Friday, November 28, 2014

Sweet Potato Wrap



This is the most deluxe and delicious recipe for use of Thanksgiving leftovers - that makes them not taste like Thanksgiving at all.  It is so fantastic and you are going to love it so much, you are going to be just like me and making it throughout the year.  It is also a great way to serve sweet potatoes that isn't too "sweet".  And the sweet potato spread would be fantastic on lots of other wraps and sandwiches - I'll be honest, after we had our wraps, I ate the "spread" the next day plain and it was super yummy! I tell you all my secrets. 


Here is the recipe  First make your spread and set it aside to "cool" if you made it with a hot potato. If you are using a potato that you cooked previously then you can move right along to assembling your wrap. 


sweet potato sandwich wrap

Ingredients: 

Spread:
1 medium sweet potato
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon basil

Wrap Ingredients:
4 10 inch flour tortillas
8 slices turkey breast
1 large ripe tomato, thinly sliced
1 avocado, pitted and sliced

(or anything else you can think of - radishes, shredded carrots, sprouts, tuna,..... apple slices. 




Instructions:
Boil sweet potato until softened. Remove skin and mash the potato in a bowl. Stir in garlic, lemon juice and seasonings and set aside to cool. Spread cooled mixture on each tortilla. 



Evenly distribute toppings on each tortilla and roll up to make wraps.



I added tomatoes to mine, but Joseph had his without, because he is not a raw tomato fan. 


Lots of yummy avocado, because.... avocado is  YUM!


Fold up like an envelope - we didn't even bother to roll ours we were so hungry. In fact, the picture in this photo was in danger of being chomped off I was so ravenous to get to mine.


These are HEAVENLY!  I made a few extra for lunches the next day, I just wrapped them up and then rolled the whole thing in plastic wrap and popped them into the fridge. They were even better the next day - if that is possible.





Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Why I Try So Hard - Gooey Marshmallow Popcorn


Today is my husband's birthday - That doesn't mean much to you, but we make it kind of a big deal around here. We like to celebrate birthday-weeks and generally say, "my Goodness!! we are so glad that you are alive" as many times, and in as many ways as possible. I usually make a batch of gooey, sticky caramel popcorn (because it is one of his most favorite treats) and we watch movies that he gets to choose (because I am a TV show kind of a girl).

With this special birthday and the big Gratitude holiday tomorrow, I have had a few things on my mind - mainly, Food and Family. Have you noticed in life that so much of life involves those two things going together. From the moment we are born (and people are bringing casseroles and dinner over to support the new family) to when we die (and people again are bringing over hot dishes and desserts to help the family grieve). All year long during holidays and special events, we have family and food intertwined. From the special dishes that we eat at certain holidays, to who makes them and how they are presented - Food and Family are a huge part of all our lives. (And not just because we need to keep eating every day to live.) But we need food to feel Alive.


I have learned a lot in the last year and a half processing the Food $ense lessons and teachings. I am not an expert (or even half and expert) by any means, but I am progressing. But I am a pretty diligent "Work in Progress". Because it is work, this learning and growing and doing hard things that I have never done before. Doing things that are hard for me. And most importantly Not giving up!! Even when I don't be as "good" as I should. Because constantly making better choices and progressing is a million times better than failing once and giving up. 


Because I love my kids, I love my family, I am learning to love myself. And we are ALL worth the time and effort that is it taking to take better care of us. We are much too important and much much to special to not have the very best. Your family and Your loved ones are Too! They are worth the time that it takes to make a meal at home. They are worth the effort that it takes to learn to cook and prepare healthy meals. They are worth breaking old bad habits and learning new healthy ones.  And we are all worth never giving up - even when we don't make perfect decisions or we feel like we have failed. 



Caramel Marshmallow Popcorn

Ingredients
1 package microwave popcorn, popped
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup or honey
½ tsp. vanilla
12 large marshmallows



Instructions
1. Pop popcorn until done, remove any unpopped kernels. - Take the time to sort through the popcorn and make sure you take out all the kernels. They are NOT awesome in the gooey caramel-ness.

