on the menu : cannellini bean + veggie stew

CANNELLINI BEAN + VEGGIE STEW

This is a simple, comforting vegetable stew that you can make with any beans/legumes you have on hand.  I opted for cannellini beans because they’re mild and pair great with deep greens (like kale).  Within the recipe itself, you’ll save yourself some legwork by cooking the sweet potato and fennel stems together.  This also allows the anise-like essence of fennel to blend into the sweet potatoes – win win!  ’Tis the season for fennel folks .

INGREDIENTS:

• Cannellini Beans (1 cup)
• Yellow Onion (1)
• Celery (3)
• Sweet Potato (2)
• Kale (6 leaves)
• Fennel Stems (4)
• Garlic Clove (2)
• Herbes de Provence (1 tbsp)
• Fennel Pollen (Pinch)
• Vegetable Broth (1/2 cup)
• Olive Oil
• Salt + Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prep the cannellini beans in advance (if using dried beans).
2. Fill a pot with water (for the sweet potato and fennel stems).  Peel and chop the sweet potato into bite-size pieces.  Place in the water.  Also add the fennel stems.  Bring to a boil, salt, then cook on low until the potatoes are al dente.
3. Meanwhile, chop up the onion, garlic clove, and celery.
4. Drizzle some oil into a large stock pot and add these ingredients.  Place on your stove, turn the heat on low, and allow the onions to slowly cook.  Season with herbes de provence, fennel pollen (a little goes a long way), salt + pepper.
5. Once the vegetables have sweated out, pour in the vegetable broth and add the cannellini beans.
6. Roughly chop up the kale leaves (post cleaning them thoroughly and removing the thick stem, of course).  Add to the pot, give it a stir, cover and allow them to wilt.
7. By now, your potatoes should be a little under fork tender.  Drain, remove the fennel stems, chop them up, then add the potatoes and fennel stems to the pot.  Gently stir everything together.  Season with salt + pepper.
8. Lower the heat to a simmer and let sit for a good 15 minutes.

on the menu : tagine sweet potatoes w/ chickpea + coffee bean purée

TAGINE SWEET POTATOES W/ CHICKPEA + COFFEE BEAN PUREE

Looking for an ‘out of the norm’ side dish idea?  Try this fun, earthy concoction.

Work with me here… the sweet potatoes are slowly cooked in the tagine with saffron and warm spices like cinnamon.  The garbanzo bean purée is elevated to new heights with the infusion of coffee beans.  Give your taste buds a fun kick and try this at least once!

INGREDIENTS:

• Sweet Potatoes (2)
• Parsley (1 tbsp)
• Garlic Clove (1)
• Smoked Paprika (1 tsp)
• Saffron (Pinch)
• Chile Powder (Dash)
• Cinnamon (Dash)
• Honey (1 tbsp)
• Tomato Paste (1 tbsp)
• Lemon (1/2)
• Chickpeas (12 oz)
• Coffee Beans (1 tbsp)
• Soy Sauce (1 tsp)
• Brown Rice Vinegar (1 tsp)
• Olive Oil
• Salt + Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, tomato paste, lemon juice, smoked paprika, saffron, chile powder, cinnamon, salt + pepper.
2. Drizzle some oil into the tagine.
3. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes into small pieces.  Place in the oil.
4. Turn the heat on the tagine to medium-low at first.  Season with salt + pepper.
5. Finely chop up the parsley and add to the sweet potatoes.  Toss the potatoes in the tagine and allow them to continue cooking.
6. Thinly slice up the garlic and add to the tagine.  Pour in the whisked mixture.  Toss the sweet potatoes so they are covered in the sauce.
7. Cover the tagine and allow the sweet potatoes to cook until fork tender (roughly 1 hour).  Toss the sweet potatoes occasionally during the cooking process to ensure they are getting coated on all sides.
8. Meanwhile, prep the chick peas by rinsing and draining well.  Place the chickpeas in a small saucepan.
9. Once the sweet potatoes have cooked, take some of the excess sauce and oil and spoon it into the chickpeas.  Raise the heat on the chickpeas to medium-low and allow them to heat through.
10. Place the coffee beans in a grinder and grind until smooth.  Place the coffee grinds into a blender/food processor.
11. Add to the blender the chickpeas.  Pour in the soy sauce, brown rice vinegar and blend while you drizzle in olive oil to create a smooth paste.
12. Plating – Spread out the chickpea coffee purée and top with sweet potatoes.

