Purple Artichoke

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Kelly

Crash Hot Sweet Potatoes

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 quarts water

1-2 tablespoons melted butter

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Topping:

1 ½ tablespoons light brown sugar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon cayenne

¼ teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon Meat Magic

10 grinds black pepper – coarse

Peel the sweet potatoes and slice about 1 & ¼ inches thick.

Add ½ teaspoon salt to water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add potato slices and simmer for about 12 minutes, or until somewhat softened. Remove carefully to a wire rack and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

Blend the topping ingredients together really well with a fork, making sure to get the sugar completely incorporated.

Line a large, heavy sheet pan with a silpat or parchment paper. Using a flat bottomed bowl, slightly mash each potato slice, taking care that they stay intact. Drizzle each slice with a mixture of the butter and oil and sprinkle evenly with ½ of the topping mixture. Make sure you avoid getting the topping on the sheet between the slices if possible – it will burn and smoke before the potatoes are done.

Gently turn over each slice, drizzle with the remaining butter/oil mixture and sprinkle with the remaining seasonings. (I didn’t think these needed that much fat. To keep it lighter, brush lightly with melted butter for the flavor or spray with cooking spray.) Roast at 375° for 20 minutes, carefully flip each slice and return to oven for about 10 minutes more.

Serve hot. YUMMY!!

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Kelly

Summertime Succotash

Based on the ‘Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook‘

1 to 1 ½ c green and/or yellow wax beans, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
2 T olive oil
1 T butter
¾ c minced scallions (white and light green parts only)
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 ½ c fresh corn kernels
¾ cup corn stock, chicken stock, or fish stock
¼ c heavy whipping cream
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Blanch the beans in boiling salted water for 5-7 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallions and cook gently for one minute, until slightly soft. Add the zucchini, pepper and corn kernels (reserve if grilled) and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the beans, stock and cream (and corn if grilled) and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the liquid is reduced to a thick, creamy consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

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Ok, I know you can buy Mott’s applesauce for around $3. Just to buy apples for applesauce will cost more than that. But it will taste as good or better than gramma made! You may save money, based on how much you will yield but that’s not why you want to do it. It’s the taste and a low calorie, low sugar comfort food.

I bought apples at 10lbs for $10 and bought a mix of organic gala and braeburn, but only because those were the sale ones.

6 lbs apples, peeled and cored

½ c cane sugar

½ c water

Juice from 1 grapefruit

Zest from 1 grapefruit or candied grapefruit or other citrus if you have it

½ T Cinnamon

1. Peel and core the apples. You don’t have to be perfect on this because it will be strained later.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients
3. Cook on medium low heat for 20 min, stirring occasionally
4. When tender put through a food mill
5. Check for the amount of liquid. If it’s too liquidy put back in the pot and reduce. It will absorb a little liquid when it cools.
6. Serve hot or cold, alone or with grilled meats.

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