Sweet Potato Salad

Say what?  Potato Salad made with sweet potatos?  I know you're thinking "I don't think so".  But honestly, it's soooo good!  And good for you!

If you're a fan of sweet potatoes, like I am, then this is a must-try.

Thank you Dale for putting me onto this variation of good old potato salad.

Ingredients:
- sweet potatos
- celery
- red onion
- low-fat mayonnaise (I use olive oil mayonnaise)
- low-fat sour cream
- mustard

Peel the sweet potatos and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Place in a pot with water and salt.  Boil gently until softened but still firm.  Do not overcook, or they become mushy.

Finely dice celery and red onion.  Mix equal parts sour cream and mayonnaise, with a touch of mustard.  If you find this too sour, add some sugar (I use agave syrup in place of sugar).

Gently toss all together.  It's better if it sits a bit before eating.

Creamy Dreamy Pumpkin Pie

I posted this last year, but it was after Thanksgiving, so I thought I would repost it.  Trust me, if you like pumpkin pie, this recipe is our favourite.  My kids couldn't believe how good it was and they are pumpkin pie connoisseurs!

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Every year for Thanksgiving, I make a Pumpkin Pie.  This is by far the creamiest, smoothest that I've ever made.  Everyone went back for seconds!  If you're watching your waistline, this probably isn't the pie for you.  Everything in moderation, I say.......

This recipe is from Canadian Living:  http://www.canadianliving.com/food/creamy_pumpkin_pie.php

  

Pie Shell:
1 unbaked pie shell (I cheat and use frozen pie dough)

Filling:
1 can (14 oz/398 ml) pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1cup brown sugar , packed
1 pkg (4 oz/125 g) cream cheese , softened
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 eggs
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Topping:
1/2 cup whipping cream , whipped

Preheat oven to 425º F (190º C).

In food processor, puree pumpkin, sugar, cream cheese, cream, eggs, flour, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Pour into prepared pie shell.  Bake 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Let cool.

Serve with whipped cream.  Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Notes:  The original recipe calls for baking the pie shell ahead of time and baking at 350 for 1 hour.  I've modified the recipe by baking the filling and pie shell at the same time.

Spicy Pickled Beans

These beans are great in a Ceasar drink or straight up as a side in the Fall/Winter.  We serve them along side of chicken or pork.  They're crispy, crunchy, and spicy.  The recipe below is from Canadian Living (www.canadianliving.com); but I've adapted it.  I did not put in the dill, or mustard seed and reduced the amount of garlic.  I also included some finely chopped red pepper, for colour.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb green beans (454 g)
• 1 lb yellow wax beans (454 g)
• 4 small hot red peppers
• 4 heads fresh dill (I didn't use dill)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 tsp mustard seeds (I didn't use the mustard seeds)
• 2-1/2 cups water 2-1/2 
• 2-1/2 cups white vinegar
• 2 tbsp pickling salt

Preparation:

Cut green and yellow beans to 3-1/2-inch (9 cm) lengths, discarding stem end. Cut slit lengthwise in hot peppers. Set aside.

Into each of four 2-cup (500 mL) canning jars, pack 1 head dill, 1 clove garlic, 1 tsp (5 mL) mustard seeds and 1 hot red pepper. Tightly pack in beans, cut side up. 

In saucepan, bring water, vinegar and salt to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Pour into each jar, leaving 1/2-inch (1 cm) headspace.

Cover with prepared lids. Screw on bands until resistance is met; increase to fingertip tight. Boil in boiling water canner for 10 minutes.

Note:  Follow the standard canning process (i.e. sterilize jars and lids before adding ingredients).

These are a few of my favourite things.....

The title of this post conjures up an image of Julie Andrews running through a field in the movie The Sound of Music!

When I'm having an off day, I try and think of things that make me happy.  So here are just a few of my "favourite" things:

• that first day where the air is crisp and it feels like fall is in the air
• the aroma of freshly baked cookies
• curling up with a good book on a rainy day (and not feeling guilty 'cause the vacuuming's not done)
• hearing a toddler giggle
• the ocean - the ever present flow of the tide and the sound of the waves are so soothing
• when I receive a totally unexpected compliment for something (never underestimate the power of a simple "thank you")
• my dog who is so happy to see me at the end of the day
• seeing an adult and a young child walking down the street holding hands
• that first cup of coffee in the morning
• sitting outside on a Fall morning in front of a fire, sipping my coffee (kind of like camping, but even better)
• finding jeans that fit!  (that goes for bathing suits too)
• having a really good massage - the kind where you float out the door.....