on the menu : sweet potato + green bean salad

SWEET POTATO + GREEN BEAN SALAD

Potato salads are ever popular in the summer.  Picnics, bbq’s, potlucks, you’re sure to walk across a number of potato salads this season. Before you dive in, consider making a healthier version and volunteering to be the bearer of this popular salad staple.  Substitute regular white potatoes with sweet potatoes.  Skip the mayo and create a healthier vinaigrette out of two simple ingredients that go great with sweet potatoes – balsamic and a simply, organic ketchup.  Keep things extra refreshing by adding lemon zest.  All of the other ingredients I’ve added are just icing on the cake!

Say goodbye to the boring, mayo overloaded white potato salad and wow your guests with a tastier, healthier, more colorful version.

INGREDIENTS:

• Sweet Potato (1)
• Green Beans (1/2 lb)
• Celery Stalks (2)
• Shallots (2)
• Heirloom Tomato (1)
• Garlic Clove (1)
• Capers (2 tbsp)
• Sliced Almonds (1/4 cup)
• Raisins (1/4 cup)
• Lemon Zest (1 tbsp)
• Balsamic Vinegar (3 tbsp)
• Ketchup (2 tbsp)
• Olive Oil
• Salt + Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill a pot with water for the sweet potato.
2. Peel the sweet potato and cut up into equal, bite-size cubes.  Place the cubes into the water, put it on the stove top and bring the water up to a boil.  Cook the sweet potatoes until fork tender.
3. Meanwhile, finely slice up the shallots, celery, and garlic.  Set aside.
4. Remove the ends off of the green beans and cut the longer ones in half.
5. Drizzle some oil into a sauté pan and add the sliced shallots.  Raise the heat to medium and season the shallots with salt + pepper.
6. When the shallots start to look glassy, add the celery, garlic, and capers.  Toss with the shallots.
7. Add the green beans, raise the heat to medium high and do a few quick tosses of the pan for a minute.  Transfer the pan ingredients directly to a large salad bowl.
8. Cut up the tomato into bite-size pieces and place into the bowl.  Also toss in the raisins and almonds.
9. Drain the cooked sweet potato and add to the salad bowl as well.  Gently toss everything together.  Season with salt + pepper.
10. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, and ketchup.  Add to the salad and do a final toss.
11. Serve warm or chilled and enjoy!

on the menu : sweet potato dengaku

SWEET POTATO DENGAKU

I have so much fun with Japanese fusion dishes.  This one is a play off of nasu dengaku – a sweet miso glazed eggplant Japanese tapas/starter dish.

Instead of just using eggplant, turned the dish into a meal with the sweet potato.  I also added some crunchy snow pea shoots for volume.  The flavors of the sweet miso glaze are still there but I’ve made the eggplant more of a topping than the star.

Yum!

INGREDIENTS:

• Sweet Potato (2)
• Eggplant (1)
• Snow Pea Shoots (Handful)
• Scallions (2)
• Sesame Seeds (1 tbsp)
• Soy Sauce (1 tbsp)
• Miso Paste (2 tbsp)
• Cooking Sake (2 tbsp)
• Honey (1 tbsp)
• Nori
• Oil
• Salt + Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 F for the sweet potato.
2. Cut the sweet potatoes in half, wrap in foil and place in the oven.  Allow the potatoes to bake for about 50 minutes until fork tender.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the soy sauce, miso, sake, and honey until combined.
4. Peel the eggplant and cut into cubes.  Place in a bowl of salted water and allow to soak.
5. Drizzle oil into a sauté pan.  Drain the eggplant and add to the pan.  Raise the heat to medium, season with salt + pepper and allow to heat through.
6. Pour in the sauce you whisked to coat the eggplant.
7. Add the snow pea shoots, sauté with the eggplant for a minute.  Remove the pan from the heat.
8. When the sweet potato is fork tender, remove from the oven (but leave the oven on!).
9. Open up the potatoes and fill with the eggplant/snow pea shoot filling.
10. Place the sweet potatoes back in the oven to roast for another 15 minutes.  Finish off with some sesame seeds and nori.