Sweet Potatoes and Orange

A number of years ago I published a cookbook of family favorite recipes, mostly from midcentury, as a way to remember my Dad and to keep the recipes in the family. It's been long enough that it's time to update the book. Part of the update includes getting more picture of the finished recipe into the book, so I've started making some of the recipes for just that purpose.

Tonight we had Sweet Potatoes Margherita, a lovely casserole that has boiled and peeled sweet potatoes (yams actually), a bit of brown sugar and butter, and very thinly sliced oranges. If you can find seedless navel oranges, use them. 

All these elements get layered in a buttered casserole dish and baked. During baking you baste the dish with some of the collected juices/syrup. I made about half the recipe since there are only two of us eating the dish, not a family of eight, nine, or ten people. I also reduced the sugar and butter a bit and removed the pith from the orange slices that were in the lower layer. It helps reduce the bitterness that comes with orange pith, but isn't really necessary to do. What I ended up with was a very fresh tasting dish where you could really taste and appreciate the sweet potato flavor and the oranges. If you make it exactly as the recipe suggests, it will be a bit sweeter and richer and more bitter but still tasty. A lot of people prefer candied sweet potatoes and the given sugar, butter and water will give you a true syrup with lots of orange flavor to complement the sweet potatoes.

Although the recipe was popular before microwave ovens, I suspect that you could substitute sweet potatoes that are washed, poked with the point of a knife to prevent bursting, wrapped in a paper towel to keep moistness, and microwaved until tender in place of the boiled sweet potatoes. Then cool, peel, and continue with the recipe as written.

This is a great Thanksgiving dish, which is when we usually had it, but it goes well anytime with pork chops or roast turkey breast. Add a green salad and you have a meal that can take you back to 1950. Here is how the casserole looked right before baking.

Sweet Potatoes Margherita

Boil 6 sweet potatoes in water to cover until tender. Slice the peeled potatoes and arrange in layers in a buttered or greased baking dish, alternating with brown sugar, dots of butter or non-dairy butter and slices of orange with peel left on. Add enough water to make a thick syrup. Bake for 1 hour in a 350 degree oven, basting occasionally with the syrup in the dish.

Squash and Sweet Potatoes in the Oven

It really feels like the season has changed to winter now. We've been getting rain, which is such a great thing since I live where most of our rainfall for the whole year happens between October and March, with the majority of that between December and February...when things are 'normal'. Unfortunately things haven't been that way for most of the last six years, with too little rain most years, so rain is even more welcome when it comes.

I spoke with my North Carolina sister Saturday... a belated birthday phone call...and they were expecting lots of snow that night and Sunday. Sure enough, I checked the news Sunday morning and they were calling it Snowmagedden. She stayed home by the fire and took it easy...a good plan. We are both missing our mother. The anniversary of her death comes up in a few days and we will toast Mom on Wednesday, and those doing the toast will include at least one other sibling, maybe more. She was an excellent Mom and, in later years, friend and she is always in my heart.

As the weather has gotten colder I've been spending more time in the kitchen, too. The cooler weather makes me want to bake and cook. I've made pea soup and lamb shanks. Neither was different from the posts, so not including the recipe, just the link. The squash and sweet potato dish that accompanied the leftover lamb shanks is a different take on a favorite. This time I didn't use butternut squash, just delicata squash and I used slices of peeled sweet potato to fill out the dish. The coating was different, too, with citrus peel and not very much cayenne pepper this time. It's a great dish with ham or chicken or turkey and it went well with the lamb shank, too.

Although this dish is roasted, not baked, it still is done in the oven and so I decided that it fit well enough with my December Baking theme. The slices of sweet potato and squash should be about the same thickness.

Delicata Squash and Sweet Potatoes with Olive Oil and Maple
Serve 4-6

2-3 cups peeled sweet potato, quartered and cut in slices
1 Delicata squash, seeds removed, peel removed if desired, cut in half and sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons real maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon dried orange peel in tiny pieces1/8 teaspoon dried powdered lemon peel
1/8 teaspoon marjoram
a dash cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a large plastic bag (I used clean produce bags from the market), combine the squash, olive oil, salt and pepper, maple syrup and dried peels and spices. Close bag tightly and shake to completely coat the squash with the wet ingredients and spices.

