Baked Sweet Potato Latkes with Spicy Black Bean Sauce

This recipe, like some of my others, was kind of an experiment!  I knew that I liked the flavor combination of sweet potatoes and black beans, plus my aunt had just told me about some sweet potato latkes that she ate recently.  So I looked up a simple latke recipe and added different seasonings that I thought would complement sweet potatoes.  Since I try to keep my recipes healthy, I chose to bake these instead of frying them.  (I can only imagine how phenomenal these latkes would be, if fried!)  The latkes are really good on their own, but if you want some complexity, try the black bean sauce and maybe some sour cream!

Ingredients for the latkes:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, grated
• 2 scallions, minced
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• cooking spray

Ingredients for the black bean sauce:

• 3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup broth (vegetable or chicken)
• 1 scallion, sliced
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 chipotle pepper (canned in adobo sauce)
• 1 clove minced garlic

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Start by grating the potatoes (either by hand or with a food processor grating attachment).  In a colander, mix the grated potato with the 1 tsp of salt.  Let sit in the sink for a few minutes, then press out as much moisture as possible (I put a piece of plastic wrap over the potato and pressed down with a large spoon).  In a medium bowl, beat together the remaining latke ingredients, then stir in the potato.  Spray a foil-lined cookie sheet generously with cooking spray.  Using a spoon, take a small dollop of the mixture and press into a thin patty on the cookie sheet.  Repeat until the mixture is gone (expect to make about 15 latkes), using another greased cookie sheet if necessary.  Spray the latkes with more cooking spray.  Bake for 9 minutes, then flip the latkes over, baking another 5 - 7 minutes until golden brown.  

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; add the bell pepper and sprinkle with salt and pepper cook 5 - 7 minutes when it is tender and starting to brown.  Add the garlic and scallion, stir for 30 seconds, and then remove from heat.  In a food processor, process the beans, broth, bell pepper mixture, chipotle, and cumin. Return it to the skillet and warm over medium heat.  If you want a thinner sauce, add more broth.  After the black bean sauce is warmed, serve a dollop on top of the latkes, garnishing with scallion and/or sour cream.  Enjoy!

Rich Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Glaze

         Hi, my name is Katie, and I'm a chocoholic.  Okay, not really, but this cake recipe might just turn you into one.  Sure, the boxed cake mixes are super convenient, but they just can't compete with the chocolate intensity of this cake recipe!  The cake and the glaze are from the cookbook Baking Illustrated; and the results were good enough to share.  Take a look:

Ingredients for the Glaze: 

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 4 oz semi sweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for the Cake:

• 3/4 cup cocoa powder (2.25 oz)
• 1 and 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 12 tbsp butter 
• 4 large eggs
• 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk

          Before you start, I recommend letting the eggs and buttermilk sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes; it helps incorporate the batter ingredients more easily.  

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch baking pan.

2. Sift together the cocoa, flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.  Using a microwave, heat the chocolate and butter in a microwaveable bowl (or measuring cup) for 2 -3 minutes on half power, stirring occasionally.  If the chocolate is not melted and smooth, microwave for longer.  Let cool slightly.  Whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl; whisk in the buttermilk.  

3. Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until combined.  Whisk in the dry ingredients until the batter is smooth and glossy.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.  Bake until firm in the center when lightly pressed and a toothpick comes out clean (35 - 40 minutes).  Cool on a wire rack and start making the glaze.  

4.  For the glaze:  heat the cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Remove from the heat and add the chocolate; cover and let stand for 8 minutes.  Stir the chocolate into the cream.  If the chocolate has not completely melted, return the pan to low heat, stirring constantly until melted.  Add the vanilla and gently stir it in.  Let the glaze cool for a couple minutes, then pour directly onto the warm cake, spreading the glaze to the corners if necessary.  

5. Allow the cake to cool completely before serving, 1 - 2 hours.  Alternatively, you may refrigerate the cake after it has cooled and the cake is much easier to cut and serve.  Enjoy!

Mediterranean Risotto with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Feta

Gosh it's been a long time since I posted a recipe!  The semester has been busy; that's for sure.  Anyways, here is a risotto recipe that I came up with on a recent spring evening.  Even though this is a hot dish, the lemon juice and parsley give a fresh, light taste.  I think this would also be good with some roasted asparagus tossed in at the end.  Experiment!

Ingredients (for 3 - 4 servings):

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1.25 cups water
• 1 cup broth (chicken or vegetable) 
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced (re-hydrated if using dried)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 - 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• Crumbled feta cheese, for serving

To rehydrate the sun-dried tomatoes, simply soak them in hot water for 10 minutes before dicing.  To start, heat the oil in an large saucepan, then saute the onion and bell pepper over medium-high heat (plus season with some salt and pepper).  Meanwhile, heat the broth and water to a simmer in a separate pot (this is key for making risotto).  When the onion and pepper are starting to brown and are tender-crisp, add the garlic, stirring until fragrant.  Then add the arborio rice, stirring around for 1 - 2 minutes.  You want the edges of the rice to look translucent.  Now add the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and sun-dried tomatoes.  Stir to coat the rice and veggies.  Turn the heat to medium, and begin adding 1 ladle of broth to the pot at a time, stirring to prevent the rice from sticking.  Continue adding the broth a little at a time over a period of 25 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  This slow process will make the risotto creamy since the starches are slowly released from the grains of rice.  After all the broth has been added, taste the risotto to see if more salt or pepper is necessary (this will depend on how much sodium is in your broth).  Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and the parsley.  To serve, add a sprinkle of feta cheese and more parsley, if desired.  Enjoy!

