Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

Had some sweet potatoes kicking around and didn't want to go the more obvious ways of pie or mash, and therefore to the internet! Lol.

There were actually quite a lot of recipes out there, and the few I clicked on were all different! The ones involving taco seasoning were obvious cross outs, since that isn't a staple in our house and I wasn't feeling tex-mex today, but the rest ended up being blended into something quite tasty...except for experimenting with sugar since they kinda went black instead of brown.


Spicy Sweet Potato Fries


serves 3

2 medium-ish sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 Tbsp oil. any kind
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne (more if you want them hotter)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground fenugreek

Preheat the oven to 450 F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
Peel the sweet potatoes until you get past any opaque white flesh and then cut into fries.
In a large bag, combine the potatoes, oil and spices and flip around to coat well.
Spread out the fries on the baking sheets in a single layer.
Bake about 10 minutes on the first side and flip.
After another 7 minutes, stir them up again.
Bake 5 more minutes, or until desired golden brownness.
Serve plain or with a creamy dipping sauce; they don't go too well with ketchup since it's so sweet.

Yummy fries...as a side to oven-fried chicken thighs. A nice and spicy different way to look at the sweet potato.

Enjoy!

Falafels from Scratch

So, most commercial mixes that you "just add water to" tend to be over-salted or really bland and we were getting tired of that. Solution? Make our own from scratch!

The only hard thing about the recipe is planning ahead, since you need to soak the dried chickpeas for at least 18  hours. Some internet recipes suggest using a can of drained chickpeas, but then you're just getting hummus balls and not legit falafel. This recipe is based off of Tyler Florence's and one from a Jewish cook book since they do it with fava beans.


Homemade Falafels


makes 18 balls

2 cups dried chickpeas
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
2 handfuls fresh parsley (no dried stuff here, so wouldn't be the same)
1/4 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp baking powder
salt (to taste or about 1 tsp)
1 Tbsp water

Sort through the chickpeas and discard stones and discoloured beans.
Rinse and then in a large bowl, cover with at least enough water to have 2 or 3 inches of height above the beans.
Cover and fridge for at least 18 hours, 24 is better, topping up if the water disappears.
Drain and spread out onto clean dish towel to dry.
In a food processor, grind the beans until they start to form a smooth paste, scraping down the sides as necessary. (Takes about 10 minutes with my mom's 30 year old thing)
While the beans are grinding, peel the onion and garlic and give them a quick chop into quarters.
When the beans are paste-like, add the onion and garlic and pulse until there aren't visible large chunks.
Mix the spices and baking powder in a little bowl and then sprinkle evenly over the stuff in the food processor.
Add the water, aiming to wash the spices down around the center.
Give it another pulse to start mixing it all together.
Add the parsley and pulse until it's small and incorporated (not endlessly until the mix is green)
Chill at least 15 mins, max a couple hours. (Wrap it if you don't want your fridge smelling like parsley and garlic).
In a large frying pan, heat enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan over high heat.
Form the dough into walnut sized balls and then press into flat discs about 1 1/2 inchs wide.
When the oil is hot, put 9 in the pan (unless that overcrowds it) and then turn the heat down.
Cook them about 4 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom and flip.
Cook another 3 minutes or so, waiting for golden brown again.
Remove from pan carefully and drain on a platter lined with paper towels.
Keep frying in batches until all balls are cooked.

Serve with any of:
-pitas
-flour tortillas
-yogurt
-tahini dressing
-tzatziki
-cucumber chunks
-diced tomatoes
-lettuce shreds
-sour cream
-hot sauce
-your favourite topping

Top: the golden, crunchy falafel balls
Bottom: served up on gas-flamed, store-bought flour tortillas with cucumber pieces in yogurt and a squirt of ranch dressing

That's one of the advantages of a gas stove: when you don't feel like making your own tortillas, instead of just microwaving the store-bought ones, you can toast them over the open flame.

A much yummier, and cheaper, version of the sometimes icky mixes when craving a Middle Eastern food fix.

Enjoy!

Mexican Mayhem

Went a little overboard on supper today, using up some ingredients we had lying around. Totally worth it though, since it was awesome. Only downside was all the dishes produced, lol.

