Sweet Potato Wedges with Avocado Chimichurri

I have a portable filing cabinet that houses all the recipes that I've gathered over time and it's heavy, really heavy.  The recipes are separated into categories (breakfast/breads, sweet treats, main dishes etc.) and then split into two separate categories of "have made" and "haven't made, but want to."  Often a recipe that I find ends up in the "haven't made, but want to" category and stays there for quite some time.  Other times I find a recipe that I immediately know that I have to make very soon, like right now soon.  These sweet potato wedges with avocado chimchurri fell into the make me right now category.   

After a quick trip to the grocery store I found myself in a place where I feel most comfortable, the kitchen.  I don't have amazing knife skills, but my knife feels comfortable in my hand (sometimes too comfortable).  In no time at all I'm breathing in the smells of fresh lime juice, cilantro, jalapenos, vinegar, and garlic that fill my kitchen and I feel happy inside.  As I toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil and smoked paprika I watch my fingers turn a burnt red color from the paprika. 

Before I pull the sweet potatoes from the oven I quickly halve two avocados and take a moment to admire their lovely green color (it never gets old).  I quickly dice the avocados into a bowl and add a large spoonful (or two) of the chimichurri and give it a gentle mashing.  I take a bite and my heart skips a beat, I am in heaven.  The avocado chimichurri is creamy, bright, and fresh with a little heat.  I pile the sweet potatoes hot from the oven onto a plate and watch my finger quickly sprinkle them with cilantro.  I immediately knew I needed to share this deliciousness with someone and Todd was working upstairs.      

He may have been a bit surprised when I handed him a plate of sweet potato wedges instead of a sandwich for lunch, but not that surprised because he knows me well and will happily share a plate of sweet potato wedges and avocado chimichurri with me for lunch.

 

Sweet Potato Wedges

3 medium sweet potatoes

2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Avocado Chimichurri

1 large garlic clove

2 green onions, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 jalapeno, stemmed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, lightly packed
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, lightly packed
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 ripe avocados

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Wash and dry the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2" wedges.  Place the sweet potato wedges and cornstarch into a large Ziploc bag and toss to coat.

Dump the wedges onto a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil, smoked paprika, and salt.  Toss everything to coat with your hands and spread wedges into a single layer.  Bake in the upper third of the oven for 30 minutes or until the edges are just browned.

While the sweet potatoes are roasting, prepare your sauce.  Place garlic, green onions, and salt into the bowl of a food processor and run until well chopped.  Add the jalapeno and pulse a few times to chop.  Add the cilantro, parsley, vinegar, lemon juice, and oil and pulse a few more times until roughly combined.  Dice the avocados and put them into a mixing bowl.  Add a few spoonfuls of the chimichurri and gently mash it into the avocados (I like to leave mine chunky), adding more chimichurri to taste.

Recipe barely adapted from Sprouted Kitchen

Potato Chips and the Beginning of Date Nights In

A couple of months ago I pre-ordered Ashley Rodriguez's cookbook Date Night In.  It came a few days before Christmas and I could not have been more excited (Merry Christmas to me)!  Its pages are filled with beautiful and inspiring food and words and I devoured every bit of it over Christmas break.  After finishing the book, I committed that 2015 would be the year for more date nights in.

Well last Thursday I decided sort of spur of the moment that I would have our first date night in that evening.  I decided on homemade potato chips (from Ashley's book), KBR (kale bacon & ricotta) sandwiches from Ashley's blog, an orange and raw pickled beet salad, and homemade crème fraiche ice cream with raspberries. (It worked out well that I had already made the pickled beets and ice cream a few days before.)

That afternoon I used my mandoline to slice potatoes paper thin and then gave them a quick dunk in a bath of cold water.  After being drained and patted dry, I watched them bubble around in a pot of hot oil and transform into golden, crisp potato chips.  I couldn't help but stand back and admire my lovely pile of potato chips.  Do you ever get that really tight excited feeling?  That feeling for me often accompanies really great food, Christmas time, and seeing my kiddies soundly sleeping and now for date nights in with Todd. 

While in the middle of frying my chips, Preston came home from school he asked me what I was making potato chips for.  I told him that it was for a date night in with Dad.  After tasting a few of the chips he asked me if I would do a date night in for him.  Someday Preston.

Potato Chips

Serves 2 to 4 depending on how many chips you want to consume

2 large russet potatoes
4 cups canola or vegetable oil
Kosher salt

Slice the potatoes into very, very thin rounds (about 1/16 inch thick) using a mandoline.  Place the potato slices in a large bowl of cold water and let soak for 5-10 minutes. 

Drain the potato slices.  Place the slices in a single layer on a triple layer of paper towels and then roll it up to lightly dry them.  Keep the slices rolled up in the towel as you cook off batches to keep the potatoes from oxidizing. 

Add the oil to a large saucepan.  It should be about 2 to 3 inches deep in the pan.  Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees.

Fry the potatoes in batches of 10 to 15 slices.  Be careful not to overcrowd the pan.  Carefully move the chips around with a slotted spoon or spider until the chips are golden brown and the bubbling oil has calmed.  If there is still frantic bubbling, there is still moisture in the chips (moisture equals a not so crunchy chip). 

