BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES

Oh my goodness, these baked sweet potato fries are tasty AND low calorie!! Even my picky picky husband said they were good THREE TIMES during dinner. Now that is a record!!

 

 

 



Keep in mind that you are not going to get a crisp fry (because they are baked) but they ARE addictingly tasty and give you that "a little sweet a little salty" flavor that hits all the right
comfort notes. Crisp or not, I could easily eat a big bowl of these and not feel guilty at all....now THAT is saying something.

2 medium sweet potatoes
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon regular chili powder (see note)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (see note)
1 tablespoon brown sugar

OK, a word about yams/sweet potatoes. Don't ask me which is which. I always buy the one with the deep orange flesh, so I'm calling them sweet potatoes in this post.

PRE-HEAT YOUR OVEN (with two DRY baking sheets in it) TO 425°F.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into French fries. Soak in water for one hour, then drain and pat them dry.

Toss the dried off potatoes with cornstarch. Keep gently tossing until the cornstarch is evenly distributed (I put them in a plastic bag to accomplish this...it's easier to toss).

Next sprinkle the potatoes with a tablespoon of vegetable oil and gently toss until well coated.

Mix all of the seasonings together and sprinkle over the oiled potatoes, mixing gently until they are all coated evenly.



When you are ready to bake the fries, remove the hot cookie sheets from the oven and generously spray them with vegetable spray. Divide the seasoned potatoes between the two sheets and spread them out so the fries do not touch each other.

Bake in PRE-HEATED 425°F oven for 12-15 minutes, depending on how hot your oven runs. Just watch them towards the end of the cooking time because the sugar in the seasonings will scorch/burn if left in too long.

After 12-15 minutes, reduce your oven heat to 375°F and flip the potatoes over and bake another 12-15 minutes.

You will know they are done when they are tender and the edges are darker. Remove from heat and sprinkle with salt.

They aren't the prettiest fries ever, but they are delicious.

 

 

ENJOY !!!

Note: If you like a little more spice, you can use chipotle chili powder INSTEAD OF the regular chili powder + smoked paprika.

Coconut-Macadamia-Chocolate Chips HUGE Cookies

This will be your new favorite cookie recipe!

These giant cookies are filled with chunky pieces of macadamia nuts, melty chocolate chips, and nutty-sweet coconut flakes

Everybody needs a favorite easy-to-make, quick and delicious cookie recipe. You never know when you will need to whip up a batch: for your kids' playdates, last minute office party, or snacks at the next soccer game... Yes, it was my turn last weekend and I was prepared :)
Rather than making the usual chocolate chip cookies, next time try this. Add some macadamia nuts and shredded coconut to turn your plain chocolate chips cookies into something spectacular. Chewy on the inside, slightly crunchy around the edges. Filled with the tropical flavors of coconut and the salty and buttery macadamia nuts. I use semi-sweet chocolate chips so that the cookies would not end up too sweet. But you're welcome to change it up and use white or dark chocolate chips.

And do you see the size of these cookies?!? HUGE!
I used my ice-cream scoop to pick up the dough and make perfectly round cookies in no time at all. My scoop is about 1/4 cup in size, and with the ingredients listed below, I ended up with 10 enormous cookies. You can also use a smaller size, and make more. But remember: adjust the baking time to about 10-11 minutes for regular size,

Here are some more tips.
Remove the butter and the eggs from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before starting with the recipe. Room temperature ingredients are easier to combine, make a smoother dough, and chewier cookies.
Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes (... or overnight if needed) to make thicker, chunkier cookies.
After baking, wait until they are completely cooled down, and then store in an air tight container. They will be fresh for several days.
And listen to this. I read somewhere that cookies will stay soft and chewy for longer if you place a slice of bread in the container with the cookies. There is something about the bread giving out moisture, so the bread will dry out and the cookies will stay fresh for longer. Interesting, right?!? I will have to try it now too...But, for some strange reason, cookies do not last long enough in my house to worry about keeping them fresh. Haha!

