Sweet Potato Cinnamon Buns

Who doesn’t love a hot, sticky, sweet cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven?  Crazy people, that’s who!  All joking aside, a hot batch of cinnamon rolls just makes you feel good.  Unfortunately, these little delicious pastries are not quite what you could call healthy.  But what if you could get a healthy dose of vitamin A in each little cinnamon-y bite?

Enter Vegetarian Times, November 2011 recipe for Sweet Potato and Pecan Cinnamon Buns with Maple Glaze (http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11745).   Ok, I’m not going to say these are healthy per se, but compared to those cinnamon rolls you get in the Food Court at the Mall, it’s definitely a step in the right direction.  The dough makes 12 good size rolls, but you could make 24 mini rolls and not feel like your skimping on anything.  Each regular size bun is 331 calories and 11g of fat  when you make the recipe as printed, keep in mind there are nuts, which is a contributor to the higher fat content. 

Everyone has had a Hamburger Potato Roll, a nice light texture that is more of a condiment soaker-upper than a flavor component.  Using sweet potatoes definitely kicks that flavor up a notch.   This dough, texture-wise, is just lovely.  The dough was very easy to work with and I look forward to experimenting with it a little more in some other applications.

This is actually a vegan recipe, but I used non-vegan ingredients.  I also omitted the pecans and made an orange cream cheese glaze instead of the maple (subbed a tsp of orange zest for the maple flavor and added a drop of vanilla extract).  I used 1 decent sized potato for the 2/3 c and there was just a little left over.  This is a pretty easy recipe but you do need to factor in the 1 hour and 45 minutes of proofing time (hour for the dough, 45 min after rolls are cut).  That being said, it is quite a quick recipe other than that.  Give it a try this weekend!

*If you don’t need 12 cinnamon rolls (remember portion control!) you can follow the recipe up until the final 45 min proof.  At that point proof the rolls you want to back that day and put the others in the freezer on a sheet pan and freeze them until solid.  Then put them in a Ziploc and label them.  When you want to bake them off let them sit in the fridge over night and bake them off in the morning. 

Pudding-Palooza!

I’m not sure why, but for the past couple of weeks I’ve been on this Butterscotch Pudding kick.  I don’t know why or where it came from but it came in with a vengeance and is still kicking around with no sign of leaving.  Fortunately, I have some very easy-going taste testers to help me out.

What is it about pudding?  It’s such a kids’ dessert, but it’s just so good!  It can be fancy, or plain.  You can fold it into whipped cream for a quick mousse or use it to make a beautiful trifle.   You could even toss it into a popsicle mold and freeze it!  Oh the possibilities!

First I decided to just do a plain old butterscotch pudding recipe and top it with some crushed Heath bar.  Absolutely delicious!  Then I decided to try a more grown-up, Italian twist on pudding, the Caramel Budino with Salted Caramel Sauce from Bon Appétit Sept 2011.  The budino starts off with a chocolate cookie crumb crust, then a layer caramel pudding, and topped with a salted caramel sauce.  I tasted each layer separately as I was making them, as any good chef should do, and each layer was OK, nothing special.  I put the puddings in the fridge to chill and set, figuring at least it would be something different for dessert. 

Sometimes the sum of the parts is greater than the whole, and sometimes it goes the other way.  In this case it went the other way!  The layers all together were soooooo good.  The chocolate-y crust, sweet smooth pudding, and salty sweet sauce hit just about every taste bud I had.  I’m not going to lie, using an extra wafer cookie instead of a spoon, while not mandatory, is highly recommended!

Homemade "Poptarts"

I’m always looking for some fun and new food to try.  If you’ll remember, I’m a big fan of oatmeal for breakfast, but this morning I was looking for something different to feed Aiden.  I have this really great book for “baby food” and I had remembered seeing a recipe for “Pop Tarts”.  Seeing as how my little alarm clock (Aiden) went off early today I had a little extra time before the feeding frenzy would start so I decided to give these a try.