Transfer the fried chips to a paper towel or brown paper sack lined baking sheet to dry.  Season with kosher salt while the chips are still warm.  Bring the oil back to 350 before adding the next batch.  Eat and enjoy.

Recipe slightly adapted from Ashley Rodriguez's Date Night In

Charred Mexican Zucchini

This summer is my first with a little garden of my own.  It was planted a little late in the season, but I was determined to get it in.  The whole gardening thing is quite a miracle to me.   To watch something that starts as a very small plant or seed, grow and produce something that I can feed my family is pretty amazing.  I love going out every morning to see my growing vegetable plants.  I kind of love picking weeds (remember my garden is small).  I love the way my hands smell after I've touched a tomato or pepper plant.  I love knowing that I am able to walk out and grab a zucchini for dinner or a jalapeno to make salsa.  There is something very satisfying about growing your own food.  I'm already thinking about next year and what I will add to my little garden and it makes me feel excited!  One vegetable that seems to grow overnight (no kidding) is zucchini.  My kiddies prefer it in the form of zucchini bread, but for me, I love it in any form.  This charred Mexican zucchini is filled with creamy cheesy goodness, dusted with a smokey chili powder and given a spritz of fresh lime juice.  Seriously soooo good!

Charred Mexican Zucchini

4 green zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise and seeds removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and red pepper flakes, to taste
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup queso, crumbled
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Ancho chili powder, for dusting
1 lime cut into wedges

Heat grill on high.  Place zucchini halves on baking sheet cut side up.  Drizzle zucchini with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and crushed red pepper flakes.  Place on the grill cut side down.  Cook until zucchini has dark grill marks and looks charred around the edges.  

Remove from the grill and allow to cool while making the filling.

To a medium sized bowl, add the mayonnaise, queso, and some freshly cracked black pepper. Stir until evenly combined.

Top each zucchini half with a few spoonfuls of the creamy, cheesy filling.  Dust the zucchini with a smokey, chili powder followed by a spritz of fresh lime juice.  Serve immediately.

Recipe from Joy the Baker

*Picture taken with my iphone (summertime food for me and my family through the eyes of me and my iphone).

Grilled Cabbage Wedges with Spicy Lime Dressing

I love when I don't know what I'm going to make for dinner and I don't want to go to the store, but somehow (once in a blue moon) a meal magically comes together from what I have floating around in my fridge and ends up being delicious.  This was the case the other night and these grilled cabbage wedges may have been the highlight of the meal (my 5 year old may beg to differ).

Grilled Cabbage Wedges with Spicy Lime Dressing

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 head of cabbage (I used half of head of green and half a head of purple)
Canola oil

Preheat grill.

In the bowl of a food processor or blender combine the lime juice, olive oil, fish sauce, garlic, cilantro, salt, cayenne and sugar and pulse or blend until the sauce is pale orange color in color.  Set aside.

Remove the loosest, toughest outer leaves from the cabbage; cut into 8 evenly sized wedges.  Do not remove the stalk or inner core.  Lightly brush the wedges with canola oil.

Place the wedges on the grill and cover.  Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the edges of each layer are blackened and the cabbage is beginning to soften.  Flip each wedge over, cover the grill, and cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes on the other side.  Remove the cabbage when it is beginning to wilt, but is still firm in the middle.  If necessary, turn the heat down or move the wedges to a cooler part of the grill so they don't burn.  Don't be afraid of the blackened edges; you want a lot of grill and char marks on the cabbage.
Take the cabbage off the grill and place on a serving plate.  Pour the dressing over the top of the cabbage and serve immediately with wedges of lime.

Recipe from The Kitchn

Grilled Cauliflower with Harissa

This harissa packs a whole lot of flavor and is awesome served alongside grilled chicken that has been marinated in Greek yogurt, garlic, ground cumin and lemon juice, but is equally delicious served on top of grilled cauliflower or pretty much any grilled vegetable for that matter.

Harissa

1 roasted red pepper, seeds removed and roughly chopped

1 (14-ounce) can tomato puree

3 cups cold water

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 tablespoon sweet paprika

1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

15 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

6 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

6 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Put all of the ingredients except for the olive oil in a large saucepan.  Stir to combine.  Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a low simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat when necessary, until the mixture has thickened and reduced to 2 1/4 cups.  Once mixture has reduced, transfer to a blender, turn blender on, and slowly drizzle in the olive oil.  Blend until smooth.  Store in the refrigerator in an airtight jar, with a film of the olive oil on top, for up to three months. 

Grilled Cauliflower

1 large head cauliflower

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Preheat grill.

Wash and dry cauliflower.  Place on a cutting board, stem side down, and slice vertically, top to bottom, into 1/4-inch slices. Drizzle olive oil over cauliflower steaks and season with salt and pepper.  Carefully place the cauliflower on hot grill and turn heat to medium high.  Cook cauliflower until both sides of cauliflower have nice dark grill marks.  Remove from grill and serve with harissa and chopped cilantro.  

Recipe slightly adapted from Not Without Salt