Pour coated mixture on the parchment lined sheet pan and use the bag to spread the squash and potato slices out in the pan into a single layer.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Use a spatula to turn the squash pieces over, then roast an additional 10 - 15 minutes until edges are browned and vegetables is softened.

Serve while hot.

Aloooo Bread Baking Babes

One of the blessing of being part of a bread baking group is that different members bring assorted interests to the table. This month as be gather around the table of our Kitchen of the Month Babe Baking Soda of Bake My Day blog, I have been introduced to a bread I never knew existed. It's called Aloo Parantha and it's an Indian unleavened flat filled bread that is baked on a griddle or hot frying pan. It is most often eaten in the northeastern part of India, usually with a savory filling of potatoes and herbs, although vegetables are sometimes used, for instance cauliflower and spinach.

These packets of non-yeasted dough are filled, rolled out carefully so the filling stays inside, and then cooked on a hot griddle or, in my case, a hot cast iron skillet. They are surprisingly filling and quite delicious.

After reading various recipes online, I changed the filling from regular potato to a mixture of roasted sweet potato and roasted winter squash. I seasoned the filling with sage, cayenne, salt & pepper and lemon juice, plus minced cilantro. It's a very enjoyable variation. The winter squash was a gift from a neighbor and I don't really know the variety.  First I cut it in half and removed the seeds and stringy parts. Then I roasted it in a hot oven, then peeled it and cut it into chunks. It is a brilliant orange-gold and very tasty.

One of the things I discovered while making these is that the dough springs back a little as you roll it out, so be patient...you WILL get larger, thinner circles of dough if you persevere.

I also found out that after you pull the extra dough atop the filling and twist it a little, it helps to dip the twist top and then the bottom of the packet in flour, turn it with the twist side down, then push down on the center with your fingers to begin the flattening process. With the first one I started rolling vigorously with the rolling pin and filling immediately squirted out a couple of places...not what I had in mind. Even when I had flattened it a bit with my fingers I used the rolling pin gently and straight down to flatten it more, then moved the rolling pin off the packet and to a different angle, then pressed straight down again, so I never actually rolled the pin over the packet.

While cooking these, I brushed them with butter every time I turned them over and I turned them over at least 6 times while cooking. You could use oil instead of butter if your are doing a vegetarian or vegan version. The key thing is to get both sides crisp and browned. You may have to use a spatula to gently flatten them as they cook, too. It is worth the effort since they are warm and savory, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and overall very delicious. Thanks Baking Soda! Great choice.

Be sure to see the versions that the other Babes post:
THE BREAD BAKING BABES!
Bake My Day - Karen
Blog from OUR Kitchen - Elizabeth
Girlichef - Heather
Life's a Feast - Jaime
Living in the Kitchen with Puppies - Natashya 
Lucullian Delights - Ilva 
My Kitchen in Half Cups - Tanna
Notitie van Lien - Lien

Thyme for Cooking - Katie - our Round-up Babe       

If you would like to be a Bread Baking Buddy, bake the bread and post about it, with a photo or two, then send the link in an e-mail to Baking Soda of Bake My Day  bakemyday AT gmail DOT com with Aloo Paratha in the subject line before 29th November . I wonder what filling you'll come up with?

Aloo Paratha
("how to cook everything by Mark Bittman")

1.1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1.1/2 cups all purpose flour plus more for rolling out the dough
salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn, plus more for brushing the breads
1/2 medium sweet potato (I used a garnet yam), cooked, cooled, peeled, and cut in half (use 4 oz of it)
8 oz. winter squash, roasted, peeled, and deseeded
1/4 teaspoon rubbed or ground dried sage
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
freshly ground pepper
juice of 1/2 small lemon
melted butter or neutral oil

Directions

Combine the flours with 1 teaspoon salt and the thyme in a food processor. Turn the machine on and add the oil and 3/4 cup water through the feed tube. Process for about 30 seconds, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch. If it is dry, add another tablespoon or two of water and process for another 10 seconds. In the unlikely event that the mixture is too sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough and, using flour as necessary, shape into a ball; wrap in plastic and let rest while you make the potato mixture. (At this point, you may wrap the dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate for up to a day or freeze for up to a week; bring back to room temperature before proceeding.)

Mash the sweet potato and winter squash, along with the sage, cayenne, and cilantro a large pinch of salt, some pepper, and the lemon juice; taste and adjust the seasoning (you may prefer more cayenne; sometimes aloo paratha are quite hot).