2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.



3. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and marshmallows.


4. Turn heat to medium and stir until marshmallows are melted and mixture is
smooth.


5. Pour over popcorn and stir in until popcorn is evenly coated.

6. Store in an airtight container. If you need to - but I have no doubt you will have none leftover to save.








Monday, November 24, 2014

The Easiest and Best Sweet Potatoes




I don't know if you can say that cooking sweet potatoes is ever not easy, but this method just had to be mentioned. Especially with us being right smack in the middle of sweet potato "season". 

My family absolutely loves sweet potatoes and I like to sneak them into things as an added vegetable, so it is really convenient to cook a whole bunch of them, then eat some for dinner and save the rest for later use. 



First - wash your sweet potatoes really well. But don't bother to dry them - How easy is that... you don't even have to dry the buggers. 



Put them in your slow cooker. 


I add a little course salt to mine. I like how it looks.  If you want them to be extra "creamy" put a little bit of water in the bottom of your slow cooker. I add water if I am going to mash them, I don't if we are going to eat them "baked". 


Put your lid on and forget it. Cook 6-7 hours on Low or 3-4 hours on High. 


You may have to adjust your times a little bit depending on size. They ones were absolutely HUGE. 


Cut them open, And serve them your favorite way; Butter, salt and pepper, or Butter, sugar and cinnamon. 


Best Ever Mashed Sweet Potatoes
From the Garden Fresh Vegetable Cookbook by Andrea Chesman
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise and thinly 
sliced
Pepper

Combine the butter, milk, syrup, salt and sweet potatoes in a saucepan.
Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are 
quite tender and fall apart as you stir, about 35 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and mash the potatoes with a potato masher
or fork. Whip with a whisk or a spoon. Season with pepper, taste, and 
adjust the seasoning. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.






Friday, November 21, 2014

Leftover Safety - How not be killed by your own food.





 While you are stressing about all the little things that need to be taken care of for the big Thanksgiving holiday, I thought it best to pass on some reminders about food safety. Because as important as it is that your potatoes are creamy, your kids have nice manners, and somebody remembers to take some pictures of everyone around the table.... it is also important that you don't send everyone home with sick stomachs and cursing you through the night and the next day. Enough graphic imagery for you? Let's get to the information -



Safe Thawing - Thawing turkeys must be kept at a safe temperature. The "danger zone" is between 40 and 140°F — the temperature range where food borne bacteria multiply rapidly. While frozen, a turkey is safe indefinitely, but as soon as it begins to thaw, bacteria that may have been present before freezing can begin to grow again, if it is in the "danger zone."

Live Well Utah has a fantastic step-by-step guide that will take you from thawing your bird, cooking it, serving it and getting it put away. 

To Stuff - or Not to Stuff ? - I don't want to get all political during the holidays and cause hurt feelings, but honestly people, Stop!! putting that "stuffing" into your turkeys - It is Gross!  If you aren't going to listen to sanity - or reason, HERE is the information that you absolutely must have. But really, make some gorgeous dressing, put it in a casserole dish (or better yet, a crock pot) and don't risk the lives of your guests for something that does nothing to improve the flavor of the dish. (I feel a little bit strongly about this) 

Cook It - Set the oven temperature no lower than 325°F and be sure the turkey is completely thawed. Place turkey breast-side up on a flat wire rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2-1/2 inches deep. Check the internal temperature at the center of the stuffing and meaty portion of the breast, thigh, and wing joint using a food thermometer. Cooking times will vary. The food thermometer must reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F. Let the turkey stand 20 minutes before removing all stuffing from the cavity and carving the meat. For more information on safe internal temperatures, visit FoodSafety.gov's Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures

More Information

Poultry Preparation, 
Turkey Basics: Handling Cooked Dinners & Leftovers, 
Turkey Basics: Safe Cooking, 
Thanksgiving Holiday Resources


Let There Be Leftovers! - I really don't get all gaga for the actual Thanksgiving dinner. I could take it or leave it, but don't mess with me and my LOVE for leftovers. I even cook way more that I know we are going to need because I want to be sure that I have a sufficient supply of turkey for sandwiches, sweet potatoes for midnight snacks, and rolls to snack on while I am waiting for my plate of leftovers to heat in the microwave.

