Sweet Potatoes Two Ways

Thanksgiving is around the corner. If you are looking for some new sweet potato ideas, here are a couple of Mediterranean-inspired options from my new book — one sweet and one savory!

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Hazelnuts

One of my favorite ways to experience new cities is by staying with friends who are locals. While we were in Barcelona researching recipe ideas for The Forest Feast Mediterranean, we were invited by friends to celebrate Todos los Santos (All Saints’ Day) at their home. The meal included sweet potatoes with roasted chestnuts. For this version, I used hazelnuts instead, which are more readily available and also delicious!

BAKED SWEET POTATOES WITH HAZELNUTS

recipe from The Forest Feast Mediterranean

3 medium sweet potatoes

dollop of butter

1 t honey

sprinkle of cinnamon

chopped hazelnuts

Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Wash sweet potatoes and prick them several times all over with a knife & place on baking sheet. Bake for 45-60 minutes (when a knife goes in easily, they are done).

Slice potatoes in half lengthwise, then score them in a grid. Top each with a dollop of butter, honey, a sprinkle of cinnamon & chopped hazelnuts.

Note: When serving these on a buffet with several sides, I look for small sweet potatoes (or you can quarter them after they’ve been cooked) for individual-sized portions.

Sweet Potatoes with Feta Dressing

Here’s a savory Mediterranean-inspired recipe from the new book. It is easy to prepare in advance and can be served at room temperature, making it perfect for a gathering like Thanksgiving.

SWEET POTATOES WITH FETA DRESSING

recipe from The Forest Feast Mediterranean

4 medium sweet potatoes (no need to peel)

2 T milk

1/3 c (50 g) crumbled feta

1 T olive oil

2 T rice vinegar

pinch of nutmeg

scallions (chopped)

Cube sweet potatoes & lay out on a baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil & sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast potatoes at 425°F (220°C) for 30 min or until fork tender.

For dressing, use an immersion blender to combine the milk, crumbed feta, olive oil, rice vinegar & nutmeg. Drizzle potatoes with desired amount of dressing & sprinkle with chopped scallions.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

++++

Happy Thanksgiving!
xoxo

For more sweet potato recipes ideas, check out my…

• Sweet Potato Pizza

• Sweet Potato and Lentil Tacos

• Lentil & Sweet Potato Salad

Honey-Balsamic Green Beans

Every year we go to Santa Barbara to my aunt and uncle’s dreamy beach house for Thanksgiving but this year, we are heading to Sonoma County. I’m making a few sides to bring including these green beans from my new Forest Feast Mediterranean cookbook inspired by our time in Sicily.

Honey-Balsamic Green Beans

recipe from The Forest Feast Mediterranean

4 c green beans

2 cloves minced garlic, trimmed & diagonally sliced

1/4 c (35 grams) pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup (30 grams) pistachio seeds, roasted & chopped

Saute on medium heat with 1 T olive oil, plus salt and pepper, for 3-5 minutes or until the beans are bright green. Then add 1 T balsamic vinegar and 1 T honey to the pan and toss until all the beans are glazed. (about 1 min).

Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt and the pomegranate seeds and roasted & chopped pistachio seeds.

Max and me in Cefalu, Sicily in 2017 while shooting The Forest Feast Mediterranean cookbook

The rural area of Sicily we visited is known for its honey and pistachio production and these ingredients are used frequently in sweet and savory dishes from the region. I love the added crunch from the pistachios. We visited the snowy volcano peak in the morning and ended the very same day with a sunset walk along the coast in the village of Santa Maria La Scala.

Ezra making a snowball near the top of Mt. Etna, Sicily, 2017

Happy Thanksgiving!

For more vegetarian sides, try my Persimmon Cranberry Sauce, Butternut Hummus & Deviled Eggs , or Nutty Cauliflower Rice Pilaf.

P.S. The Forest Feast Mediterranean is on sale now and makes a great host gift!