When the dough has rested, set out a bowl of all-purpose flour and a small bowl of oil, with a spoon or brush, on your work surface. Lightly flour your work surface and your rolling pin. Break off a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball. Toss it in the bowl of flour and then roll it in your hands to make a ball. Flatten it into a 2-inch disk, then use a floured rolling pin to roll it into a thin round, about 5 inches in diameter, dusting with flour as necessary.

Mound about 1 tablespoon of the filling into the center of one of the rounds of dough. Bring the edges of the round up over the top of the filling and press them together to make a pouch. Press down on the “neck” of the pouch with the palm of one hand to make a slightly rounded disk. Turn the disk in the bowl of flour, place 'neck' side down, and roll it out again into a round 6 to 7 inches in diameter. Pat it between your hands to brush off the excess flour. Put the paratha on a plate and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Continue to roll all of the remaining dough into parathas and stack them on the plate with a sheet of plastic wrap between them. You can keep the paratha stacked like this for an hour or two in the refrigerator before cooking them if necessary.

Heat a griddle or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for a minute or two, then put on a paratha (or two, if they’ll fit) and cook until it darkens slightly, usually less than a minute. Flip the paratha with a spatula and cook for another 30 seconds on the second side. Use the back of a spoon or a brush to coat the top of the paratha with oil. Flip and coat the other side with oil. Continue cooking the paratha until the bottom of the bread has browned, flip, and repeat. Do this a few times until both sides of the paratha are golden brown and very crisp, 2 to 3 minutes total for each paratha. As the paratha finish, remove them from the pan and brush with melted butter (or oil for vegan) if you’re going to serve hot; otherwise wait until you’ve reheated them.

I served mine right away with some plain yogurt and they were excellent.

Miss Kitty and the Sweet Potato Rolls

Once upon a time in the Land of St. Honore' Elle had been missing seeing some of her friends. One was Miss Kitty, a delightful, intelligent and funny woman who is a fantastic cook and a huge Giants fan. Now that baseball season was over and Elle was putting work into perspective, she invited Miss Kitty and her hubby over for lunch. Sweetie wanted to plan the main course, so Elle gathered the last tomatoes of the season for the mixed greens salad and then she decided to make some dinner rolls that suited the season.

She started them the night before so that they could retard in the fridge overnight. On the day of the luncheon she carefully divided the dough into 24 pieces and created plump round dough balls which baked up, after rising, into the most beautiful golden rolls! One of the best things was that the house was fragrant with the delicious smell of freshly baked bread when the guests arrived for lunch. There was plenty to eat and even extra rolls to take home.

Plus, Miss Kitty brought dessert...a decadent chocolate hazelnut mousse cake! The sun was shining, good conversation and laughter flew around the table, and we basked in the small luxury of good food shared with good friends. St. Honore' would have been please with both the rolls and the cake...Elle, Sweetie, Miss Kitty and PowerMan were!

Of all the people who read the blog, Miss Kitty is probably the most enthusiastic. Her feedback is always such an encouragement, so Elle decided to create a dinner roll just for Miss Kitty.

The finished rolls were golden in color from the mashed yams, soft, warm, just slightly sour from the sourdough starter and very tender. (Since the photos were taken later, at night, the rolls may look a little more golden than they were, but not by much!)

The starting point for the recipe was the recipe for Sweet-Potato rolls found in The Fannie Farmer Baking Book by Marion Cunningham, but many things were changed to make this special for Miss Kitty.

Garnet yams were used instead of sweet potatoes, a sourdough starter was the base instead of dry yeast (although a little commercial yeast was added), mashed potato flakes added to the tenderness. The dry milk was left out because none was in the pantry, and butter was used instead of shortening...bah on trans fats! Last, but not least, some of the proportions were changed and some white whole wheat flour was used instead of all regular flour.

Do you have someone you'd like to surprise with some fragrant, soft, totally decadent rolls, glowing with autumn gold? Try this recipe and see if they, too, want to take home some extra rolls...always a compliment to the cook! Thanks Miss Kitty! Hope to see you soon.

Sending this along to Susan at Wild Yeast for her weekly Yeastspotting event...a fabulous wonderland of yeasted bread recipes...check it out!