Roasted Parsnip and Cauliflower Soup

Having never cooked with parsnips, I spontaneously bought some at the grocery store and thought they would work well with cauliflower for a soup.  This turned out better than I could have imagined.  Since I had to fight the desire to eat this whole recipe, I think I did well on this one!  This makes two servings, but feel free to double it up to serve more.  


Ingredients:

• 2 medium/large parsnips (peeled and cut into chunks)
• 1/2 lb cauliflower, cut into florets
• 3 small scallions (white and green parts), chopped
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup chicken stock
• salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and cut up the parsnips and cauliflower.  Toss them the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and spread evenly onto a cookie sheet.  Roast the vegetables for 30 minutes until they are starting to brown.  I recommend stirring them 1 or 2 times during the 30 minutes.  After removing them from the oven, put a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the butter.  Then add the scallions and garlic, stirring so the garlic doesn't burn for about 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the milk to the pan and scrape any browned bits off.  Also add the roasted vegetables and the broth.  Using either a food processor or immersion blender, puree the soup to your desired thickness/chunkiness.  I like chunks in my soup for texture, so I didn't puree it completely.  Taste the soup to see if it needs more salt or pepper, and then bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.  Serve with a sprinkle of your favorite shredded cheese.  Enjoy!

Classic French Onion Soup

This recipe is from the America's Test Kitchen Cookbook (which is so often my go-to guide for a good recipe), though instead of using red onion as they suggest, I used sweet white onions.  The key to great flavor in this soup is the time spent cooking the onions--don't rush it!  I like to serve French Onion soup with slices of baguette that have been broiled with provolone or swiss cheese on top.  To do this, all you need to do is broil (500 degrees) the bread slices and cheese for 1 to 2 minutes (watch it carefully!) in the oven on a cookie sheet.

Ingredients:

• 3 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced in half-rings (you should end up with 4 to 5 cups of onion)
• 2 tbsp butter
• salt
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tsp fresh)
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2.5 cups chicken broth (preferably reduced sodium)
• 2 cups beef broth (also reduced sodium)

After the onions are sliced, heat the butter in a large dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onions, 1/2 tsp salt and the thyme; stir to coat the onions in the butter.  Occasionally stir the onions, but allow them to cook until very soft and golden brown (about 30 minutes).  When they have some caramelized coloring, add the balsamic vinegar and scrape any brown bits off of the bottom of the pan.  Next, add the broth and the bay leaves.  Bring to a simmer, and allow to cook 15 to 20 more minutes.  After simmering, remove the bay leaves from the soup.  

Right before the soup is done simmering, broil your bread slices so they'll be hot when the soup is done.  If you've got a thing for croutons, go that route instead!  Either way, you'll have something to sop up that delicious broth.  Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable Soup

This is a really awesome, hearty soup.  I came up with the recipe after having some of the best soup of my life at a coffee shop in Kirksville.  They called it Panzanella, but typically that is a tomato and bread salad that is popular during summer.  So I did some guessing and came up with a pretty close contender with their soup.  The recipe below makes really thick soup, so you could always thin the soup out with some vegetable stock or water.





Ingredients:

• 3 med-large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 medium onions peeled, halved and sliced into half rings
• 1 small green bell pepper, cored and roughly chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, cored and roughly chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, cut in half (or 2 small)
• 1 cup (8 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup vegetable juice (such as V8)
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Toss the chopped vegetables and garlic clove with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spread the veggies in a thin layer onto a cookie sheet.  Roast in the oven at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through baking (rotating pans if necessary).  You want the vegetables to be nicely caramelized, but not burned.  After removing the pans from the oven, let the vegetables cool for about 5 minutes.  Using a food processor, process all the veggies with the 1/2 cup vegetable juice to a fine puree.  When the mixture is a pretty smooth consistency, transfer this to a saucepan and stir in the crushed tomatoes.  This is a good time to decide if the soup is too thick or not; if so, go ahead and add some vegetable stock or water to thin it.  Bring the soup to a boil, and let simmer for 6 to 8 minutes.  Taste test the soup for needing more salt or pepper.  Finally, stir in the basil before serving.  I think this would pair well with some crostini or grilled cheese sandwiches.  Enjoy!

Zesty White Bean & Turkey Chili

I love making chili, especially on a cool fall night.  I'm kind of surprised I have no chili recipes on here yet!  As with any chili, you can make this one as spicy or mild as you prefer; for more heat, add additional chili powder or a little more jalapeño.  This takes a little bit of prep work, but I think you'll be glad you made the effort!


Ingredients (makes 3 servings):

• 10 oz ground turkey
• 15 oz can Great Northern or white beans
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 Anaheim pepper, chopped
• 1/2 of a medium bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 4 to 5 jarred jalapeno rings 
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth (reduced sodium)
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• kosher salt and black pepper

Prep the beans by draining and rinsing them, and add all but 1/3 of a cup of the beans to a food processor.  Add 1/4 cup chicken broth and the jalapeños to the beans and puree.  Set the bean puree aside.  Next, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the onion, bell pepper and Anaheim pepper.  Season with a little salt and pepper.  Cook 7 to 9 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked.  Meanwhile, in another skillet, cook the ground turkey, also seasoned lightly with salt and pepper; when it is almost fully cooked, add the minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander and oregano.  Keep stirring to keep the spices and garlic from burning until the meat is fully cooked.  Now add the remaining whole beans, the ground turkey, and bean puree to the saucepan with the veggies.  Pour in about 1.25 cups of chicken broth (less for a thicker chili) and stir to combine everything.  Bring the chili to a boil, and then simmer for 10 more minutes.  Right before serving, taste for more salt/pepper and then add the chopped cilantro.  Serve with tortilla chips, a dollop of sour cream or a sprinkle of shredded cheese!