Sweet Potato Pancakes

These sweet potato pancakes were a nice change of pace for a side dish.  I served these with simply baked chicken legs and it was a great pairing.  I used my food processor to quickly shred the sweet potato which made prep time quick.

Sweet Potato Pancakes
Makes 6-8 medium sized pancakes

3 eggs
2 teaspoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups shredded sweet potatoes (1 medium)
Coconut oil for pan frying

In a medium sized bowl, whisk the eggs with the flour and spices.  Shred the sweet potato either using a food processor or hand grater.  Add the potatoes to the eggs and mix well.

In a large skillet, melt enough coconut oil to just coat the bottom of the pan.  Spoon the potato mixture in and gently press out into a circle shape.  Cook for approximately 2-3 minutes and flip to cook other side.

Remove cakes to a paper towel lined plate and lightly season with sea salt while still hot.  Continue pan frying cakes until batter is done.


Recipe from Practical Paleo

Our rating:

1/2

Cauli-Rice

In our quest to eat more Paleo based meals, I found this recipe as a substitute for brown rice.  It was actually a nice change and an adequate substitute for the rice.  This "rice" was flavored with cilantro but you could easily substitute parsley if you're not a cilantro fan.

Cauli-Rice
Makes 4 servings

1 head cauliflower
1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Cut the head of cauliflower in half through the core.  Remove the outer leaves and stem and chop it into large chunks.  Shred the cauliflower using either a box grater or a food processor.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the coconut oil or butter and saute the cabbage, adding salt and pepper to taste.  Saute for about 5 minutes or until the cauliflower begins to become translucent, stirring frequently.  Toss with the cilantro before serving.

Recipe from Practical Paleo

Our rating:

1/2

Baked Beets with Fennel

This side dish was wonderful if you like beets and fennel.  Both of these vegetables are ones that people either love or hate.  If you love them, this is a flavorful side dish.

Baked Beets with Fennel
Makes 3-4 servings

2 large beets
1 fennel bulb
1/2 orange
2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Peel the beets with a vegetable peeler and chop into 1-inch cubes.  Chop the tops (fronds) off the fennel bulb and slice the bulb into 1/4-inch strips.  Cut the orange into 1/2-inch pieces.

Melt the coconut oil or butter and pour over the beets, fennel and orange pieces and toss to coat all the pieces with the oil.  Spread evenly in a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the beets are fork-tender.

From Practical Paleo

Our rating:

1/2

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Happy 4th of July!  The area of Seattle we are in at the moment did their local fireworks last night which we opted not to attend.  We really weren't sure how our 6 month old puppy would react to them which was a big part of why we didn't go.  We spent the day exploring the area of Poulsbo which has a very quaint downtown area on the water where we had a lovely lunch overlooking the bay.  We did come home to cook dinner and this wonderful corn was a part of it.

Grilled Corn on the Cob
Makes 2 servings

2 ears fresh corn
Butter, optional
Sea salt, optional

Fill a sink or a large bowl with water and place ears of corn in with husks on.  Let soak for 30 to 60 minutes.  Meanwhile preheat a grill to medium-high heat.  Remove corn from water and grill for about 20 minutes, turning corn every 5 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly and remove husk and any stray silk.  Serve with butter and sea salt if desired. 

I like my grilled corn as is since it is always tender and slightly smoky from the grill.


Our rating:

Roasted Eggplant Stacks

I made these for lunch the other day and they were scrumptious.  It was basically a slice of sauteed eggplant, a slice of fresh tomato, an Italian sausage patty, and a poached egg all stacked on top of each other and garnished with chopped parsley and sun dried tomatoes.  I know it might sound like an unusual combination but it worked together wonderfully.

Roasted Eggplant Stacks
Makes 2 servings

1 eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch rounds (4 of them)
1 tomato, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds (4 of them)
1/3 pound fresh ground bulk Italian sausage meat
Poached eggs
Finely diced sun dried tomatoes
Minced parsley
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Coconut oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Brush both sides of the eggplant rounds with coconut oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Broil the eggplant rounds under your broiler on high heat for 4-5 minutes on one side, flip and broil for 3-4 minutes on the other side or until they are tender and start to brown.  You can also just saute the rounds in a skillet until golden brown on both sides and tender which is what I did.

