Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

One of my favorite things to order in  a restaurant are sweet potato fries.  I finally found a way to make sweet potato fries baked in the oven.  For years I have made oven French fries with white potatoes. 

When I started trying to make sweet potato oven fries, I could not get a crispy texture.  I love sweet potatoes made most any way, but my husband won't eat them unless they have a crispy texture.  He has tried many times to eat a baked sweet potato or a sweet potato casserole, but he cannot get past the texture. 

I finally tried the recipe below, and the potatoes come out with a crispy texture.  When they first come out of the oven, they don't seem that crispy, but after a couple of minutes, the crispness starts to develop.  They are not as crispy as deep fried sweet potatoes, but I like them very much, and the hubby approved. 

CRISPY OVEN BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES

2-4 Tbsp. cornstarch

2-4 sweet potatoes
small amount of canola oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

 Preheat oven to 425.

 Peel the sweet potatoes, then cut into very thin strips.  Place the sweet potatoes into a bowl and cover with cold water.  Let them sit in the water for an hour or up to overnight.

Cover a half sheet pan or pans with foil, then spray with oil.

 Drain water from the potatoes, then place in a kitchen towel to dry thoroughly, although a very small amount of moisture can remain.  Place potatoes into a large plastic bag and add the cornstarch.  Roll potatoes around in bag to distribute the cornstarch evenly. 

Place potatoes on the prepared foil and put a small amount of canola oil on them and move them around to distribute the oil.  Do not put salt on them at this point. 

 Place potatoes in the oven and cook 15 minutes.  Turn potatoes over with a spatula and cook another 15 minutes, turn over again, and continue to bake until to desired degree of browning.  When they are to desired amount of browning, turn oven off and prop oven door open and let them sit in the oven for another 10 minutes. 

Remove from oven and apply salt and pepper to taste.

  

Groceries Post #2

My husband very, very seldom helped me with the purchase of groceries in the past.  On the few
times he did accompany me to the grocery store, it was very hard for me to concentrate and get the job done.  He did not really know how to help me, and his frequent requests to "give  him something to find" really rattled my brain. 




Since being plant based, he has become much more interested in both cooking and gathering the groceries.  I never thought I would see the day.  He often goes with me now, and he has enough knowledge to really be helpful.  He knows how to pick out a lot of the produce, (which makes
up most of our groceries).  He knows to buy the lemons which are heavier in weight, (because they contain more juice), rather than just picking out the largest lemons. 



He knows to pick out some ripe bananas and some green ones, so that we aren't overrun with bananas the beginning of the week and then run out of bananas for the rest of the week. 

He is even starting to read some labels on the few canned and packaged goods we buy.  He knows to
check the date on everything.  He knows that if the almond milk use by date is far enough out, we can pick up many cartons. 

He also knows that we save a lot of money by buying a large number of items if a product is on sale for a great price.  He didn't even blink today when I bought 14 red bell peppers.  He knows I will sauté them and put them in the freezer for future pizzas, burritos, etc. 

Best of all, he hands me the key to the vehicle and tells me to get in out of the weather while he puts the groceries in the vehicle.  Then when we get home, he fusses at me if I carry even one light bag into the house myself. 
         

Yes, I think I will keep this guy.












Husband's note:  Ahhh Thanks honey.  I have found that the sooner we put up groceries, the sooner we eat.  So I do have a vested interest here.  Plus, I see all the hard work you put into shopping for us!                                                                         

Groceries Post #1

 For years I have made out a menu every week for the meals to be prepared for the upcoming week.  I scan the grocery ads first, so that I can use recipes to take advantage of what is on sale that week.   Previously I lived in a very small town which did not have a decent grocery store, so it was essential that I try to have everything needed for the next week.  To get to a decent grocery store, it was about a one hour round trip.


Now we live in a much larger town, with a somewhat decent grocery store about 10 minutes away.  Now that we are plant based, however, this grocery store is inadequate for all of our needs.  I tend to gravitate between three grocery stores now, the one that is close to our house, one that has much cheaper and better produce, and one that has those specialty items I need, (but which is quite a bit more expensive).  I wish I could get it all at one, affordable store, but that is not the case.  It would be very rare for me to go to all three grocery stores in one week.
 

It may be daunting to buy an entire week's worth of groceries in one trip, but with a good shopping list, it's not too difficult.  I list the week's menu on the back of my grocery list, and use this throughout the week.  By doing this, I avoid buying the ingredients for a recipe and then forgetting what I bought those particular ingredients for.  I have definitely done that in the past. 

Many years ago I made up my own grocery list.  My list includes categories for Dairy (really non-dairy now), Beverages, Sauces & Condiments, Cereal, Grains, & Beans, Canned Goods, Baking Supplies, Ethnic, Breads, Laundry & Kitchen Cleaners, Bathroom, Hygiene &  Meds, Paper, Plastic & Foil, Frozen Items, Miscellaneous, and the all important Produce.  When I was an omnivore, I had "Meat" listed instead of "Ethnic", and my Produce section was smaller.  It can be tailored for each family's needs.   This list seems to save me a lot of time in the grocery store.  It doesn't matter which grocery store I shop at, because the list is by my categories, not according to how the grocery store is laid out.






