CULINARY MAKEOVERS # 18 – Sweet Potato Waffles
Our ‘Culinary Makeover’ today is a relatively simple one. Mashed White Sweet Potatoes turned into Sweet Potato Waffles which I served with Chili con Carne.
Chili con Carne
A very delicious meal, but with only 2 people in the household we had Waffles left over which we in turn toasted for Breakfast the next day. They tasted really delicious with melted Butter and Maple Syrup!
Sweet Potato Waffles with Bacon for Breakfast
The Sweet Potatoes I purchased had red skin and I had forgotten that the Red Skinned Sweet Potatoes are not red inside but White. They were a little more starchy than the gold ones but they still tasted good and were perfect for making Waffles.
For the Waffles I used:
2 cups mashed Sweet Potatoes
3 Eggs
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
2 Tbsps. Olive Oil (melted Butter can be used instead)
I had forgotten to put in a leavening agent which would have been maybe 1 tsp. Baking Powder, but the waffles came out very well without it. You can use any type of Sweet Potato or even Russets that had been mashed for dinner the night before. Try your hand at it and see what you can come up with!
Categories: Breakfast Ideas, Dinner Ideas, Leftovers, Main, One Dish Meals Tags: Chili, Eggs, family dinner, kids cooking, Leftovers, Sweet Potatoes, Waffles
THANKSGIVING FAVORITES
Thanksgiving in the United States is a family holiday that is usually celebrated with a huge Turkey Dinner. Although Thanksgiving Celebrations occurred sporadically since the Pilgrims first Thanksgiving, it wasn’t until President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November to be the official National Holiday.
In 1939 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared the fourth Thursday in November to be the official Thanksgiving Holiday. Before 1939, it was on the last Thursday in November and it was suggested to him, that if it was officially on the fourth Thursday there would be more time for Holiday Shopping and thus help to improve the economy which at that time was not very good due to the Great Depression.
The history of Thanksgiving in the United States goes back to the Mayflower Pilgrims, but the actual tradition goes back to ancient times to the Druids in Ireland. Societies all over the world and back into prehistoric times have always given thanks for a good harvest. In Jewish tradition, Sukkoth is celebrated shortly after the Jewish New Year.
Our tradition of Turkey dinner goes back to the first dinner that the Pilgrims celebrated with the Indians. Wild turkeys were plentiful at that time and that was one of the many protein foods that were eaten during the first Thanksgiving. Most of us have our family traditions which include not only Turkey but Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkin and Cranberries. Even though most of us will probably have the traditional turkey and dressing some of you may like to make it a little different this year.
This year, for the first time in 125 years (the last event like this was in 1888) the first day of Chanukah falls on Thanksgiving. Because of this dual event, many families will be celebrating both holidays with food that may be somewhat untraditional for both holidays.
In our family, Sweet Potato Latkes (pancakes) are going to replace our usual Sweet Potato Casserole which is really very good. What I am going to do is take the flavors from our usual casserole and incorporate them into the Latkes. Other families will probably make the traditional Potato Latkes, but we do like our Mashed Potatoes and Gravy on Thanksgiving. Pictured below are Apple Latkes; the shape and texture are the same as Sweet Potato but the color is different. The method of making is the same.
Most of the recipes featured here are traditional, but with a slightly different twist from the original. The traditional Roast Turkey is on the menu but with a not so traditional Curried Fruit Dressing. Instead of candied yams try a Golden Squash Jubilee made with banana squash and dried apricots; for color contrast make fresh Creamed Spinach in minutes with the aid of your Food Processor and Microwave Oven. For the bread make Pumpkin Yeast Biscuits and instead of Pumpkin Pie, try a French Apple Tart made in a Pecan Crust.
You have all the traditional items in this menu, but made just a little differently for a surprising taste twist. The turkey is present with a traditional bread stuffing made not so traditional by the addition of dried fruit and curry powder. The orange vegetable in the form of squash (yams or pumpkin may be substituted) are present and so is the traditional pumpkin, but in the form of biscuits. The Thanksgiving pie is also present but made with apples, a fruit favored by more people than pumpkin. Add your own choice of appetizer and condiments and you will have a Thanksgiving feast that your family and guests will not only remember for years, but will request repeats of, over and over again.
RECIPES:
Vegetables for Stuffing
Cinnamon/Vanilla Cranberry Sauce
Cranberries and Cinnamon Stick in the Pot ready to cook for Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry Sauce
Categories: Baking, Bread, Condiments, Cooking for Everyone, Dinner Ideas, Fruit, Holiday Ideas, Holiday Meals, Main Tags: Apples, cranberries, family dinner, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Thanksgiving, Vegetables
CULINARY MAKEOVERS #7 – Sweet Potato Croquettes
Sweet Potato Croquettes - Frying
Do you love Sweet Potatoes and Macaroons? This Makeover is a dish that combines the two into one. In our family we love both Sweet Potatoes and macaroons, so what better than to combine the taste of both into one dish? When I make Sweet Potatoes I always make an extra one. A leftover Sweet Potato is good for lunch or breakfast and it can be made into other dishes. For this makeover we are going to make Sweet Potato Pancakes ‘breaded’ with Macaroon Coconut. Macaroon Coconut is very finely cut Coconut. It is so finely cut that it almost looks like confetti.
For our dinner tonight I made Pork Tenderloin and Sweet Potato goes very well with
pork. But since we had sweet potatoes with our salmon dinner the other night, I wanted to remake them so that we would have a different dish incorporating the sweet potato flavor. For Sweet Potato Pancakes, you will need the following:
- At least 1 large cooked Sweet Potato
- ¼ cup minced Onion
- 1 tsp. Salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground Pepper
- Pinch freshly ground Nutmeg
- 1 Egg, beaten
- ¼ cup All Purpose Flour, Rice Flour or Bread Crumbs
- Macaroon Coconut for ‘breading’ or Panko Crumbs (Japanese Breadcrumbs)
Peel and mash the Sweet Potato and combine with the remaining ingredients. Mix well to incorporate everything into a homogenous mass. If the mixture seems too soft, you can add more starch to bind it together. Shape into patties, using a #30 food scoop or a heaping soup spoonful. You should have 4-6 croquettes.
Put the Macaroon Coconut on a large platter or into a pie pan. Coat each patty generously with the coconut. The patties may be refrigerated before cooking.
When ready to cook, heat some Olive Oil or Peanut Oil in a medium size skillet; when the Oil is hot (350 degrees), carefully place each patty in the pan. Cook until golden brown then carefully turn over each patty and cook on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Serve while still warm either with Maple Syrup or just by themselves as a side dish with your favorite meat such as pork, fish or chicken.
The Sweet Potato Croquettes may also be made for breakfast along with some bacon or cooked ham. Other leftover vegetables can be used in this manner and may even be an incentive for the non-vegetable lover to eat their share. If you don’t want to make croquettes from your leftover Sweet Potato you can make muffins or even bread. Check our recipe section for a generic fruit bread recipe in which you can use any kind of fruit including the sweet potato. http://sylveeeskitchen.com/recipes/baked-goods/breads/fruit-muffins/ This recipe will work well as a quick bread or as muffins.
Categories: Breakfast Ideas, Cooking for Everyone, Dinner Ideas, Holiday Meals, Leftovers, Lunch Ideas, Main Tags: Chicken, family dinner, holiday recipes, Leftovers, Pork, Sweet Potatoes
