heartburn like crazy), so I’m actually looking forward to it.

I haven’t written a whole lot about our meatless meals, but I assure you, we’ve done an awesome job of having at least one “main” vegetarian meal per week. In all honesty, I’m not sure what our exact batting average is, but I’d say it’s an average of at least two dinners per week (and almost all breakfasts…and lots of lunches – hubs is better at this, though; his new nickname should really be Mr. Salad). And we don’t always observe Meatless Mondays. We ebb and flow like the tide; ya never know when dinner will be meatless, and it’s to the point where it’s a thought-free process.

Today, however, is a tad different. I’m cooking with tofu for the first time, well, ever. In usual Meg fashion, I’m combining a couple of recipes I found online (here and here) and throwing in my own twist. I pretty much used what I had on hand, sauteing in EVOO some onion, broccoli, carrots, sweet pepper, summer squash, garlic, mushrooms, extra firm tofu with dashes of Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, and S&P (a tiny bit of salt – we’re watching Dave’s intake). Once these flavors had melded together, I actually took some out for some light lunches. At this point, I cooked some mushrooms into it (Dave doesn’t like ’em), threw in a splash of balsamic vinegar, cooked it down, and added jarred sauce.

Fast forward a few minutes and I was eating my rotini (was hoping for penne, but we appeared to be out) with veggies and tofu in sauce…sprinkled with some fresh parmesan, dipped with local Italian bread from Heidelberg bakery, and alongside some Byrne Dairy glass jar milk. Just had to be thorough. 😉 We’ll have this as a lunch (or dinner, again) option during the week, too.

Overall, it’s tasty. I’m sure you could do the meal with any veggies you have on hand – and way fewer than me, but I wanted to use some up (and since I’m not in the mood for a salad, I figured I needed to get the healthy stuff somehow).

Oh, and we’re still definitely what I’d call flexitarian. Recently, we decided that we’d also like to incorporate more Mediterranean cooking to our diets, mostly to provide Dave with the health benefits. But, honestly, we were eating a lot of what “they” eat, anyway. Very rarely do we eat red meat (and when we do, it’s locally grass-fed or at the very least hormone-free), Dave’s a huge seafood lover (usually grilled, occasionally with pasta or rice), and we’ve tried our best to eat more fruits, veg, and whole grains. The cool thing about Mediterranean is the idea of how many different cultures actually live ON the Mediterranean Sea. You’ve got French, Greek, Italian, Spanish…TONS (and don’t get me started on the Eastern side, but we’re not that adventurous). Think of the different flavors we can play with! 😉

So, what about you guys? Any vegetarian meals that you enjoy – even ones that you didn’t realize were vegetarian? Do tell!

Sloppy Joes

It was obviously one of those nights that I clearly didn’t consider my husband while planning dinner; he wouldn’t be home for it, anyway. For some strange reason, the thought of Sloppy Joes had crossed my mind, and in one of those serendipitous moments (especially for a pregnant lady with a craving), we had all the ingredients I’d need. Since Dave wasn’t home (and tends to dislike Sloppy Joes), it all seemed like the signs were too good to be true. Sloppy Joes, it is! Woo hoo!

I scoured the Internet looking for a homemade version, and came up with this variation (taken from a couple of other versions: namely, The Pioneer Woman and Rachael Ray)
Meg’s Sloppy Joes
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. ground beef (most recipes call for 1 1/4 lbs, at least, but this is what I had on hand)
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. steak seasoning
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 onion, chopped/diced
1/2 red pepper (can be green), chopped/diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
Splash Worcestershire sauce
Splash red wine vinegar
1 can (approx. 15 oz) tomato sauce
A few squeezes of ketchup

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and start to brown. Add the sugar and spices, and continue to brown the meat, cooking for approximately 5 minutes. Next, add the onion, pepper, garlic, Wor. sauce, and vinegar. Allow these to simmer on medium for approx. 5 minutes more. Finally, add the tomato sauce and ketchup and continue to simmer until reduced.

