Curried Sweet Potato Soup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 onions, sliced
2 green onions, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 tablespoon mild curry
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups butternut squash, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
Fresh chives for garnish
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions, green onion, carrots, and apple. Sauté until soft, about 15 minutes. Add spices, salt, pepper, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes. Stir then add chicken stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 45 minutes, until vegetables are very soft. Using a hand-held emulsifier, puree mixture until completely smooth. Using a fine mesh strainer, pour soup through to remove solids. Lower heat and whisk in cream. Check seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh chives.
Yield: 8-10 servings
Mrs. Buckley’s Sweet Potatoes
Wilda Buckley was the pre-school director at our church forever, and she passed this recipe on to my mother. My family has served these sweet potatoes at every holiday meal for as long as I can remember!
8 sweet potatoes
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 eggs, beaten
2 sticks butter, melted
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
Topping:
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup flour
2 sticks butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
Pinch of allspice
Pinch of cinnamon
2 cups chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a large baking sheet, place potatoes, cook for 1 hour or until potatoes are soft. Remove from oven and let cool enough to remove skins. In bowl of a mixer, place potatoes and beat until very smooth. Add sugar, salt, eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla. Continue beating until mixture is very fluffy. Pour into a buttered 9×13-inch glass baking dish. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix topping ingredients with a fork. Drop by spoonfuls onto potatoes and return to oven. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Serve hot.
Yield: 12 servings
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Mixed Greens and Buttermilk Citrus Vinaigrette
The Buttermilk Citrus Vinaigrette is just bold enough to pair with this beautiful and healthy fall salad.
2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, thinly sliced
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups mixed salad greens
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place sliced sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Turn each slice to coat. Roast potatoes for 15 minutes. Flip and roast for 10 to 15 minutes more or until slices are lightly browned and crisp. Remove from oven and let cool. In a large serving bowl, add greens, red onion, chickpeas, dried cranberries, almonds, avocado, and sweet potatoes. Gently toss salad and divide between four plates. Drizzle each with Buttermilk Citrus Vinaigrette.
Dressing:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 shallot, finely minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup good quality mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
In a small bowl, combine vinegar, orange juice, shallot, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, and olive oil. Taste, and adjust seasonings.
Yield: 4 servings
Sweet Potato Biscuits
1 cup cooked sweet potato
½ cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons melted butter
1½ cup plain flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Melted butter for brushing (½-stick or less)
4 pieces thick-sliced bacon, cooked and drained
Cherry preserves
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, mix together sweet potato, buttermilk, and butter. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt together over a sheet of wax paper. Gently mix dry ingredients into wet to form soft dough. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto pan. Using back of a spoon dipped in melted butter, gently press each biscuit to smooth top. Brush biscuits with remaining butter. Bake biscuits for 15 minutes or until tops are beginning to brown lightly. Fill with bacon and preserves if desired.
Yield: 12 biscuits
Sweet Potato Sausage Balls
This recipe is adapted from Ivy’s Sweet Sausage Balls found in Martha Foose’s new cookbook, A Good Meal is Hard To Find
3 cups Bisquick
6 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 pound spicy Italian sausage (casings removed)
1 cup mashed baked sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
Garlic Onion Jam (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, blend all ingredients by hand until combined. Dust work surface with a bit of baking mix. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each into a rope. Cut each rope into 12 pieces and roll each one into a ball and place on a baking sheet. Bake until sausage is fully cooked and balls are deep orange and crisp on bottoms, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm, with garlic onion jam, if desired.
Yield: 4 dozen
Fried Sweet Potato Skins with Sea Salt, Fresh Herbs, and Horseradish Sauce
Sauce:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
¼ cup horseradish
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
In a bowl, mix ingredients together and chill until ready to serve.
4 fully cooked whole sweet potatoes
2 cups vegetable oil
Flakey sea salt
1 cup chopped assorted fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, oregano, chives, and thyme)
Using a sharp knife, gently cut skins from potatoes in large strips. (Reserve potatoes for another use.) In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees. Drop skins into oil a few at a time, and fry until golden, turning once. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with sea salt and fresh herbs. Serve hot with horseradish sauce.
Yield: 8 servings