This book I have, Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron, is amazing.  It says its baby food, but let me tell you it is not limited to food and certainly isn’t limited to baby.  I very highly recommend this book to anyone with a new baby, and well anyone in general.  There are a lot of healthier recipes for convenience products, like the pop tarts, “Shake n Bake” and other things like that, but also “recipes” for cleaning solutions without chemicals.  And, to be honest, there are very few differences between what a healthy baby should eat and what a healthy adult should eat; fruits, vegetables; unprocessed foods.  Seriously, this book is invaluable.

So here is the recipe:

                2 beaten eggs
                ¼ c olive oil
                2 T melted butter
                ¼ c +2T honey
                2 c flour
                2 tsp baking powder

Mix ingredients together and chill for an hour in the freezer.  Cut and roll dough into 12 rectangles.  Place about a tablespoon of filling in the center of half of the rectangles.  Top with another rectangle and crimp edges.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

If you want a frosting mix 2 T powdered sugar, ¼ tsp vanilla and 1 T milk and drizzle over top of baked pastries.

The dough can be a little difficult to work with because it is so delicate with all the liquid in it.  I did half the batch with about a half hour in the freezer, but the other half I left in for more like an hour plus and that worked easier.  I also recommend only working on half of the dough out at a time for that same reason.   Cut and roll out 6 pieces of dough from each half, using one piece for the bottom and one for the top.   The dough is just so delicate that it kept tearing if I tried just folding it over. 

As far as fillings go, you can really do anything.  I used strawberry jam because that’s what I had.  I’m going to experiment more with some other fillings, like maybe homemade apple butter or peanut butter and banana, or Nutella!  The possibilities are endless really!

The Incredible Edible Egg

Eggs are such a versatile food.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner, there’s an egg for that!  I love a fried egg sandwich with ham and cheese, a weekend delicacy I grew up with.  In my house, my Dad was the Egg Man.  He would heat up the little cast iron skillet, for me the only appropriate egg cooking vessel, and whip up egg sandwiches for the whole family.  When I go home to this day I still ask him to make me an egg sandwich, because even with all my culinary training, somehow, my dad still makes the best sandwich.
Many people will disagree with me that a cast iron skillet is the best way to cook an egg; they will say you want to use a non-stick skillet.  Well, let me tell you, I’ve tried it both ways, and toxicity issues aside, I think an egg made in cast iron just tastes better.

 The “issue” with cast iron is that you have to know how to use it.  It takes a while to get hot, and then retains the heat, so if you crank it up to get it going quickly you may need to completely take the pan off the heat by the time you are ready to cook.  I like to heat my pan on low for maybe 10 minutes while I’m getting everything else ready. 

The other thing you need to be aware of when using cast iron, is the cleaning and upkeep.  It is important to “season” your cast iron.  This is a simple process that produces a non-stick surface.  To season your pan, heat it on medium heat until hot.  Remove it from the heat and pour about a tablespoon of vegetable oil in and swirl it around.  Carefully, using a paper towel, rub the oil around the surface of the pan.  I like to get the edges and even outside of the pan as well, but not the bottom.   Let the pan cool and then wipe out any excess oil.  You should do this every time after using your pan. 

When cleaning the cast iron, you really just want to use a non-abrasive cloth and warm water, no soap.  Some people don’t like that, and if it really bothers you, use the soap.   Then re-season the pan.  The more you use your pan the better the season gets, which is why these pans are great passed down through generations.

Getting back to the eggs; as I said, I love a runny fried egg sandwich, but I like using fried eggs in a lot of different ways.  When I make risotto and have a little left over, I’ll throw a fried egg on top of it and have it for breakfast.  I have a Sausage and Kale Risotto that I make that is especially good with the egg.  It’s so good that it’s even worth making the risotto especially for the egg-garnish it with a little truffle salt if you’re feeling extra special!  My Kale and White Bean Ragout is also another favorite to top with a fried egg.  It may sound weird, but try it out.  You may find that you’re making dinner just to have leftovers!

Oatmeal for the family

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but is often skipped in the rush to get the day started. Even those of us that do take the time for breakfast often go the easy route and grab something laden with sugar and or salt. READ YOUR LABELS. It’s important to have something that is quick, healthy, and tastes great. The answer-oatmeal!


