Sweet Potato Fries

I've made sweet potato fries before, but I never quite get it right. They'll be soggy, or burnt, or underseasoned. These were delicious. Crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, a little spicy. Yum!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Peel sweet potato (or, you can mak e them with the skin on). If you need to wash your potato, make sure to dry the potato really well. Slice the potato into fries that are 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch thick.

Put fries into a bowl. Sprinkle with coarse salt (kosher or sea salt) and generously with freshly ground pepper. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Don't use too much oil or fries will turn out soggy. Add only enough that fries are slightly coated. Toss the fries so they have an even coating of oil, salt, and pepper.

Put fries on a cookie sheet. Spread them out and avoid having them touch each other. You may wish to sprinkle more salt and pepper on them. Put in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and turn them over, then bake for another 15 minutes. Fries should be browned to a golden color. If they don't look cooked enough, bake longer, in 5 minute intervals, turning them over as needed.

Remove from oven and enjoy!

Tofu Burger

Source: http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/tofu-burgers.php  

I will say, I was skeptical that this recipe would be good.  But...it's seriously so good.  I will make this again for sure.  

Ingredients:

1 lb extra firm (or firm) tofu

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup fine corn meal

1/4 cup quick oats

1/2 cup parsley tops or fresh basil leaves, washed and dried

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp dried basil or thyme

1/4 tsp ginger

pinch of cayenne

1/2 tsp salt and/or 1 Tbsp liquid aminos or soy sauce

optional: asefetida (hing) or garlic

Directions:

1. Heat a  non-stick frying pan on medium with olive oil, or your favorite cooking oil

2. Add a pinch of asefetida (hing) or a crushed garlic clove to the oil for extra flavor

3. Cut tofu into 1 inch chunks, and add to food processor

4. If you don't have one, mash by hand or with a potato masher, and finely chop the parsley or basil first

5. Throw  in everything else and mix well by hand, or on low in the food processor just until it all clumps up

6. Form into eight 3-4 inch patties

7. Fry in small amount of oil, on medium heat, 5-7 minutes on each side, or until golden brown

Cooking Tip from the Website:

Improvise freely with the seasonings and grains. But if you want onions, use them on the outside, not the inside - they make the veggie burger mixture too wet.... or another person said they added onion to the mixture, and just added more flour/corn meal/oats

My cooking changes:

-I used firm tofu

-I didn't have 1/2 cup fresh parsley (I had maybe 1/4 cup) so I also added some dried basil to make up the difference-I totally just guessed.  There was no science to it.

-I added significantly more oats because I thought the mixture was too sticky.  I’m really guessing, but it could have been up to ½ cup more.

-I did not use liquid amines, soy sauce,or asafetida   

-I added extra paprika because I thought the “dough” didn’t taste good.  Turns out the “dough” never tastes good.  Don’t let that deter you.  It gets good one you fry ‘er up.

-I put the extra in the fridge.  You can also freeze them and put them in microwave to reheat.  

Bean-and-Tortellini Zuppa

This is one of my favorite soups.... fyi.

1/4 cup finely chopped carrots

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 Tbsp olive oil

1, 15-oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1, 15-oz can diced tomatoes

1 small zucchini

2, 14-oz cans low-sodium chicken broth

9 oz pkg cheese tortellini

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

(also tastes good with celery and spinach added)

1. Sautee carrots, onion, and garlic in oil until softened.

2. Add all other ingredients.  Mix and bring to a boil.

3. When it is boiling, add tortellini.  Cook until tortellini are soft.

4. Enjoy

Tupelo Rice of Santa Barbara

1 pkg of Zatarain's yellow rice, prepared as directed
about 1 cup of corn
1 can of kidney beans (or other bean)
several handfuls or so of fresh spinach
2 tomatoes
1 large yellow onion
oil, salt, pepper, garlic for sauteing
fresh parsley

1. Cook rice according to package.
2. Saute corn in a bit of oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic, until it gets a little brown.  Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Follow step 2 for the remaining items.
4. Combine all ingredients together and gently mix.  Sprinkle with Parmesan, Romano, or mozzarella cheese.
5. Garnish with fresh parsley

*Make note that you can add other ingredients to your liking, such as sauteed zucchini