I always feel a huge sense of accomplishment when I have finished buying the week's groceries.  I always think it's humorous that after buying that large amount of groceries and putting them away, I am sometimes too tired to cook that night.

 

Don't Be Afraid to Substitute

I have been trying to sharpen my skills with Asian types of cooking.  I made a few dishes over the years, but I never could get the flavor profile to my satisfaction, even when following a recipe. 

In trying to find new plant based recipes, I have found that a lot of ethnic type dishes either are plant based or can easily be translated into plant based dishes. 



The more I play with the ingredients and new recipes, the happier I am with the results.  We made a dish this weekend called Spicy Ramen Noodle Bowl.  I must say that I was very pleased with the resulting dish.  I did not have a few of the ingredients listed in the recipe, and I was able to successfully substitute other ingredients and still come out with a very good dish.  In the past, it was difficult for me to make substitutions, but I am now getting enough experience with the ingredients that it is possible for me to successfully substitute ingredients to some degree. 

I was running short on sweet chili sauce, (a new ingredient to us until a few months ago).  Now we
love this ingredient and even use it sometimes for a condiment for eggrolls.  I couldn't find it in the grocery store I went to this weekend.  I mixed some leftover sweet and sour sauce with a Thai chili sauce, along with the other sauce ingredients in the recipe, and it was really good.  This would not make a good condiment, but it was fine in this recipe.  Since the sweet and sour sauce was already thick, there was no need for the cornstarch in this recipe. 

The store was out of bean sprouts, so I added broccoli to the recipe.  I couldn't find fresh basil, so I used parsley.  These two ingredient changes did not result in the exact same dish, but it was just as good. 

It is nice to know that just because I can't find a particular recipe item or don't want to run to the grocery store for that one ingredient I don't have, I can sometimes find a suitable substitute. 

Please note that the ramen noodles in the recipe are not the ramen noodle soup packages so many people ate in college.  I found these in Whole Foods.  I have tried many different kinds of Asian noodles during my experiments, and these are by far my favorite.  They are still not like the Italian pasta I love.  These noodles are a bit more fragile, and the instructions are to boil them for only four minutes.  I think they would probably fall apart if they were cooked like Italian pasta. 

SPICY RAMEN NOODLE BOWL

 For the sauce:

1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2-3 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
Sweet chili sauce, 2 Tbsp
1 Tbsp cornstarch

 olive oil or coconut oil for sauteing

2-3 cups of bok choy, sugar snap peas, or combination
2 red bell peppers, chopped
4 scallions, sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 inch knob of ginger, peeled and minced
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ cup vegetable broth
2 cups bean sprouts
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
4 bundles from a package of ramen noodles

Mix sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large pan, start heating water for cooking the noodles.  Add a bit of salt. 

 Heat a large, heavy skillet to very hot and add 2 tsp oil.  When oil is hot, add the bok choy, sugar snap peas, bell peppers, and scallions.  Cook until barely crisp/tender.  Push those veges to the sides of the pan.  Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes to the middle of the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add ¼ cup vegetable broth to the pan.  Add the sauce ingredients to the pan, cook and stir until slightly thickened.  Add bean sprouts to pan and stir all together.   Take off heat.  Add basil to the pan. 

Cook ramen noodles and add to the skillet. 

NOTE:  Toasted sesame seeds sprinkled on top of each serving would be very good.

 

 

 

 

Late Happy New Year!

I don't usually make New Year's resolutions.  I haven't for many years, because I seem to have better luck deciding throughout the year what changes need to be made, and hopefully making those changes.  In the past, I would sit through the last quarter of the year waiting until New Year's Day to make any changes.  That was just lost time for me, not to mention that the issue would build up to a big thing, waiting for the new year to begin and make any change. 

Since we have completely changed our way of eating this year, the New Year seemed more significant to me.  As of January 1, we have been on a whole food, plant based diet for five months.  We both feel better and have lost a little weight.  We haven't really concentrated on the weight loss aspect much, because it was overwhelming enough to figure out this new path.

Although these aren't officially New Year's resolutions, (I'm a little late for that),  here are some thoughts of how I want to proceed for the coming months. 

I am ready to start working on bringing down the calories a bit.  When we first started this way of eating, I felt so much pressure just getting meals on the table.  As I have found new grains that we enjoy, new healthy recipes, and even a few vegetables that we didn't eat before, I think I am ready to go to the next phase.

One of the goals is to cut down on the amount of fat I use.  I have always tried to use as little fat as I can when sautéing or roasting in the oven.  For years I have replaced at least half the fat in baked goods to applesauce, so we are used to that.  Well, really there is not much getting used to it, since I can't usually tell the difference.