Oats can help lower your cholesterol, which is great especially for anyone with a family history of heart disease. Eating oats can also help control blood sugars over a longer period of time, benefiting those with diabetes. The phytochemicals in oats have shown to decrease chances of hormone related diseases and cancers. Oats can also reduce high blood pressure. One of my favorite things about oatmeal is that I don’t feel hungry 10 minutes after I eat it like I do with cereal. This long-lasting “full feeling” can really help with weight management. (Check out this site for more info on the health benefits of oats http://eatmoreoats.com/health.html)

Ok, yeah, so oatmeal is good for me, so what? I’m not going to lie; my love affair with oatmeal is a much more recent thing. The mushy texture just wasn’t for me for a long time. I thought it was boring. When I was pregnant though, I really needed to find something that I could eat quickly and easily that would hold off the hunger monster for a while.

The great thing about oatmeal is you can take about 15 minutes to make a “mother” batch one day and then you have it for your family the rest of the week. To make the mother batch, the ratio is 2:1; 2c of water to 1c of oats and add a pinch of salt. Just add a little milk when you’re reheating it and you are good to go. I recommend not adding any sugar to the mother batch and just adding it to your individual portion. This will help control sugar content and make it easier to share with the family. (Children from about 8 months and older can eat oatmeal.)

Oatmeal is incredibly versatile so you can toss anything in. My favorite mix-ins are dried cranberries and slivered almonds. My son loves pureed apples and cinnamon, cherries, blueberries, or bananas. I always put some sort of spice like cinnamon, ground ginger, pumpkin pie spice, allspice in it. The possibilities are endless! So whip up a big batch of oatmeal and start your day off with bang!

Olive Oil Poached Swordfish

During my weekly perusal of the grocery store ads I noticed that swordfish was on sale. Thankfully, on our recent family vacation/reunion on the east coast, my somewhat picky husband realized that he really liked swordfish, saying it tasted “just like steak!” So I knew that I would add swordfish to my menu this week. Ok, so one task down, but how to prepare it?


I usually have done grilled swordfish, which is really nice, but I just didn’t feel like getting out (cleaning) my grill pan. I came across a recipe I had seen before and just hadn’t tried, Olive Oil Poached Swordfish with White Corn, Guanciale, and Chive Oil from Bon Appétit September 2010. This sounded like a perfect recipe for a summer dinner!

Guanciale is salt-cured pork jowl, it is similar to pancetta. I had bacon already in the fridge so I just decided to use that instead of getting guanciale or pancetta. I think any recipe that starts out with corn and bacon can’t help but be delicious. So, you just crisp up the bacon and sauté shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes in the bacon fat then add the corn, a little chicken stock and some butter, and that’s it. So simple, yet so perfect! This corn makes a lovely little bed for the swordfish.

For the swordfish, you just heat some olive oil in a pot to 150 degrees and season it with some crushed garlic, rosemary, and lemon slices. When the oil is ready, add the swordfish and put the pan in a 350 degree oven until it is firm to the touch and just cooked.

The fish ends up just delicious, and you could do it with other firm fish as well. The flavor is so delicate and paired with the smoky sweet corn and the fresh chive oil-could there be a better summer meal?

Bourbon Bacon Jam

One day, while Aiden was napping, I was doing some very important Facebook perusing and I came across a link from Specialty Produce via Evil Shenanigans for a Bourbon Bacon Jam. I knew immediately I had to make it. Looking through the ingredients my mouth just started salivating; Bourbon, Bacon, Maple syrup, lots of spices. I couldn’t wait to get started, but first I needed to get the best bacon I could find. Trader Joe’s has this awesome Applewood smoked bacon that is to die for! The smell of any bacon cooking is just too good to pass up, but this bacon puts those to shame. So I got my 2 pounds of special bacon and I was on my way.


While there are quite a few ingredients in this recipe, for the most part they are things you have around the house already. As if you needed more of a reason to make this, it can almost be your “spice rack clear out” go-to recipe.