Shape sausage meat into four patties about the same size as the eggplant rounds and pay fry the patties until cooked all the way through.

Meanwhile poach 4 eggs.

Now it is time to stack.  Place two cooked eggplant rounds on a plate, top with a tomato slice, a sausage patty, a poached egg, some sun dried tomatoes and little bit of parsley.

Finish it all with a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and black pepper to taste.  (I forgot to do this last step and it was still delicious).


From Everyday Paleo

Our rating:

Summer Squash Medley

One of my favorite side dishes is this simple dish of sauteed onions, zucchini and yellow squash.  It pairs beautifully with any kind of grilled or roasted meat and simply cooked fish.  It is quick and easy to make and simply highlights the freshness of the ingredients.  I like to simply season this dish with a pinch of sugar, salt, and freshly ground pepper.


Summer Squash Medley
Makes 2-3 Servings

1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 zucchini, cut in half moons
1 yellow squash, cut in half moons
pinch of sugar (preferably turbinado or demerara)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a skillet melt butter in oil over medium heat and saute onion for a couple of minutes or until just starting to become tender.  Add the squash and sprinkle with the sugar, salt and pepper and saute until squash is tender and just starting to brown in spots.

My rating:

Tempura

I love tempura but have never tried to make it at home until this week.  The latest issue of Saveur magazine had a great article on making a wonderfully light tempura and I couldn't resist the temptation.  I used some of the black drum fish we had bought and a few shrimp.  I also battered some sweet potato slices, some zucchini slices and a few mushrooms.  It all came out great with the batter being very light and crispy.  I will definitely make this again.

Tempura
Makes 2 Servings

2 1/2 cups cake flour, divided
2 egg yolks
2 cups cold water
1/4 cup ice cubes
1/2 pound fish, cut into 1-inch cubes
4-6 shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 small sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
4-6 mushrooms
Canola Oil
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil

Fill a deep cast-iron skillet with enough canola oil to a depth of at least one inch.  Heat the oil over medium heat to 360 degrees, checking it with a deep-fry thermometer placed in the skillet.  Maintaining a consistent temperature is important to creating the perfect color and crispness of the batter.

While the oil is heating, place one-half cup of the cake flour on a plate for dredging and line a sheet pan with paper towels for draining; set both aside.  Place the two egg yolks in a medium sized mixing bowl.

Mix the yolks with two cups of cold water.  Add 1/4 cup of ice cubes.  (Keeping the liquid ice cold will reduce gluten development in the batter.)

Add 2 cups of cake flour.  Grasping four chopsticks, their tips pointed down, stab at the flour to combine it with the liquid until a loose, lumpy batter forms, about thirty seconds.  Do not whisk, and do not use a fork; you want the batter to be barely mixed, so as not to activate the glutens.  Pockets of dry flour should be visible in the liquid, which should have the consistency of heavy cream.  (Mix the batter just before cooking, so the flour particles have limited time to absorb moisture.) 

To cook, start with the fish and then the shrimp.  Lightly dredge them in the flour  This will help the batter adhere.

Dip them quickly into the batter.  If the batter appears watery, sprinkle a little flour on top, but do not mix it in; dipping the ingredients in the batter will be enough to combine the flour with the liquid.

Just before frying, add the toasted sesame oil to the frying oil.  If the oil temperature lowers, allow it to rise back to 360.  Quickly lay the fish in the oil; separate them from one another with chopsticks.  Cook the fish until the bubbles around them grow larger and less intense, and the batter turns golden brown, about three minutes.  Remove the fish from the oil, and place them on the paper towels to drain.  Sprinkle with a little salt if desired while warm.  Follow the same procedure for the shrimp.

To maintain consistent oil temperature, cook the rest of the ingredients in small batches.  Cook vegetables at 350 degrees about 2 1/2 minutes for most.

Serve the tempura immediately, with a dipping sauce or seasoned salt.