Serve on toasted bun (can also add cheese to the top, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it) with appropriate sides; I had sweet potato chips and pickles (what else? ;-D)…and I didn’t actually toast the bun because I couldn’t be bothered. 30 Rock was calling my name. Literally. Liz’s ex-boyfriend, Dennis, was calling for his new wife, whose name just happens to be Megan. Add that to the fact that it was a St. Patrick’s Day episode and there was no way I was toastin’ any buns. No time, man, no time!

Just a heads-up that this ended up needing some definite simmering to become thick enough to eat, but it’s all good. Also, just gotta share that my ingredients helped make this. Everything was all-natural (yes, even the Worcestershire sauce and vinegar), and some were organic. The roll I used was fresh-baked at a local marketplace and the beef was locally-raised and grass fed…not that you could necessarily taste it, but it matters. 🙂

I must say that these will be a definite on the future “Mommy and Me” menu. Y’know that menu, don’t you? For when Daddy’s unavailable to join us for dinner…and Mommy wants to be the favorite. (Honestly, I’ll need all the help I can get; I’m definitely going to be the disciplinarian in this household.) And I only wish I could have found a sufficient Adam Sandler video clip for this post, but I’m sure anyone in the know can hum along (Slop- Joe, Slop-Sloppy Joooooes…anyone?).

One of My Favorites

I like sweet potato fries. Okay, let me rephrase that. I adore well-made sweet potato fries. I’m disappointed when I see “substitute sweet potato fries $.50” on a menu only to receive a tasteless cardboard substitute. *sigh* That’s happened a depressing amount of times, which leads me to think that I put too much merit into the most mundane of things. But, seriously, if you’ve had flavorful, slightly crispy ones (with an awesome dipping sauce, optional), you can see why I absolutely beam when I see that little menu substitution in the first place. My husband, and for that matter anyone else eating alongside me, generally get a kick out of it. Kind of like watching a kid on Christmas.

While homemade SP fries can’t seem to compare, texture-wise, to those you find in a restaurant, I still think they’re worth making. Firstly, you know that the only ingredient on its list is “sweet potato” (with the exception of the olive oil and seasonings you choose). The nutrient factor seems higher when you know you’ve cut an honest to goodness hunk of vegetable down to size. Secondly, you can control whether it’s fried or baked. Of course, in our household they’re always baked. a) I’ve got a husband with a leaning toward high cholesterol and b) I’m not big into frying stuff, mostly because I’m incredibly lazy and don’t want to deal with the disposal of the used oil. Thirdly, and finally, comes the flavor. Even when they come out soggy, it turns out to be a nicely seasoned roasted sweet potato wedge that can still be used as a tasty side to any meal. Even when it’s yucked up, it’s worth it.

So, I don’t have a tried-and-true way to make fool-proof sweet potato fries. Bummer. BUT, I’ve done enough Googling of a million or so recipes and found the common good in all of them. Here’s what I made tonight…

Sweet Potato Fries
One large sweet potato
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Chili powder
Cumin powder
(Optional: Mrs. Dash)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Yes, seriously, that hot.

Carefully cut the sweet potato into long slices (I cut mine in half so they weren’t as long), around 1/2″ thick. Toss in olive oil (enough to coat each side but not enough to “swim”) on a large, foil-lined baking sheet. Season with the above seasonings. (I did 2 versions – half of the sheet with the 4 seasonings, the other half with just pepper and low-sodium Mrs. Dash. Why don’t you guess who’s eating the Mrs. Dash side.) Bake for around 20 minutes (don’t open the door!), then flip each wedge before baking for another 15-20 minutes.

Allow to rest. Serve with ketchup, ranch dressing or the below dipping sauce.

Today, I took a cue from Giada and tried a mayo-based dipping sauce. Of course, I tweaked her recipe a bit.

Mayo Dipping Sauce
Large scoop of mayo (1/4 cup, or however much you’d like to make); I used organic mayo
One garlic clove, minced
Spritz of lemon
Seasonings (in this case, cumin & chili powder)

Mix all ingredients together. (I did this in a small mason jar.) Refrigerate a minimum of 30 minutes for flavors to meld. You may also just create a simple dip, leaving seasonings out – it’ll taste like a garlic aoili.

Now, go forth and enjoy like a cat writhing around and stretching out in all his cute glory. That is, if you’re into sweet potatoes…and who isn’t? 😉