With a little more effort, I know I can bring our fat use down more.  It still confuses me when I hear "health officials" such as Dr. Oz state that we should include olive oil or coconut oil in our diet.  I remember hearing Dr. Oz say we should drink a tablespoon of olive oil every day.  I would assume that means it would be in addition to any other oil used that day in our foods.  I choose to use olive oil and coconut oil as healthier oils, but surely we should use as little as necessary to prepare our foods.  Some plant based people use little or no added fats to their diet.  I don't know if I could do that.

My main goal in the coming year is to treat myself, including my body, with the respect I deserve.
No one is as hard on me as I am on myself.  I sometimes expect way too much from myself and don't appreciate all that I accomplish.  I have been given this one life, and I plan to start making the very most of it! 

Husband's Note:  Sorry honey I know you don't like pictures of yourself.  I had to include this photo of two amazing women.  My wife Jo Ann and our wonderful daughter Ashley.

Extra Good Luck on New Year's Day

I have tried to keep up the tradition of having black eyed peas on New Year's Day for good luck.  It's not so much that I believe the good luck part, but I do love black eyed peas.

I have used fresh shelled black eyed peas, dried black eyed peas, frozen black eyed peas, and even
canned black eyed peas in past years.  This year I chose to use dried black eyed peas. 

That morning I cooked two pounds of dried black eyed peas.  I used half of those peas to make Caribbean Black Eyed Peas, from the Moosewood Restaurant Favorites cookbook.  I am really loving this cookbook.  The recipe is as follows:

2 Tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 heaping Tbsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. dried pepper flakes (pepperoncini)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
4 cups cooked black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 cup orange juice
salt
ground black pepper

Warm the oil in a large skillet or saucepan on medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic and cook for about six minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden and soft.  Add the ginger, pepper flakes, thyme, and allspice and cook for five minutes.  Add the drained, cooked black eyed peas and the orange juice and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I served sautéed kale, baked sweet potato, and cornbread with the Caribbean Black Eyed Peas.

The dried pepper flakes were my own addition to the recipe.  When I read this recipe, I thought the orange juice would probably overpower the peas, but it was actually a nice, subtle orange taste.  I think if someone used prepared orange juice from the grocery store, it would be a little overpowering.  I used fresh squeezed orange juice.

Some of the oranges at our daughter's house in Austin

In fact, the reason I picked this recipe for our black eyed peas this New Year's Day was to use up some of the abundance of oranges our daughter sent home with us after Christmas Day.  She and her family are whole food, plant based people, who also love to save some money.  When oranges were on sale for 5 pounds for $1, her husband bought 150 pounds of oranges.  No, that is not a typo, and they are a family of four, with one and three year old children.  I really love their spirit. 

A couple of months ago they bought 100 pounds of bananas when they were on sale.  The person who checked them out asked if they had a pet monkey.  I just love this family.

Okay, I need to get back to the subject.
I was left with another pound of cooked black eyed peas, so that evening we made black eyed pea burritos, with avocado, caramelized onions and red peppers, some leftover sautéed diced potatoes, crisp lettuce, fresh tomatoes, jalapenos, and salsa.  I wasn't sure if we would love black eyed pea burritos, but they were great. 

I am thinking we should have great luck this year, having two black eyed pea meals on New Year's Day.  I know we had two really great meals that day.

   

Christmas Tamales

On Christmas Day, my daughter Ashley wanted to make tamales.  This was the first time either of us had tried to make them.  We used a combination of several recipes to make up the tamales. 

The tamale making process was surprising to me.  It is really quite easy, though a bit time consuming.  I will make some again and get a recipe put together.  We used "vegan butter" for the masa mixture.  We used her heavy duty, standing mixer and let it whip up the masa mixture for about 10 minutes.  It made for a light, easy to use masa.

We formed an assembly line of three people.  One person smeared the masa on to the corn husk.  The next person put the filling in the middle of the masa.  The last person rolled the corn husk over to cover the filling and tied the husk into a cute little package.  It was really nice to have a project to do together. 




We Completely made up the filling on our own.  Ashley had made a big pot of black beans that morning, so we used some of those, along with some corn from the freezer, sautéed onion and red pepper.   We made them without any heat at all, in the hopes that the one and two year old kids would eat them, and they seemed to like them just fine. 

I have read serving tamales on Christmas day is a Hispanic custom, and I can certainly understand why.  We enjoyed having a nontraditional, (to us), food to enjoy on Christmas.  Maybe this will now become traditional for our family.

Husband's Note:  Christmas is a time to be with family.  I love that my dear wife and wonderful daughter have a passion for cooking.  When the kids were growing up I have strong memories of our daughter spending many an afternoon sitting on the cabinet and watching her mom cook.  I see this as a great way to spend time with your children.  Our daughter is carrying on this tradition with her kids, and that doesn't surprise me.  Begin a tradition with your family and treasure this time.  It all goes by so fast...btw the tamales were amazing!