I'd love to hear what some of your favourite things are.....

Autumn.....

October gave a party;

The leaves by hundreds came -

The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,

And leaves of every name.

The Sunshine spread a carpet,

And everything was grand,

Miss Weather led the dancing,

Professor Wind the band.

~ George Cooper, "October's Party"

Autumn mornings: sunshine and crisp air, birds and calmness, 

year's end and day's beginnings. 

~Terri Guillemets

Broccoli Salad

This is my lower fat/lower sugar variation of the infamous broccoli salad.  I like to think this one isn't quite as "unhealthy" as some of the variations out there.

Ingredients:

• 1 head of broccoli
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/8 cup sun flower seeds
• 2 tsp finely diced red onion
• 1 1/2 Tbsp low fat sour cream
• 1 1/2 Tbsp low fat mayonnaise
• 1/2 to 1 tsp agave syrup

Chop the broccoli into florets, discarding stems.

Combine the sour cream and the mayonnaise together.  Add 1/2 tsp agave syrup to add sweetness.  Add a little more if you don't find it sweet enough.

Toss all of the ingredients together and gently toss with the sour cream mixture.

This salad is better when it's had a chance to sit and the flavours meld together.

Notes:  

• The traditional variations have bacon, but I omit this ingredient.
• Agave syrup is a natural sweetener.  Most of the variations use a lot of sugar, which I try and stay away from.
• Use more or less of the ingredients based on what you like.  The quantities are approximate as I tend not to measure.....  :)

Smoked Pork Roast (Carnitas)

We had eaten "carnitas" recently at a Mexican restaurant and decided to try it at home.  Carnitas is a roasted or braised pork common in Mexican cuisine.  We made up our own recipe and combined smoking the pork roast for several hours, then finishing it in a crockpot for additional flavour and moisture.  Delicious!!  

It's a full day affair to prepare and smoke the pork, then finish it in the crockpot, but the results were well worth it.

The finished product!!

Ingredients:
1 large pork butt  (we purchased one and then cut it in half so it would smoke faster and could fit in the crockpot)

Rub:
- garlic salt
- paprika
- cumin
- a little smoked chili powder

Combine all the rub ingredients and massage well into the pork roast.

Smoking:
Smoke the pork roast over very low heat (200 F) for 5 hours.  We used apple wood chips* which gives it a lighter smoke flavour, than some of the others.

*We recently cut branches off of our apple tree in the back yard and my husband has spent many weekends making wood chips!  We have a few garbage bags full now....  should last us a couple of years.

Check out the smoke!!

You could smell it throughout the neighbourhood.

Gets your tastebuds going.....

Crock-pot:

• 1-2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp dried chipolte powder
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• zest of 1 lime
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce and 1 tsp. adobo sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• one white onion, cut up

Combine all of the ingredients and place in crock-pot.  Set the pork roast on top and spoon over some of the sauce.  Simmer on low for at least 2 hours.

Remove the pork and the bay leaf (if using).  Using a hand-held blender, puree the sauce all together.

To serve, you can either pull the pork and serve in a tortilla shell or bun with the ingredients listed below.  Or you can cut the pork into chunks and serve on a plate, again with any combination of ingredients below.  We did a high-bred of both, served chunks of pork in a tortilla with big chunks of tomatoe, avocado, shredded lettuce, with our crema-like sauce.  

Serve with any or all:

• tortillas (or on their own)
• vinaigrette coleslaw
• avocado
• tomatoes
• lettuce
• sour cream, thinned with milk (sort of like a Mexican crema)

Deliciosa!

Cranberry Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is the "in" thing right now, an ancient grain and a nutritional powerhouse.  It might be an acquired taste, but I love it.  This recipe is great as a side dish or to take for lunch.

Packed with "all good things" such as cranberries, pecans, quinoa.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions or red onion
• 6 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 

In a medium saucepan, add quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature. 

Add the cranberries and pecans. Whisk together the orange juice, olive oil, orange zest, thyme and salt. Pour the dressing over the quinoa. Toss and fluff with a fork. 

Makes 4 servings.

Adapted from Whole Foods recipe.