The guacamole is the result of evolution from my mom telling me about mayo and lemon and salt and pepper. Sometimes I like to add chili powder (blend not ground chili) to it depending on who gets it. The pico, tortillas and fried beans are reworked internet recipes from past meals, so sorry to whoever I borrowed the basis from, but it's been a while since I looked them up.


Guacamole


makes a cereal bowl full

2 ripe avocados
1/2 lemon
1/4 jalapeño, diced
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of cumin
pinch of coriander
salt and pepper to taste

Cut open the avocados, pit and score into medium chunks.
Scoop into large bowl.
Juice the half lemon and add to avocado.
Add the spices and jalapeño.
Using a fork or potato masher (quite handy actually), mash it all together.
Put into a smaller bowl for serving.

Works as a dip for an appetizer on corn chips or plain rippled chips, or as a topping on any Mexican food.


Pico de Gallo


makes a cereal bowl full

3 ripe medium-sized tomatoes, ones with lots of flavour
1 small white onion, diced
1/2 to 1 whole jalapeño, minced
1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp oil (not in some real versions I've seen)
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp cumin
pinch of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Boil some water and pour over the onion. Let sit about 5 minutes. (or use your favourite mild onion)
Wash and remove the stems of the tomatoes.
Seed and chop the tomatoes.
Juice the half lemon.
In a large bowl, combine the oil, vinegar and lemon.
Drain the onions and add them to the bowl.
Add the tomatoes and jalapeño.
Sprinkle the spices over top and mix thoroughly.
Transfer to smaller bowl for serving.

Can be used to top tacos or as a fresh salsa with corn chips for an appetizer.


Flour Tortillas


makes 6 to 12

2 cups flour
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup warm water

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl.
Cut in the shortening using a pastry cutter until you have small, even lumps throughout the dough. (Really, really handy thing to own, but you can do the two knives method if it works for you)
Add enough water to make the dough come together but not be too tacky.
Knead for 5 minutes.
Divide dough into even-sized balls for however many you want. If you go for twelve, they end up about 7 inches in diameter.
Heat a large enough pan over medium-high heat. (If you have thick cast iron, you can go for high heat)
Roll out a ball on a lightly floured surface to just fit in the pan, or desired thickness.
Cook at least one minute a side, or until dough looses its raw look and starts browning and puffing.
Put cooked tortilla in a folded lightly damp kitchen towel until ready to serve.
Repeat for each tortilla.

I haven't perfected the "roll dough into a perfect circle" ability, but fresh tortillas are an awesome addition to any Mexican meal if you have the time to make them.


Fried Beans


fills 6 seven-inch tortillas

1 can black beans
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder blend
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp oil
salt and pepper to taste

Put the oil in a medium frying pan.
Chop onion and garlic and lightly fry.
Add the spices and toast a minute.
Drain and slightly rinse the beans.
Add to the frying pan and mash with a potato masher or hand blender.
Add the water to thin it out a bit and then cook until desired consistency, about 5-7 minutes over medium high heat.

Put a spoonful on your tortilla and top with guacamole, pico and any other desired toppings, like sour cream or cheese.

Enjoy!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese I

Yesterday for supper, I was feeling like something uncomplicated and one of the standard "don't think about it" meals is mac'n'cheese. But I didn't know when mom was going to be back from work, so it got some baking time.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese I


serves 4 or 5

400g elbow pasta
250g old cheddar cheese, grated
100g ricotta, extra firm
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp mustard powder
pinch of garlic
2 cups of milk (or more, for a creamier sauce)
salt and pepper to taste
1 large tomato, seeded and cut into slices

In a large pot, cook pasta according to directions and drain.
Preheat oven to 350 F and oil a 9" x 13" baking dish.
In empty pot, melt butter and then sprinkle in flour and spices. Whisk and cook about 1 minute.
Slowly add milk, making sure to whisk out the lumps.
Bring to a boil and add the cheeses.
Stir macaroni back into the sauce and check seasoning.
Pour into baking dish and put tomato slices on top.
Bake at least 20 minutes or up to an hour.

Cheesy, creamy and with a hint of freshness from the tomato on top. Yummy!

Enjoy!