Everything Bagel Greens

This is my new favorite vegetable side, and it takes less than 5 minutes to make! You can use any type of greens you like (I used collards above) but kale or spinach or chard also work wonderfully. Everything Bagel seasoning can be found at many grocery stores now and has a mixture of garlic, salt and sesame usually. It’s delicious!

EVERYTHING BAGEL GREENS

4 handfuls raw greens (collards, kale, chard, spinach - or a mixture)

About 4 shakes of Everything Bagel seasoning (I found mine at Trader Joe’s)

Olive oil

Add a splash of olive oil to a pan on medium heat. Add the greens and a small splash of water. Add another drizzle of oil on top. Cover with a lid for about a minute. Remove lid and stir, covering again and repeating until they wilt, for 3-5 minutes. Try not to over cook them…once they are bright green and wilted they are done! Turn the heat off and add a few shakes of the Everything Bagel seasoning. remember it has salt in it, so don’t add too much. Stir to combine and serve immediately. Add more seasoning as a garnish if you wish. Serves 2 as a side.

*tip: for a richer flavor, add a bit of butter to the pan as well!

Lentil + Sweet Potato Salad

Because I work from home, I love to have some prepped salads on hand for lunch, so I can grab a healthy bowl and keep working. I made this yesterday and it was super filling and tasty! The added bonus was the sweet cherry tomatoes which came from a friend's garden.

LENTIL + SWEET POTATO SALAD

1 (15 oz) can lentils, drained & rinsed in a strainer

1 small sweet potato, baked for 1 hour at 375˚F (or until soft), then cooled & cubed

1/4 c  diced red onion

1 c cherry tomatoes, halved

For the dressing: 1 t rice vinegar, 1 T olive oil, 1 t Braggs amino acid (or soy sauce), 1 t sesame oil. Add a grind of black pepper before serving.

Toss all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy immediately! It also keeps well for a day or 2 in the fridge. Use this as a base and add in what you have on hand! I made a second batch and added chopped radishes which was a tasty, crunchy addition. Other add-in ideas include feta, tofu, pumpkin seeds or fresh cilantro.

Broccoli Fritters

I feel like I am always looking for new ideas to get our 2 toddlers to eat vegetables. It's so hard! Max (who is 1)  simply throws everything and Ezra (who is 3) often removes anything green from his plate immediately upon arrival. This past Monday at 5pm I had just gotten home with both kids and had no idea what to make for dinner. I needed an idea quick and I remembered seeing this Broccoli Fritter recipe in my Smitten Kitchen newsletter. In the post, Deb talked about how fritters were the answer to this toddler problem so I decided to try it out on my 2 little veggie skeptics. 

The recipe is quite simple. You chop a head of broccoli into very small pieces, steam it in a skillet, then stir it in a bowl with flour, an egg and some grated cheese. Fry and eat!

To my surprise, THE KIDS ACTUALLY ATE THEM!!! And I thought they were delicious, too, topped with yogurt, lemon and Maldon salt. I enjoyed a few of them with a glass of rosé. 

This one will be making a recurring appearance. Recommended! Thanks, Deb. Now I am brainstorming what else I can turn into a fritter...

Broccoli Fritters

Adapted from this recipe by Smitten Kitchen. Makes about 8 fritters.

1 small head of broccoli

1/2 c flour

1 egg

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 c grated cheese (I used a mix of parmesan and cheddar)

salt and pepper to taste, oil for frying

Chop the broccoli into very small pieces (florets and the upper parts of the stems). Throw them in a big skillet with a splash of water and cover to steam (about 5 min). Drain the broccoli and move it to a mixing bowl. Add the other ingredients and stir to combine. Use a potato masher or the bottom of a glass to mash the broccoli mixture just a bit. It's ok if there are still some chunks. Fry heaping spoonfuls (to make patties) in olive oil until both sides are browned. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and serve alongside yogurt and a lemon wedge. My kids also liked dipping them in ketchup (whatever gets the greens down!). Enjoy!