Lentil Shepherd's Pie

1 cup lentils, green or French, rinsed
2 lbs potatoes or sweet potato
2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspooon apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon ketchup
5 drops Tabasco sauce
1 cup frozen sweet corn
Salt and pepper

1. Place lentils in a medium pot and cover with an inch of cold water. Add a pinch of salt, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes until cooked. It is okay if they are not completely cooked, they will cook further later. Drain.
2. While lentils are cooking, peel and roughly chop potatoes. Place in a pot and cover with cold water. Add a teaspoon of salt to the water and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are tender.
3. Drain potatoes and mash. Add butter and milk and season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
4. Heat oil in a medium pot and add chopped onion. Sautée for a few minutes until soft. Add cumin, thyme, cooked lentils, vinegar, ketchup, tabasco sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
5. Add 1/2 cup of water and bring lentils to a simmer. Cook for another five minutes or so, stirring often, to let the flavors come together.
6. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place seasoned lentils in the bottom of a medium baking dish. Spread to cover the bottom. Top with corn kernels. Add mashed potatoes on top and spread evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes until heated through. Serve hot.

Source: Let's Eat!

Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Apple Skillet

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 tsp olive oil
3 slices bacon, chopped
1 1/2 cup brussel sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1 medium sweet potato (8 oz), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/8 tsp salt

1. Season chicken lightly with salt. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large nonstick frying pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate.
2. Return pan to heat and add remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Stir in bacon and cook until starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add brussels sprouts, sweet potato, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in apples, garlic, thyme, and cinnamon. Cook 3 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup of the broth, bring to a boil, and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add reserved chicken and remaining 1/2 cup broth. Season with the salt and black pepper as needed. Cook until hot, about 2 minutes.

Source: Prevention Magazine, February 2011

Try #1 - May 10, 2011
This was just ok. The flavors were kind of bland. I used asparagus instead of brussel sprouts (since brussel sprouts were $6.99/pound... seriously??), and granny smith instead of golden delicious. Actually, a sweeter apple may have helped the dish. I also omitted the bacon, which probably would have kicked the flavor up a notch. All in all, though, I wasn't super impressed.

Sweet Potato Fries

I've made sweet potato fries before, but after looking at some recipes on allrecipes.com, I decided to try it a little differently this time. This isn't really a recipe, but just a reminder to myself to try it this other way.

1. Boil (10-20 minutes - check!) or microwave (3-5 minutes) whole sweet potatoes until fork tender.
2. Cut into wedges.
3. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, or until fries are crispy.

Try #1 - December 2, 2010
These were good... not sure if cooking them in the microwave ahead of time was necessary, but they came out well. These took closer to 30 minutes for me.

Italian Chickpea Soup

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 medium onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1 small bay leaf
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 16-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 stalk celery, finely diced (1/2 cup)
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus a few sprigs for garnish
Feta cheese, for garnish (optional)

Bring broth, onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, cayenne pepper, and 2 cups water to a boil in large saucepan over medium heat. Simmer 5 minutes. Add chickpeas, sweet potatoes, celery, and mustard, and simmer 10 to 12 minutes more, or until vegetables are very soft.

Mash vegetables and chickpeas to chunky purée with potato masher or large spoon. (Chickpeas will remain mostly whole.) Stir in parsley, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Garnish each serving with parsley sprig, or use feta.

Source: Let's Eat!

Try #1 - February 2011
This was just ok. It was easy to make, and the kids liked it. We didn't have any fresh parsley, so I just used dried. I mashed it a little bit with a spoon, but I didn't think it was necessary. I like a chunky soup.

Root Vegetable Mash

From Prevention magazine, Nov. 2010. A recipe from Mario Batali!

2 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 medium turnips, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 medium onions, cut into 1/4 inch dice
2 medium parsnips, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Grated zest of 2 oranges
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch chives, finely chopped

1. Bring the carrot, potato, turnip, onion, parsnip, sweet potato, and water to cover a boil in a 4-quart saucepan. Then lower to a simmer and cook until all the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.
2. Drain the vegetables and pass through a food mill into a large bowl or mash thoroughly by hand. Stir in the cinnamon, oil, and orange zest and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chives and serve.

Try #1 - November 5, 2010
I made this without the parsnips or turnips (not something we usually have lying around the house...), and it turned out well. I also left out the orange zest and chives... so, I only used about half of the actual ingredients. :) Still good, and a good alternative to traditional mashed potatoes!

Beef, Barley, and Sweet Potato Stew

After realizing I didn't have all the ingredients for Barley-Beef Soup, I found this recipe instead.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds beef stew meat
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup sliced celery with leaves
4 cups low-sodium beef stock or broth
1 bay leaf
¾ cup hulled barley, rinsed and drained
4 cups peeled sweet potato chunks, 1-inch squares (about 1½ pounds)
2 cups sliced carrots, 1-inch rounds
1½ cups cubed parsnips
½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes in juice, broken apart
1½ cups frozen peas

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan on medium-high. Add meat and sprinkle with flour, stirring well to coat. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Stir in onions and celery and sauté for 5 minutes or until onions are soft. Add stock or broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 1½ hours.