Bourbon Bacon Jam Yield 1 1/2 cups

1 pound thick-cup applewood smoked bacon, cut into 1″ pieces

1 large sweet onion, cut into 1/4″ thick slices

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch fresh grated nutmeg

Pinch ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon dry chipotle powder

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 cup strong brewed coffee

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup good quality bourbon

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon hot sauce

Basically you cook the bacon until the edges are crispy but the center is still soft. Sauté the onion and garlic, and add the brown sugar to caramelize. Then add the spices, then liquid ingredients and simmer for 2 hours and pulse in a food processor to desired consistency.

How easy is that? Everything together just yields a very nice smoky, sweet, spicy flavor. I actually used a double shot of espresso instead of the regular coffee and thought it was pretty good. This jam would be great out with a cheese plate or even as a topping for some baked brie. My favorite way to use it was on an English muffin with a slice of heirloom tomato and some sharp cheddar cheese. It was the best breakfast sandwich. I also really liked it on my egg sandwiches. I think I would like it on almost anything!

Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures because I forgot to take them before I froze the jam. I was sending it to my parents and just didn’t think about pictures until it was gone. 

Strawberry Lemon Trifle

What better way to end a nice dinner than with a super easy and delicious dessert?! Now, it’s very easy to go and grab a scoop of ice cream, but it’s almost just as easy to make this beautiful trifle. Basically, a trifle is assorted stuff layered into deliciousness. Once you master the technique you can use almost anything that sounds good to you. You can make individual servings in wine glasses as shown here, or use a glass trifle bowl. Typically you want to use something you can see through to see the pretty layers, but you can also pop it in a baking dish if that’s what you have.


For my trifle I layered pieces of homemade citrus pound cake, lemon cream and strawberries together. If you are in a time crunch, you can buy a good quality pound cake, already-made lemon curd, and cool whip and end up with a decent outcome.

I love lemon curd and use it in a lot of different desserts so I think it’s worth the effort of making myself, besides its super easy.

Lemon Curd

• 2 large eggs

• 6 tablespoons sugar

• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• 2 teaspoons (packed) lemon zest

Bring a pot of water up to a simmer.

In a bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together.

Place the bowl over the simmering water and add the lemon juice. Whisk constantly until curd has thickened and looks like pudding.

Remove bowl from water and stir in butter and zest.

At this point, you can put a piece of plastic laying on the curd to form a false skin and pop it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. To use the curd in the lemon cream you want it to be as cold as possible.

After the lemon curd is chilled, whip a cup of heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks and then gently fold in the curd.

To layer, start with cubed pound cake on bottom, top with the cream and then strawberries. Repeat with 1-2 more layers depending on how you are serving. This amount of curd is good for about 4 individual servings or one 8x8 baking dish.

The great thing about this dessert is its better if it can be made ahead the day before. It’s the perfect ending to a fun summer picnic or a fancy dinner party. Enjoy!

Italian Shrimp and Grits

Ever since I introduced polenta to my husband a few months ago, he’s been asking for it for dinner every night. Overjoyed for a starch other than roasted potatoes, I have been trying to incorporate it into a variety of meals. One of my favorite ways to prepare polenta is to stir in some herbed goat cheese, yum!


Tonight we decided to give something new a try, an Italian take on shrimp and grits. The polenta itself was just a normal recipe, I usually do half water or stock and half milk, and finish it off with some butter and grated Parmesan.

For the shrimp, I rendered some diced bacon. Pancetta would be more Italian, but that’s not what I had on hand. After removing the bacon, I sautéed some onion, garlic, and chili flakes in the remaining bacon fat. Then, I added a can of tomatoes and let the sauce reduce down a bit. About five minutes before the polenta was done, I added the shrimp to the tomato sauce. I usually shell my shrimp before adding them to dishes because I don’t like to be slowed down later during the eating/enjoying process. The shrimp shells, however, would offer a little more “shrimpy” flavor to the sauce. When the shrimp were done I just tore a little fresh basil into the sauce for garnish. Top the polenta with the tomato and shrimp sauce and there you go!

This is a really great quick and satisfying meal. You can have everything done in the time it takes you to make the polenta, about 25 minutes, unless, of course, you use the quick-cooking variety. (Insert “My Cousin Vinny” quote here). I think any recipe that starts off with some rendered bacon is probably going to be pretty darn good, and this definitely did not disappoint!