Here is the link to Slashfood:
http://www.slashfood.com/2009/04/24/sweet-potato-recipe-contest-winners/
She was one of the judges in the Sweet Potato Contest. You can see my winning recipe there and a great professional photo of it.
Press Release about contest and winners:
http://www.ncsweetpotatoes.com/images/stories/contests/bloggers/bloggercontestrelease.pdf
You can download and print my recipe from here:
http://www.ncsweetpotatoes.com/bloggers-recipe-contest.html
Buon Appétito!
Chocolate Chip Cookies for Tracey
Ok Trace, try this one. They are buttery and chewy. You always have to undercook your cookies, and whatever you won't eat in one day wrap well and freeze. Then pull them out as you want them. I like to eat my chocolate chip cookies slightly cold still. The cookie is chewy and the chocolate is still cool and crisp.
My other tips:
Forget unsalted butter. Use salted. Just make sure it's real butter! Don't be using margarine or some other crappy substitute.
Use all brown sugar instead of a part white.
Use real vanilla.
Use good chocolate. If you can't get good chocolate chips then chop up a good dark chocolate bar!
Always make sure your walnuts or pecans are fresh. I know too many people who use rancid nuts. Always store your nuts in the freezer.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs and beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Press slightly. Bake about 10 minutes until lightly browned but a little undercooked. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.
My other tips:
Forget unsalted butter. Use salted. Just make sure it's real butter! Don't be using margarine or some other crappy substitute.
Use all brown sugar instead of a part white.
Use real vanilla.
Use good chocolate. If you can't get good chocolate chips then chop up a good dark chocolate bar!
Always make sure your walnuts or pecans are fresh. I know too many people who use rancid nuts. Always store your nuts in the freezer.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs and beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Press slightly. Bake about 10 minutes until lightly browned but a little undercooked. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.
Mexican Indian Fusion
I made up a new type of fusion. At least I've never heard of it before. Mexican-Indian. India Indian.
I had marinated some chicken breasts in Indian spices (yogurt, amchoor, garam masala, ginger, garlic, coriander) intending to cook them on May 4. Never got to it.
May 5 rolls around and you know you have to eat Mexican food on Cinco de Mayo. At least here in So Cal you do. I think it's the law.
So I whipped up a mixed green salad and a cilantro viniagrette, a mango, cucumber & pasilla chile salsa, and went forth with grilling the Indian spiced chicken. I threw it all together in a salad: Grilled chicken Salad with Cilantro Viniagrette topped with Mango Salsa. The Indian spices on the chicken worked very well with the sweet and spicy mango salsa as well as the cilantro of the viniagrette. The whole fam really liked the Mexican-Indian fusion. I think I will have to do some more experimenting. But for now here's basically what I did:
The Chicken
4 Chicken breasts (boneless skinless)
1 teaspoon amchoor (dried mango powder)
1 teaspooon garam masala
1 teaspooon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup lowfat plain yogurt
juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken. Mix together all the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. Marinate for 3 hours or overnight. Grill until done. Let rest 5 minutes and slice on the bias into 1/4 inch slices.
The Salsa
1 large mango, peeled and diced
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup pasilla chile, finely diced
1/2 cup rough chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
dash of cayenne pepper to make it spicy (optional)
Mix all the ingredients together and toss to mix the flavors.
The Cilantro Viniagrette
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup plain yogurt, full fat is best but you can use lowfat
2 tablespoons mayonaise
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons feta cheese (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all in food processor for about 2 minutes. Pour over mixed greens.
The Meal
Toss mixed greens with the cilantro viniagrette. Place on platter. Assemble sliced chicken over mixed greens. Top chicken with mango salsa. Serve with warm tortillas or naan.
I had marinated some chicken breasts in Indian spices (yogurt, amchoor, garam masala, ginger, garlic, coriander) intending to cook them on May 4. Never got to it.
May 5 rolls around and you know you have to eat Mexican food on Cinco de Mayo. At least here in So Cal you do. I think it's the law.
So I whipped up a mixed green salad and a cilantro viniagrette, a mango, cucumber & pasilla chile salsa, and went forth with grilling the Indian spiced chicken. I threw it all together in a salad: Grilled chicken Salad with Cilantro Viniagrette topped with Mango Salsa. The Indian spices on the chicken worked very well with the sweet and spicy mango salsa as well as the cilantro of the viniagrette. The whole fam really liked the Mexican-Indian fusion. I think I will have to do some more experimenting. But for now here's basically what I did:
The Chicken
4 Chicken breasts (boneless skinless)
1 teaspoon amchoor (dried mango powder)
1 teaspooon garam masala
1 teaspooon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup lowfat plain yogurt
juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken. Mix together all the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. Marinate for 3 hours or overnight. Grill until done. Let rest 5 minutes and slice on the bias into 1/4 inch slices.
The Salsa
1 large mango, peeled and diced
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup pasilla chile, finely diced
1/2 cup rough chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
dash of cayenne pepper to make it spicy (optional)
Mix all the ingredients together and toss to mix the flavors.
The Cilantro Viniagrette
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup plain yogurt, full fat is best but you can use lowfat
2 tablespoons mayonaise
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons feta cheese (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all in food processor for about 2 minutes. Pour over mixed greens.
The Meal
Toss mixed greens with the cilantro viniagrette. Place on platter. Assemble sliced chicken over mixed greens. Top chicken with mango salsa. Serve with warm tortillas or naan.
The Girl and the Fig
I don't remember how I first learned about The Girl and the Fig, but it is a great little restaurant in Sonoma. We had gone for the first time about 2 years ago, and on our trip last week to visit Sonoma State University, I wasn't going to pass up a chance to go back. I think I made the reservation at The Girl and the Fig before I booked the college tour. Priorities...
The restaurant is very quaint, and being on the town square only adds to the charm. The food is French country. Think rustic Provençal. Think Pastis in food.
They focus on fresh, seasonal, local products - vegetables, herbs, cheeses, charcuterie. The wine list contains only Rhone varietals and is easy to manage.
We had a fantastic meal. See my pics. But check out the whole menu on their website http://www.thegirlandthefig.com/. The menu changes regularly. If you find yourself anywhere in the Sonoma Valley make sure to go. Make sure you have a reservation.
South of the Border Sweet Potatoes
Am I in a sweet potato craze? Maybe so. They are so delish!Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soft Tacos
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into about 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 of a small red onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup frozen sweet corn
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage (coleslaw mix is good)
1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese, (or crumbled feta or crumbled goat cheese)
Salsa of your choice, pico de gallo is good
8 corn tortillas
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sweet potato and cook until sweet potato is almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add beans, corn, paprika, cumin, salt and lime juice.
Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are completely tender and beans and corn are hot, about 10 more minutes.
While mixture is cooking, heat the tortillas over a gas burner, or wrap them in foil and place in a 400 degree oven directly on the rack, for about 5 minutes.
Assemble tacos: fill tortilla with sweet potato filling, top with cabbage, cilantro, cheese and salsa.
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