Add barley, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, Worcestershire sauce, and oregano. Cover and simmer 50-60 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in tomatoes and peas. Reheat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ingredient tip: Instead of using refined pearl barley, add whole-grain goodness with hulled barley, which retains its germ and bran. Prep tips: This stew becomes thicker the next day; add broth or water when reheating. If you use a slow cooker, combine everything except peas and cook on low for 8-10 hours; stir in peas during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Try #1 - September 24, 2010
YUM YUM!

Sausage-Sweet Potato Bake

1 pound bulk sausage
2 medium raw sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 medium apples, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup water

1. Brown sausage in skillet. Break up large pieces and drain excess fat.
2. In a 2 quart casserole, arrange sweet potatoes, apples, and browned sausage.
3. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and water, and pour over.
4. Cover and bake at 375 for 50-60 minutes, or until potates and apples are tender.

Source: More-with-Less

Try # 1 - August 9, 2010
Soooooooooooooooooooooo good. Definitely an autumn-tasting meal, though, so I will wait until fall to make it again. But soooooooooooooooooo good.

Moroccan-Style Pork Shoulder Roast

From allrecipes.com

4 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
8 ounces assorted baby sweet peppers OR coarsely chopped and seeded sweet peppers
1/2 cup dried fruit mix, with apricots, plums and raisins
1 (15 ounce) can lite coconut milk
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cooked couscous (optional)

1. Trim visible fat from roast. Drizzle roast with soy sauce and rub all sides with curry. Brown roast in hot olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add remaining ingredients around the roast, cover with lid and place in a 350 degree F oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until roast and potatoes are tender.
2. Transfer roast and vegetables to a serving platter. Return pan with sauce to stove top and bring to a boil, cook for about 5 minutes or until thickened slightly. Coarsely shred meat and serve with sweet potatoes and peppers and sauce. Serve over cooked couscous, if desired.

Try #1 - For small group, Feb. 24
I drizzled the roast with soy sauce and rubbed it with curry, then placed it in the crockpot on top of the vegetables (I used 5 smallish sweet potatoes and two red peppers). I put the dried fruit in (minus plums), then poured the coconut milk and orange juice (I used 3/4 cup) around the meat. Set for low heat (8 hrs).

After 5 hours, I added two russet potatoes, a green pepper, and a can of garbanzo beans, because I was afraid it wasn't going to make enough... hopefully the potatoes will cook in time. Update: potatoes cooked no problem!

Final results:
Delicious, but would do a few things differently next time.
#1 The pork was REALLY fatty (and I didn't trim the visible fat beforehand). We ended up having to skim off half a can of fat. Next time I would use a less fatty meat, or cook the meat beforehand (chicken, beef, or lamb would work well) and put it in with the vegetables. (You can see the gross fat pre-skimming... I'll post a better picture the next time we make it!)


#2 The raisins, apricots, and almost all the sweet potatoes pretty much disinegrated into the sauce. It made the sauce delicious and thicker, so maybe that's ok - but it was a little mushy. The russet potatoes stayed together. Maybe next time I would put half of the sweet potatoes in a little later so some of them retain their shape. I didn't mind the dried fruit disinegrating, because I don't really like the texture of them when they're puffed up with liquid (as they were halfway through cooking).
#3 I might try it in our kazan next time, because I think the slow cooking is what made things disinegrate.
#4 The garbanzo beans, potatoes, and green pepper were all excellent additions! You could also add carrots and onions. This could be a vegetarian meal if you doubled or tripled the amount of beans. Click here for my vegetarian version.
#5 Great over couscous! Bread also soaked up the extra juice nicely.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry

This came out of some cooking magazine, and it’s one of Nathan’s favorites.
We usually add carrots and peas as well, and serve it over rice to make it last longer.

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, ½ inch chunks
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs chicken, quartered
1 ¼ lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (1 inch cubes)
4 teaspoons mild curry powder
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 cup water
2 cups canned diced tomatoes
1 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp mango chutney, finely chopped (optional)
Rice (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350. In large, nonstick Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes.
2. Add chicken, sweet potatoes, curry powder, salt, pepper, cumin, and coriander, and stir to coat. Stir in 1 cup water, tomatoes, coconut milk, and chutney. Bring to a boil.
3. Cover, transfer to oven and bake 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and sweet potatoes are tender. Serve with rice (optional).

*If you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can do steps 1 and 2 in a large saucepan and then transfer to a casserole dish for step 3.

Note:
This is a family favorite. I've made it many times, and usually just cook it all in the skillet to save time and dishes. If I do it this way, I cook the chicken at the beginning with the onions and garlic. I also often add carrots, green peppers, potatoes, peas, and chickpeas.