But You can make just as many food safety mistakes putting the food away (or NOT putting the food away) as you can while you are preparing the meal.

Follow the Two-Hour Rule
Hot, perishable food that sits out for longer than two hours is considered unsafe to eat and needs to be thrown away. This is because the temperature of the food has most likely been in the food danger zone for too long. This period of time allows for bacteria to rapidly reproduce and contaminate the food. So, if it's been two hours since the Thanksgiving table was set and there's still food on it, do not bother bagging it up and putting it in the fridge. Just throw it away.

Take Care when Sending Leftovers Home with Guests
Sending leftovers home with guests is a great way to minimize the amount of refrigerator or freezer space needed by the host. However, the two-hour rule still applies. Consider the amount of travel time your guest has from house to house. If it's longer than two hours, give them a cooler and some ice to get the food home safely. Better yet, ask them beforehand to come prepared with their own cooler.

Use the Refrigerator or Freezer, or Both
Heaps of turkey and stuffing leftovers call for a dual storage strategy. Here's how to decide what goes where:

Storing Turkey in the Fridge
Leftover turkey can keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator and still be safe to eat.

Storing Turkey in the Freezer
In the freezer, leftovers should be eaten within 6 months. After this period, it is not safety that suffers, only quality as the food will become more susceptible to freezer burn.


Store Leftovers in Shallow Containers
The faster leftovers can cool, the better, because they spend less time in the Food Danger Zone (40 °F to 140 °F). The best way to decrease the cooling time for leftovers is to store them in shallow pans or containers, which decreases the surface area of the food that needs to cool. Also, leftover turkey should be cut into smaller pieces, to decrease its surface area, too.

Store Stuffing Apart from the Turkey
Sure, stuffing can be cooked inside the turkey, but once cooking is done, that union needs to be broken. If turkey and stuffing are stored together, there is a risk of salmonella bacteria contaminating the stuffing. Storing the items separately in shallow containers is the only way to assure proper food safety.

Way to Go! You stayed for the whole thing... as your reward here are the top 5 Turkey Fails from the USDA Meat and Poultry hotline. 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) www.fsis.usda.gov

Here are their Panic Button Questions.  - Now Relax .




Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese



The other night we ran into an especially busy scheduling conflict. Kids coming and going and parents needing to take them there. Working late and teacher conferences and trips to the doctor. It was a doosey of a day. 

But I knew it was coming and planned for it. Good Grief!! - I had to, nobody was going to get anywhere they needed to be unless I planned the whole thing out before hand. But this particular day - like most days, in most of our lives, everybody still had to be fed! (Do you ever feel like... what is UP with all this Eating!?!?) Throwing an extra added level of difficulty to the equation was that I wasn't going to actually be home to feed anybody, I needed something that everyone would eat, and that the kids could essentially feed themselves without destroying the kitchen, lighting the house on fire or fighting over who got the last tupperware of edible leftovers from the fridge. 

Here it comes to Save The Day........  Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese!! 

It honestly does NOT get easier than this recipe. You don't even cook the pasta before hand. Give it a stir ever couple of hours (or when you pass though the kitchen in your day filled with chaos).  My kids went bonkers for it, they raved about the taste and declared me (once again) the best homemade macaroni and cheese maker in all the land. Bellies were all filled, children knew they were loved, teenagers dished up bowl for little siblings and after all the running I sat down to a hot bowl of the ultimate comfort food and was..... comforted! It was a beautiful thing. 



Crockpot Mac and Cheese
Throw five ingredients into a crockpot for five hours and dinner is served!

Serves: 8
Total time: 4-5 hrs

Ingredients:

16 oz. elbow macaroni
2 1/2 cups milk
12-oz. can evaporated milk
8 oz. cream cheese
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese





Instructions:
Place the macaroni, milk, evaporated milk, cream cheese and cheddar cheese into a crockpot. Set heat to Low and cook for 4 to 5 hours, or until pasta is cooked through. Stir occasionally.




Sorry the pictures aren't so beautiful, I was taking them very late at night. 


And there is not photo of the beautiful finished dish, but somehow this pot of half-eaten macaroni and cheese is beautiful to me, because it fed my family and let them know how much they were loved and how I enjoy taking care of them even though I couldn't be there. 





Monday, November 17, 2014

Apple Fritter Bread - Create a Quick Bread



I don't know how much of a secret it is, but I have a fondness for donuts on Saturday mornings. We don't get them often, because they are a "treat", but I sure do love them. And it doesn't help much that we have a killer doughnut bakery close by. We all pick out our favorites - anything with sprinkles for the two little ones, maple bars and Bavarian cream for the middle ones and I get an apple fritter. 

I absolutely adore them. In fact, I have a love affair with all things apple. Well, not apple flavored candy and such, but ALL apple baked goods. They are my most favorite - have been since forever. So baking up some apples in a quick bread that has fresh chunks and cinnamon and glaze - be still my heart. I am all over that! I doubled the recipe when I made this, so I could take a loaf to a friend as a gift, but sadly, it was too delicious and my family discovered that Apple Fritter is the best flavor of doughnut and quick bread ever - in the whole wide world.... Ever! 



Apple Fritter Bread - Awesome!
Serves 8

Bread Loaf
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 apples, peeled and chopped (any kind), mixed with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Old-Fashioned Creme Glaze
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1-3 tablespoons of milk or cream- (depending on thickness of glaze wanted)


Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a 9x5-inch loaf pan and spray with non-stick spray or line with foil and spray with non-stick spray to get out easily for slicing.




Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Set aside.


Chop your apples and mix them with cinnamon / sugar. I chopped mine very small because I wanted the pieces of fruit in the bites of bread to not be overwhelming. 




In another medium-sized bowl, beat white sugar and butter together using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.

Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until blended in; add in vanilla extract.



Combine & whisk flour and baking powder together in another bowl and add into creamed butter mixture and stir until blended.

Mix milk into batter until smooth.




Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan; add half the apples and half the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Lightly pat apple mixture into batter.



Pour the remaining batter over apple layer and top with remaining apples and brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Lightly pat apples into batter; swirl brown sugar mixture through apples using knife or spoon.



Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, approximately 50-60 minutes.



To make glaze, mix powdered sugar and milk or cream together until well mixed.

Let cool for about 15 minutes before drizzling with glaze.


Optional
Next time I think I would add in walnuts. You can always use other fruit, or you could add in chocolate chips too! (Of course!)



Substitutions: I've also substituted this with 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt, 1/3 cup milk and add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda instead of 1/2 cup milk as called out in the bread loaf ingredients.

Baking options: Bake 30-40 min. for 2 loaf recipe, 15-20 minutes for muffins or 50 -60 minutes for one full loaf recipe or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.




Friday, November 14, 2014

Calzones - Freeze Ahead

There are times when I feel like getting my family to eat healthy is a complete uphill battle. The more I want to provide them with delicious and healthy food, the more they want processed, commercial "convenience foods". One of their favorites (and one of my absolutely least favorites to buy) are those little "pockets" of meat, cheese and sauce. It just kills me that they even will put them in their mouths! There is no accounting for the taste of teenagers. 

So in a wild sense of kitchen adventure and super-hero-ness I decided to try and make my own. They couldn't possibly turn out worse, could they?!  And they didn't, in fact, they turned out absolutely fantastic. I am not only going to be making these again and again (and again!), but I am planning on a day a month to make a whole slew of them to freeze and keep in the freezer for after school snacks, quick lunches and lazy dinners. You are going to want to make them too - they are that good and shockingly easy. 


Homemade Thin Crust Pizza - We will be using this for our Calzone Dough
Makes two 10-inch pizzas - Makes 6-8 Calzones (you are going to want to double this for sure!)
For the dough:
3/4 cups (6 ounces) lukewarm water
1 teaspoon active-dry or instant yeast
2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt


Combine the water and yeast in a mixing bowl, and stir to dissolve the yeast. The mixture should look like thin miso soup. Add the flour and salt to the bowl and mix until you've formed a shaggy dough.

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface along with any loose flour still in the bowl. Knead until all the flour is incorporated, and the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. The dough should still feel moist and slightly tacky. If it's sticking to your hands and counter-top like bubble gum, work in more flour one tablespoon at a time until it is smooth.

If you have time at this point, you can let the dough rise until you need it or until doubled in bulk (about an hour and a half). After rising, you can use the dough or refrigerate it for up to three days.


Calzones
Makes 6-8 calzones
What You Need
Ingredients

1 batch thin-crust pizza dough or 2 lbs store-bought pizza dough
2-3 cups filling: any favorite combination of cooked meat, cooked veggies, and cheese
Olive oil or melted butter (optional)

Equipment

Rolling pin
Baking Sheet
Parchment paper

Instructions
1. Preheat the Oven to 450°F

2. Divide the Dough: Divide the dough into equal pieces. Six pieces make good dinner-sized calzones. Eight pieces make nice smaller calzones for lighter meals and lunches.



3. Roll Out the Calzone - Method #1: Press the dough into a flat disk, then use a rolling pin to roll it into an 8"-9" circle for larger calzones or 6"-7" for smaller calzones. Roll from the middle of the dough outwards, as you do for pie dough. If the dough starts to shrink back on you, let it rest for five minutes and try again. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.


4. Roll the Calzone - Method #2: You can also roll out the dough on parchment paper. This is handy if your dough is very sticky or if you're not feeling confident about your calzone-stuffing skills! As they bake, the parchment will unstick from the calzones.

Cut a square of parchment and roll the calzone dough on top. The dough will stick to the parchment. If it starts to curl, let the dough rest for five minutes before continuing. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.




5. Fill the Calzones: Spread a generous 1/3 cup of filling in the bottom third of the calzone (slightly less for smaller calzones), leaving a a clear border around the edge.

• For Method #1, fold the top of the dough over the filling and press to seal. If you have enough dough, you can roll that edge up (simply fold it over on itself) to form a more secure seal.

• For Method #2, pick the calzone up in both hands and press edges tightly to seal. Set the calzone back on the work surface and press lightly to distribute the filing evenly.

Transfer calzones to a parchment-lined baking sheet.




6. Bake the Calzones: Brush calzones (the ones not wrapped in parchment) with olive oil or butter, if desired. This gives the calzones a nice golden color, but is not necessary. Slice steam vents in the top of the calzones with a sharp knife.

Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the tray and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the calzones are golden, browned on the edges, and the filling is bubbly. The calzones in parchment will brown slightly less. And don't worry if some filling spills out - there always seems to be at least one explosive calzone in every batch!



6. Eat or Freeze Calzones: Allow to cool a few minutes before eating so you don't burn your mouth. Slip the parchment off the parchment-wrapped calzones. Let leftover calzones cool completely, then wrap each individual calzone tightly in plastic wrap. Transfer to a plastic freezer bag and freeze.



7. Reheat Calzones: Thaw the calzone for a few hours in the fridge, or extend the cooking time to re-heat from frozen. If you put one in your lunchbag in the morning, it will be thawed enough by lunchtime. Unwrap from the plastic before reheating.

Reheat them in the microwave in one-minute bursts on HIGH until heated through (2-3 minutes total), or in the oven or a toaster oven at 300° until heated through.