Slightly adapted from Saveur, December 2012

My rating:

Pancetta Green Beans

I thoroughly enjoyed my birthday today by simply doing the things that I love.  We moved to a new location yesterday in our motor home so we are in a wooded site by Lake Lewisville.  We have the benefit of a shady site and a view of the lake.  It is a very peaceful place to spend a few days.  I started my day with breakfast followed by 2 classes of Jazzercise (which is my absolute favorite work-out routine).  I stopped at my favorite grocery store for seafood and produce (Central Market) on my way back to our RV park and picked up sushi from the market for lunch.  I watched some Netflix after my shower and then spent a couple of hours outside reading on my Kindle. 

I decided it was the perfect day for a repeat performance of the Crab Cakes I had made back in July for dinner.  This is my absolute favorite crab recipe ever!!!  We had a side of Pancetta Green Beans to go with them which is another favorite recipe since I have made these twice in the past week.

Pancetta Green Beans
Makes 2 servings

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
1 ounce pancetta, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and fill a bowl with ice cubes and cold water.  Toss the beans into the boiling water and cook just until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.  Drain, transfer to the ice-water bath, and cool for 2 minutes, drain and pat dry.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the pancetta and saute until frizzled and crisp, about 2 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon , transfer the pancetta to a plate lined with paper towels and pat dry.  Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet.

Return the skillet to medium heat and add the butter.  When the fat is hot, toss in the beans and cook, stirring, until heated through.  Season with salt and pepper and stir in the pancetta.  Remove from the heat and drizzle the beans with a little oil.

From Around my French Table

My rating:

South Beach Mashed Potatoes

I turned to steak and potatoes for dinner tonight since that is what I was craving.  I did my research and discovered that one of my favorite steak recipes comes in at 267 calories per serving so I knew we could certainly manage Giada's Flat Iron Steak with Red Wine Sauce.  One of the side dishes tonight was Ellie Krieger's Green Bean Salad which had fresh, steamed green beans tossed with toasted walnuts, chopped parsley, diced red onion and dressed with a light vinaigrette. 

The green bean salad was a very nice side to this dinner, but the item on the plate that looks like mashed potatoes is actually cauliflower, steamed until tender and pureed with a little butter, fat-free half and half and seasoned with salt and pepper.  The first time we had these "potatoes" was probably ten years ago and I still remember how good these were.  The best part is they come in at less than 50 calories per serving.  Don't get me wrong they really don't taste like mashed potatoes, but if you like cauliflower and mashed potatoes, these make a great substitute.

Cauliflower Puree
Serves 4

1 small cauliflower (4 cups florets)
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 ounce fat-free half and half
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steam or microwave cauliflower until tender (I steamed mine for about 10 minutes).  Once tender, puree in a food processor adding butter, half and half and salt and pepper to taste.

Adapted from South Beach Diet online

My rating:

Oven Roasted Root Vegetables

When Gerry goes out of town, I am always faced with the dilemma of what to cook for myself if I decide to cook at all. Tonight I decided to oven roast a bunch of vegetables that were in my CSA basket. I had some turnips, a carnival squash, carrots, broccoli and I added red potatoes. I cut all the vegetables to approximately the same size and spread everything out on a baking sheet. A good drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper was all that was needed before popping the baking sheet in a 400 degree oven. I tossed all the vegetables after 30 minutes of roasting and allowed everything to roast for another 30 minutes. The only vegetable that was not a root vegetable was the broccoli which roasted just fine along with
everything else. I also bought a piece of chili glazed tofu from Whole Foods and dinner was ready in a snap.



The only time consuming part of making dinner was in cutting all the vegetables. Once everything was in the oven, my work was done; the rest was up to the oven.

I love roasting vegetables since it brings out the natural flavors of each individual vegetable.



Oven Roasted Root Vegetables with Broccoli (4-5 servings)

5-6 small red potatoes, scrubbed and halved depending on size
1 large turnip, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces
4-5 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 head of broccoli, separated into florets, stems peeled and cut in 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and pepper to taste

Spread all the cut up vegetables on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss all the vegetables to be sure they are well coated with the olive oil (I like to use my hands). Place baking sheet in a preheated 400 degree oven. Roast for 30 minutes and toss vegetables spreading back out to a single layer. Roast for another 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and caramelized. Finish with another sprinkling of salt and pepper if needed.


My rating: