Monthly Archive for March, 2009

Sweet Potato Sunday Dessert

Published on March 30, 2009 in Desserts. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Sweet Potato Cheesecake

For our usual big Sunday dinner, we asked folks to bring a sweet potato dish – such a yummy and healthy meal! Hence the “Sweet Potato Sunday” theme.

I decided to try to upgrade my usual pumpkin cheesecake dessert by trying sweet potatoes in place of the pumpkin.  Yams have the same inviting color as pumpkin, but are so much more flavorful and sweeter. So, to cut the sweetness just a little, I added some sour cream to the recipe. It turns out that sweet potatoes are perfect for cheesecake – the same color and texture as pumpkin, but with more flavor. The cheesecake was fluffy, light and creamy to boot. I highly recommend this recipe!

Remember to bring ALL the ingredients to room temperature before mixing – this eliminates lumps and adds to the fluffy texture.

SWEET POTATO CHEESECAKE

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix all crumbs and butter together and then press into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan. Chill in the refrigerator while mixing the cheesecake filling together.

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream, divided
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix with mixer the following, adding each ingredient slowly while mixer is on medium speed: cream cheese, sweet potatoes, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, eggs one at a time and 1/2 cup of sour cream. Pour mixture into spring form pan. Wrap pan bottom and sides with aluminum foil. Place spring form pan in a large roasting pan and fill pan with hot water, half way up sides of spring form pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Lower oven temperature and bake another 20 to 30 minutes, until cheesecake is mostly set in center but is still a little jiggly.

Mix together the remaining 1 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla and all the powdered sugar. Pour on top of cheesecake. Return to oven and bake another 8 to 10 minutes, until topping is set.

– posted by Donna

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Southwest Sweet Potato Salad

Published on March 30, 2009 in Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes and Vegan Recipes. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Southwest Sweet Potato Salad

It’s true, I can’t get enough. I could eat sweet potatoes every day, easily. (As could my almost-one year old daughter!) Here’s another, great for spring and summer, perfect for picnics as there’s no pesky mayo to worry about, and sure to be a healthy hit.

SOUTHWEST SWEET POTATO SALAD

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
5 garlic cloves, 2 minced and 3 peeled but whole
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
dash chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunks
2 poblano peppers, seeded, roasted, skinned and diced*
2 cups corn
2 red bell peppers, diced
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Whisk together vinegar, seasonings and the two minced garlic cloves. Slowly whisk in olive oil; set aside. Boil sweet potatoes and remaining three whole garlic cloves in salted water just until fork tender – approximately 20 minutes. Drain and let cool, discarding garlic cloves.

In a large serving bowl, stir together vinaigrette, poblano peppers, corn, bell peppers, scallions and cilantro. Add sweet potatoes and toss together. Add additional salt and coarse black pepper to taste.

*For tips on roasting peppers of all kinds, check this out from The Wednesday Chef!

– posted by Anne

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The Dirty Dozen vs. The Clean Fifteen

Published on March 30, 2009 in Frugal Tips and Side Dishes. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

This is where it all begins, right? We’ll be sharing some short-but-sweet frugal shopping tips and principles here from time to time.

What I want to chat about a bit today is how to buy organic – frugally. Yes, frugally! We’ve all heard much about the benefits of going organic as much as possible, and it’s something I strive for in my own life as much as I can. But isn’t it terribly expensive? How can we justify it on a budget, much less actually do it? Isn’t it an indulgence?

Well, as to the first, yes, the price of organic produce is generally higher than its conventionally grown counterparts, but one thing to think about is the fact that all organic food is not created equal.  that is to say, there are certain foods that are much more important to buy organic than others, whereas there are some items that aren’t too affected by non-organic methods. You may have heard of the “Dirty Dozen”; here it is:

Apples
Cherries
Grapes, imported (Chili)
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Raspberries
Strawberries
Bell peppers
Celery
Potatoes
Spinach

All of the above are the most likely to be seriously contaminated by toxic chemicals and pesticides. On the other hand, there is a flip side to the Dirty Dozen, also known as the Clean Fifteen:

Asparagus
Mango
Avocados
Onions
Bananas*
Papaya
Blueberries
Pineapple
Broccoli
Shelling peas
Cabbage
Sweet corn
Garlic
Watermelon
Kiwi

For these items, there actually isn’t much advantage to using pesticides , and even when not grown organically, they consistently test negative for toxins. So save your money by purchasing the conventional varieties of these items! So by prioritizing which fruits and vegetables are essential to buy organic and which aren’t, you get all the benefits of eating organic and can still save on the rest.

Here’s a very handy printable shopping guide to take with you to the store – a very helpful reference when you’re first getting used to remembering which is which.

*I would still recommend getting Fair Trade bananas, due to human rights issues (nothing to do with toxins).

– posted by Anne

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Caribbean Sweet Potato Hash Browns

Published on March 25, 2009 in Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes and Vegan Recipes. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Sweet Potato Extravaganza 2009 continues with this easy, healthy treat. I do like using coconut oil if you have it on hand, but if not, olive oil will work just fine. Also, I used my Cuisinart’s shred function for the sweet potatoes, but if you don’t have one, the large holes on a good old-fashioned box grater does the job perfectly well too.

Caribbean Sweet Potato Hash Browns

CARIBBEAN SWEET POTATO HASH BROWNS

1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
2 large sweet potatoes (garnet variety), peeled and shredded
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/3 cup unsweetened grated coconut
juice and zest (finely grated) of one lime

Heat oil over medium high in a large skillet. Add sweet potato, onion and salt; cook, stirring frequently, until sweet potato starts to soften up, about 3-5 minutes. Add red pepper and garlic, incorporate thoroughly, and cook for another4-5 minutes, stirring, until the sweet potato is just starting to brown a bit. Stir in coconut, cilantro, lime juice and zest, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve with Tangy Spiced Ketchup. Like so:

TANGY SPICED KETCHUP

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
1 cup ketchup
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
dash cayenne pepper, or more to taste

Saute garlic in oil of your choice (as above, I prefer coconut but olive does just fine) over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in ketchup and spices, adjust seasoning to taste. Serve warm or refrigerated.

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Sweet Potato Recipes: No Scraps Allowed!

Published on March 25, 2009 in Appetizers and Healthy Fare. 0 Comments Tags: , .

sweet potato flan

The very words “sweet potatoes” conjure up soothing images of holidays, favorite comfort foods and love! The classic 9 by 13 filled with sweet creamy marshmallow-topped goodness comes immediately to mind.

Sweet potatoes are incredibly delicious, budget-friendly and packed with nutrients. So, yes!, sweet potatoes will be a regular feature here at fabfrugalfood.

And, between the two recipes on this post, I used up every single morsel of the sweet potatoes – flesh and skins alike!

Sweet potatoes are wonderful baked into a first course flan or custard. I created this recipe based on a Garlic Custard I once had as a first course at a southwest restaurant. It is light and yet creamy at the same time. The hazelnuts are a perfect accompaniment – they add a toasty, crunchy counterpoint to the sweetness and creaminess of the flan.

These flans take only about 10 minutes of prep time, and then can be thrown into the oven and ignored for an hour. Sprinkling the ramekins with the brown sugar before filling them gives the flans a darker top and resembles a traditional custard flan.

SWEET POTATO FLAN WITH TOASTED SPICED HAZELNUTS

1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato flesh
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
4 tablespoons dark brown sugar, divided
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
A little canola cooking oil spray

Toasted Spiced Hazelnuts (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Blend in blender until smooth the sweet potatoes, lemon juice, evaporated milk, 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar, cumin, paprika and salt. Whisk eggs and egg yolks together in a mixing bowl. Whisk sweet potato mixture into egg mixture until very smooth.

Spray 6 one-cup ramekins with a little cooking oil. Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar into the bottom of each ramekin. Pour sweet potato mixture into ramekins, filling the cups about 3/4 of the way to the tops. Place filled ramekins in a 9 by 13 inch pan. Pour hot water around ramekins to reach halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in middle of oven, until each flan is set and slightly puffed but not browned.

Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Slide knife around inside edge of ramekins. Invert each flan onto a small serving plate. Garnish by sprinkling paprika over tops (if desired) and with hazelnuts spooned around the bottom edge of flan on the plates.

TOASTED SPICED HAZELNUTS

Bake 8 ounces of whole hazelnuts on a dry baking sheet for 15 minutes at 325 degrees. Remove from oven and place nuts on one half of a kitchen towel. Fold empty towel half over top of nuts and then rub to remove skins. Dice nuts and toss with 1 tablespoon of melted unsalted butter. Toss with 2 teaspoons cumin; 2 teaspoons brown sugar; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

sweet potato skins

sweet potato skins

Forget plain boring potato skins – sweet potatoes make this traditional “Happy Hour” dish so much more flavorful and delicious! When you make a dish using the flesh of sweet potatoes, throw the skins in a zip lock bag and freeze them for later use in these fabulous appetizers.

This recipe came about as I was making the sweet potato flan (above) and thought it was a shame to throw away the flavorful skins. Naturally, the traditional crispy potato skin appetizer came to mind, and this flavorful update of that traditional dish was born!

SWEET POTATO SKINS

3 medium sized sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
1 teaspoon cumin, divided
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, divided
A little canola oil spray
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup light sour cream
3 green onions, thinly sliced, tops included
1/2 cup cooked bacon bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place whole sweet potatoes on wire racks in oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cut sweet potatoes in half width wise and then each half in quarters lengthwise. Lay each potato piece on a flat surface, skin side down. With knife parallel to cutting surface, cut most of flesh off of skins, leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh on skins. Reserved removed flesh for another use. Sprinkle flesh sides of potato skins with 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika. Place skins on an oiled wire rack on a baking sheet, skin sides up. Spray generously with canola oil spray.

Bake near top of oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and spray skins again with canola oil. Return to oven and bake another 12 to 15 minutes, until skins are well browned and crispy, watching closely so as not to burn.

Place skin sides down on a serving platter. Sprinkle on salt and pepper as desired. Mix sour cream with remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin and remaining 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, and drizzle over skins. Sprinkle with green onions and bacon bits. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

– posted by Donna

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Two days til SPRING!

Published on March 19, 2009 in Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Vegan Recipes and Vegetarian Entrees. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

It’s another pantry kinda day, but since things are getting springier and springier around here, I thought I’d lighten it up a little. I love lentils, as well you know, but rather than my usual soups and stews, here’s a nice versatile salad, good on its own or as a template for your own tastes. Try adding your own favorite raw diced veggies!

SPRING LENTIL SALAD

2 cups green lentils, sorted and rinsed
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 cup carrot, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced

Cover the lentils with about 2-3 inches of water and boil until tender, approximately 20 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt, pepper, parsley and thyme together in a large mixing bowl. Chop the veggies and herbs. Drain lentils when finished. Add the warm lentils, carrots and bell pepper, and any other veggies you fancy, and stir to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you’re feeling like a splurge, I like to top each serving with a dollop of goat cheese. To stretch this more indulgent item out, try blending it with equal parts much-less-expensive cream cheese. You still get the tang of the chevre, which pairs well with the flavors of the salad, and the creamy texture is a nice contrast to the texture of the lentils and vegetables.

— posted by Anne

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Restaurant Re-do: Lettuce Wraps

Published on March 16, 2009 in Appetizers, Healthy Fare and Side Dishes. 2 Comments Tags: , , , .

One of the things we want to do here at “f f f” is re-create restaurant recipes, making them easy on the home chef AND the budget. And, I am happy to report that my first effort was a success!

I love that first-course dish that so many Chinese restaurants serve – usually served with a half head of lettuce on one plate and a pile of filling on another plate – self-serve style.

So, I decided to try an at-home version. These are surprisingly easy to make and very frugal. I like chicken thigh meat – it is more flavorful and cheaper than breast meat.  I made little mini-wraps secured with toothpicks and served on a platter. Yum!

MINI LETTUCE WRAPS

1 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 can (5 ounces) water chestnuts, diced
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup diced dry roasted peanuts
8 leafy green lettuce leaves

Heat a large skillet or wok to medium high heat. Dice chicken to pieces the size of a peanut. Place butter in pan and then add diced chicken. Saute for about 3 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Stir in garlic and cook another minute or two, until garlic is fragrant. Stir in water chestnuts, hoisin sauce, peanut butter, soy and vinegar, and continue to stir and cook until most of liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in green onions and peanuts.

Cut lettuce leaves into strips about 3 inches wide and 6 inches long. Place a generous tablespoon of chicken mixture at one end of a lettuce strip. Roll up and secure with a toothpick. Serve at room temperature. Makes 16 appetizers.

– posted by Donna

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Fab Frugal Friday Tip

Published on March 13, 2009 in Appetizers, Frugal Tips and Healthy Fare. 0 Comments

There is a combo of pantry foods often called “Cowboy Caviar” that is surprizingly yummy. Most recipes call for corn and black eyed peas, but the other ingredients vary widely. I love this dish – because it is so inexpensive but mostly because it is the kind of thing that you can throw together at the very last minute with whatever beans and corn you have on hand in your pantry. Everybody keeps some beans, corn and vinaigrette around, right?

I like to give this frugal snack food a southwest twist, so here’s what I recommend: corn (or hominy); black eyed peas; black beans; tomatoes, cilantro and a little diced avocado. Then, just toss with a little purchased or homemade vinaigrette and you’re finished! Serve with chips or toasted baguette slices.

– posted by Donna

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Sundried Tomato Hummus – with a twist!

Published on March 12, 2009 in Appetizers, Healthy Fare, Side Dishes and Vegan Recipes. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , .

It was bound to happen eventually. Two people in two different states writing for the same blog – we’d inevitably have to write about the same foodstuff in the same week at some point. That time is apparently now! So, while Donna may have beaten me to it, my variation is different enough that you’ll like it too!

I love the extra note of deep sweetness that sundried tomatoes bring to hummus. I also have *stage whisper* a secret ingredient. Like so many culinary innovations, this came about totally by accident. I was prepping to make some hummus one day when I realized that I was out of lemons! What to do? What could substitute for the acidic tang of lemon juice? I decided to give rice vinegar a whirl, and found that I really loved the end result. You can replace the  juice completely or do a combination of the two, as I do regularly now.

Unlike Donna, I do keep tahini in the fridge, and I do prefer the sesame flavor it adds. Vive la difference!

SUNDRIED TOMATO HUMMUS

2 15 oz cans chickpeas, drained

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes

2-3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

approx. 1 teaspoon salt  (adjust to taste)

I start with the garlic in the food processor and pulse it to chop, because I take the opportunity to be lazy when I can (plus, ya know, 11 month old). I then add all the other ingredients up to the vinegar and pulse it until very well mixed and starting to smooth out, then I run the processor continuously as I drizzle the oil in. Continue running until it meets desired smoothness, occasionally scraping down the sides. Taste it before you add salt, as there can be extra salt in the tomatoes.

- posted by Anne

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Roasted Garlic Hummus

Published on March 10, 2009 in Appetizers, Gluten Free, Healthy Fare and Vegan Recipes. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Hummus is one of our family’s favorite snacks/spreads/munchies.  The only spendy ingredient in traditional hummus recipes is tahini.  I always wind up buying an expensive jar of it and using just a few tablespoons and then the rest goes bad and I have to throw it out.  So, I decided to try blending in some roasted garlic as a flavorful substitute that is less pricey. We loved the result! Yum!!!

ROASTED GARLIC HUMMUS

One bulb garlic

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 cans (15 ounces each) garbanzo beans, drained

1 teaspoon regular or smoked paprika

A few dashes cayenne pepper sauce

A little water as needed for texture

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the bulb of garlic in half across diameter. Place cut side up in a square of aluminum foil. Drizzle a little of the oil and salt on top. Wrap the aluminum foil around the bulb halves. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven , bring to room temperature and then squeeze the cloves out of the bulb into the food processor.

Process in food processor for a few pulses the roasted garlic and all remaining ingredients except water.  Turn food processor on and slowly add water in a thin stream until desired consistency.

Serve at room temperature with crackers or toasted baguette slices.

- posted by Donna

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