Sourdough Sweet Potato Rolls
Adapted from The Fannie Farmer Baking Book by Marion Cunningham
Makes 24 rolls

1 ½ cup sour starter (or a smaller amount of starter that has been fed with a 100% hydration flour-water mixture to equal 1 ½ cups total, and then let sit at room temperature for 2 hours to mature)
½ cup warm water
¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
2 Tablespoons dry mashed potato flakes
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 ½ cups flour (I used a mixture of 1 cup King Arthur White Whole Wheat and 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour)
1 egg, slightly beaten
½ cup cooled, cooked, mashed sweet potato (I used Garnet Yam instead)
5 tablespoons butter, softened

Place the starter in a stand mixer bowl.

In a small bowl mix the barely warm water and the active dry yeast to proof for 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl whisk together the mashed potato flakes, sugar, salt and flour(s). Set aside.

Add the proofed yeast to the sourdough starter in the stand mixer bowl and stir with a wooden spoon to blend. Add the egg, sweet potato or yam mash, and butter and stir with a wooden spoon to blend.

Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer and put the mixer bowl in place. With mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the sourdough mixture, starting with ½ cup at a time and finishing with a Tablespoon at a time until you have a soft dough. Knead with the mixer for 5 minutes.

Turn the dough out into an oiled container big enough for rising the dough. Turn dough over to coat with the oil, then cover lightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight or at least 4 hours.

Remove from the ‘fridge and let sit at room temperature to warm for at least ½ hour, or until dough is no longer cold.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Punch down and shape into a rough square. Using a sharp knife or a bench scraper, cut the dough into four even pieces. Set three of the pieces aside and take the remaining piece and divide into 6 pieces. Using floured hands, shape each piece into a plump ball, pulling the edges under. Place an inch apart in greased cake pans. Repeat with each large piece of dough until you have 24 balls of dough in the pans. Cover each pan with oiled plastic wrap and cover with a tea towel. Let rise an hour or two until doubled in size.

Bake in preheated 400 degree F. oven for about 15 – 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on racks.

"Soups On" and It's Two Squash Soup

We had a light rain today, which is actually a fine thing since we get most of our moisture during fall and winter rains. I worked this morning to cover for my job share mate. She is flying home today after spending a couple of weeks in the Denver area, most of the time in the hospital where her son was fighting for his life. He is a brave and valiant young man, 30 years old, and was successful (along with lots of antibiotics and excellent hospital personnel) in beating back the pneumonia and lung infections. Lots of people were praying for him and sending good thoughts, so it is wonderful news that he is now home from the hospital! I was happy to cover her hours while she was gone so that she wouldn't worry about work, but it will be nice to have some time next week so I can get ready for expected family visitors. We might even have some of this soup since I made a double batch!

A while back I made a wonderful butternut squash soup and I've made it since but there were no changes, so I didn't post about it.

Today there were two kinds of squash to play with so I pulled out the old recipe and re-worked it a bit.

This soup uses both the butternut and pumpkin squashes, but you could substitute your favorite winter squash or even add it. I'll probably make this later in the winter with some acorn or Hubbard squash for variety.

If you are careful when you puree this you can have a soup that has some very smooth and some slightly less smooth pieces for a wonderful mouth feel.

Because there is also sweet potato and a tart apple as part of the soup there is a little bit of sweet and sour by-play going on. Since the squash are baked this time, there is some carmelization going on there, too, plus a bit with the onion at the beginning of the recipe. That's why I like to add extra black pepper and/or red pepper for bite and some plain yogurt or sour cream as a garnish for tang. The red pepper dice adds crunch, some a few extra vitamins, plus a punch of pretty color.

This soup is perfect for a rainy night like tonight, or could grace your Thanksgiving table with ease. Cooking the soup early and letting it sit overnight for the flavors to mellow makes it perfect for the busy holiday season. Just re-heat the soup when you are ready to serve it.

Two Squash Soup
Serves 4-6

1 average-sized butternut squash
1 medium-sized pumpkin
I medium onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium to large sweet potato
1 large Golden Delicious Apple
1 large Granny Smith Apple
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
½ cup skim milk
½ cup fat-free buttermilk
½ teaspoon dried ginger powder
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
fresh ground pepper to taste (I used a LOT - gave it a nice kick)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sour cream and small dice of red bell pepper for garnish

1. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and stringy parts. Cut the pumpkin in half or in chunks, and remove the seeds and stringy parts. Place all of these, cut side down, on a foil or silicon mat lined rimmed baking sheet and cook in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the squash is cooked through. Let cool enough to handle and remove the skin from all pieces. Discard the skin and set the squash and pumpkin meat aside.

2. Peel onion and cut into ¼" chunks. Set aside. Peel squash, potato and apples and cut into ¼ “chunks. Re: Squash - I found it easier to first cut it into large pieces and then cut the skin from the pieces, then chop into chunks.

3. Over medium heat in a large saucepan/stock pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil and stir onion and garlic until tender.

4. Add chicken stock, potato, apple, and seasoning. Give it a good stir, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are fork tender. Remove from heat.

5. Add the cooked squash and pumpkin, cut into cubes, to the stock mixture. Heat through on medium-low heat.

6. In a blender (or with an immersion blender), scoop about 1/3 of the mixture into blender. On low speed, blend until nicely pureed. While doing this, add about ¼ cup of milk and ¼ cup of buttermilk until creamy. Transfer this to a bowl or a 2nd pot.

7. Repeat step 6, adding another ¼ cup of milk and ¼ cup buttermilk and transfer to bowl or pot; continue until all soup has been creamed. (Alternatively, you can puree the soup with the stock being the only liquid, then stir in the skim milk and buttermilk once all the pureed soup is back in the soup pot.)

8. Put soup back in the pot and put on low heat, stirring to blend, and adding lots of black pepper...yum! Simmer for 15 minutes and taste soup. Adjust seasonings and, if desired, add maple syrup. Simmer another 5 minutes.

9. To serve immediately, heat to serving temp, spoon into bowls and add a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt if so desired then sprinkle with about a teaspoon of red pepper dice. Otherwise, you can chill it to serve cold or to reheat later. Can also be frozen, probably up to six months. If you have time to cook this ahead, the flavors really combine well when the soup is chilled overnight and reheated just before serving.

Welcome March with Sweet Potato Orange Rolls

It's raining and blowing up a storm outside...and we are thrilled in our neck of the woods because even if it rained buckets for the next couple of weeks, we are still facing a drought this summer...and I want to plant a mess of tomatoes and squash, both water needy plants.

The house smells wonderful. I just took a pan of lovely Sweet Potato Orange Fantan Rolls out of the oven. I started the dough yesterday and shaped the rolls this morning, then let them rise. The dough was a soft and slightly sticky one, full of garnet yams (which the grocers often call sweet potatoes), oatmeal, sourdough starter, and a few other goodies like butter, maple syrup and extra yeast. I really shouldn't have added the extra yeast because the dough baked up really puffy and I think this kind of roll is meant to be more genteel.

Usually you brush the rolled out dough with melted butter, then stack them, cut into rolls and put them into muffin tins. I decided to use orange marmalade instead of the butter since orange is a great flavor combo with yams and sweet potatoes.

These are perfect for a Sunday brunch with some fresh fruit and coffee or tea. They would also be good for afternoon tea or snacks. You can finish them up to the part where they are stacked and cut into rolls, then lay on a try and freeze. Once frozen store in the freezer in a ZipLok or similar bag and you can have a treat in short order. I'd thaw them and let rise for at least an hour, then bake as directed.

To guild the lily, you could also drizzle the final rolls with a mixture of orange juice and confectioners sugar. I thought, after tasting one, that they needed the extra sweetness.

When March comes in like a lion counter with hot sweet rolls and welcome the month!

Sweet Potato Orange Fantan Rolls
based on similar rolls found at Andreas's Recipes

Makes 12 rolls

Equipment
stand mixer with hook attachment (or mixing bowl and wooden spoon)
large mixing bowl, lightly coated with cooking spray
12 cup standard muffin tin, buttered

Ingredients
1 large sweet potato (about 1 cup), cooked , cooled and mashed well
1 cup rolled oats mixed with 1 cup water, refrigerated 3 days
1 cup sourdough starter
3 cups unbleached bread flour, plus more for dusting, divided
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105-115° F/41-46° C)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup pure maple syrup
6 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
2/3 cup marmalade (about), warmed

Preparation
1. In a medium bowl, mix together the sweet potato, rolled oats mixture, sourdough starter, and 1 cup of the flour. Stir until thoroughly combined. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours.

2. Mix the active dry yeast and the water and let sit 10 minutes to proof the yeast. In the bowl of the stand mixer, mix together the sweet potato mixture, yeast mixture, salt, syrup, and butter. Mix to combine.

2. Attach the dough hook. Mix in the flour until the dough starts to come together, using about 2 ½ to 3 more cups. Mix on 2 for about 6 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic and soft.

3. Put the dough into the oiled rising bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a draft free spot at warm room temperature until the dough doubles, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

4. Dust your work surface with flour. Punch down the dough, then halve it. Wrap one half in the plastic wrap and set aside. Roll the other half into a 12×12-inch (30.5×30.5 cm) square. You may have to roll slightly larger then trim the ends to even out the square.

5. Spread the surface of the dough with about 1/2 the warmed marmalade, leaving 1/6 strip plain. This will allow you to have a plain side of dough on each side of the roll touching the muffin cup. Cut into 6 equal strips,

then stack the strips on top of each other with the plain strip on top. Cut through the layers into 6 equal pieces,

then place each into a buttered muffin cup, standing up so the layers are visible. Gently fan them open. Repeat with the remaining dough & the rest of the marmalade.


6. Cover with a tea towel and let the rolls rise in a draft free spot at warm room temperature until the dough doubles, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. (Optional - I put a piece of plastic wrap between the rolls and the towel because of the sticky marmalade.)

7. Place the rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 375° F/190° C.

8. Remove the towel and bake the rolls until they are golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.Cool in the pan ten minutes, then transfer to a rack and allow to cool for about another 20 minutes before serving.

I'm sending this over to that bread bakers's wonderland, YeastSpotting on Susan's Wild Yeast blog, plus as an entry in the Bread Baking Day # 17, themed with potatoes, at Lien's blog Notitie van Lien.

Bacon Lovers' Salad

A favorite destination on Date Night is Borders Books. Recently Sweetie and I sat in a couple of their comfortable chairs and browsed our way through favorite magazines. I also picked up a copy of Southern Living's Our Best Recipes, Vol 4.

For starters, the cover had a delicious sweet roll recipe that can be baked in a cast iron skillet. It looked prefect for Christmas breakfast - brunch. We have a tradition of eating on sweet breads on Christmas morning. Since our daughter will be home for Christmas this year, I'm beginning to think about what to bake.

I ended up buying the book because it had so many great sounding recipes. (I also remind myself that it isn't the library, so they need us to purchase books and magazines to stay in business.)

The one I wanted to try first is sure to be a hit with bacon lovers (Y'all know who you are).
It combines roasted chunks of sweet potato (I actually used Garnet yams) and onion, crumbles of crisp bacon, fresh baby spinach, and a warm dressing using bacon drippings, red wine vinegar, orange juice and a little honey which wilts the spinach a bit. I made it tonight and it's a winner.

The vinegar, honey, and orange juice cuts the richness and fat of the bacon while the spinach adds it's distinctive flavor and the roasted yams and onions have a sweet note, too. I added some orange zest which brightened up the whole dish beautifully.

This would be a great salad for Thanksgiving. If you added some dried cranberries it would also work well for Christmas. We had it tonight with a pork loin roast, sliced tomatoes, & steamed broccoli.




Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
Serves 6-8


1 1/2 lb. sweet potatoes (or yams)
1 large red onion or 1-2 large yellow onions
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil (or, even better, use grapeseed oil)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (6 oz.) bag fresh baby spinach, thoroughly washed, then dried
Warm Bacon Dressing (recipe follows)
3-4 slices cooked and crumbled bacon (from the dressing recipe)



Peel the sweet potatoes / yams, and cut into 1 inch cubes. Cut onions into quarters, and cut each quarter in half.

Toss together sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, and oil (I put it into a plastic bag, seal, then shake well to coat the vegetables witht he oil and garlic). Place on a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined 15 x 10 inch pan. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.

Bake at 400 degrees F. for 40-45 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

In a large bowl, combine the baby spinach, the roasted veggies and the warm dressing. Toss well to coat the spinach leaves with the dressing. Garnish with the crumbled bacon. Serve at once.


Warm Bacon Dressing

4 bacon slices
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons orange juice
the zest from one orange
2 tablespoons honey
1/8 teaspoon pepper


Cook bacon slices in a large skillet, over medium-high heat 8 - 10 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Crumble bacona nd set aside for garnish.

Stir red wine vinegar and remaining ingredients into hot drippings in skillet; cook over medium heat,stirring occasionally, 1-3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Immediately pour over the salad.