Make sure to check out my video recipe too:

Ingredients: to make about 10 huge cookies                                PRINTABLE RECIPE

• 5 oz (140 gr) of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100 gr) of white sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 gr) of brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 and 1/4 cups (185 gr) of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (80 gr) of shredded coconut 
• 1/2 cup (100 gr) of semi-sweet chocolate chips 
• 1/2 cup (75 gr) of macadamia nuts, roughly chopped 

Preparation time: 40 minutes, plus 30 minutes inactive
Directions:
1: In a large bowl, cream the butter with the white and brown sugar, with a blender or mixer if you have it, until soft and fluffy.

2: Add the egg, the vanilla extract and the salt. Blend well, until smooth.

3: Gradually blend in the flour and the baking soda. Do not overmix. Mix until just incorporated.

4: Mix in the shredded coconut.

5. Fold in the chocolate chips and the macadamia nuts until distributed through out the dough.

6. To make thicker cookies, place the dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, or longer.
Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C).
Scoop the dough onto parchment paper, over a baking sheet, leaving enough space between the cookies. You will need two large baking sheets. I used my ice-cream scoop (1/4 cup) and ended up with 10 huge cookies.

7: Bake at 350° F (175° C) for about 14-15 minutes (depending on the size of the cookies), until the edges are slightly brown.

Enjoy :-)

   

Grissini - Thin and Crispy Italian Breadsticks

Ready to impress your guests with these made-from-scratch, deliciously crunchy Italian breadsticks?!?

Imagine. One of these deliciously crispy breadsticks wrapped with savory Italian Prosciutto. Or next to a fancy cheese platter and tasty olives. You can even place some of these breadsticks into a tall glass or in a small vase and make a deliciously edible centerpiece. Everyone will be impressed, especially when they find out you made these from scratch. So remember: go for a rustic look, not perfectly shaped, like store-bought grissini.

The good news, you can wow everybody, without too much effort. Just prepare a simple pizza dough. And as you do for pizza, make sure to knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Store covered in a warm place, and give it enough time for it to rise. Stretch the dough, brush with tasty olive oil, cut it in strips and stretch the breadsticks. At this point you can add different flavors to the grissini, from herbs like chopped rosemary, to poppy or sesame seeds. Make it fun and delicious.
As usual I'm not just going to tell you how easy this recipe is, but I will show you in this video:

Here are a few things to keep in mind, when doing this recipe.
As I always say, please take your time to weight the flour. It makes a huge difference when you pick up the flour with the measuring cup or when you pour it in.
Also your breadstick are handmade, so they won't be perfect and all the same size and thickness. As I said, I like that rustic look. But keep in mind that a thinner breadstick bakes faster. And burn more easily. The end points are a little thicker, and will not be as crispy as the rest. So, don't go too crazy on the rustic :)
Enjoy!

Ingredients: to make about 20 long breadsticks       PRINTABLE RECIPE

• 2 cups (300 gr) of  bread flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
• one package (15 gr) of active dry yeast 
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (divided)
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) of warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt 6 gr
• poppy seeds, or sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation time: 45 minutes, plus at least two hours inactive

Directions:
1. In a large bowl mix the flour with the sugar and the dry yeast.

2. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the flour, and half cup of warm water. Mix with a spoon.

3. Dissolve one teaspoon of salt in a quarter cup of warm water. Add it to the dough, and mix with a spoon first until all the water is absorbed. Move the dough to the counter and knead by hand for a few minutes (maybe 5) until the dough is smooth and elastic.

 Add a bit of water if too hard. Or a bit of flour if too sticky.
4. Make the dough into a ball and cover in plastic wrap and a kitchen towel to keep warm. Let rise for at least an hour.

5. Flatten and stretch the the dough into a rectangular shape about 1/4 inch thick and 14 x 9 inch. Brush with one tablespoon of olive oil.

6. Cover again with plastic wrap and let sit for one more hour or longer.

7. Preheat the oven to 400° F (200° C).
Cut the dough on the shorter side in strips, about 1/3 of an inch (1 cm) wide, using sharp knife or a pizza cutter. Stretch each strip to almost double its size or the length of your baking sheet.

If you'd like, you can sprinkle with sesames or poppy seeds, and roll the breadsticks so the seeds stick to the dough.

8. Bake the breadsticks for about 12 minutes. Watch carefully while baking. The time can vary based on the thickness of your breadsticks.
When completely cool, eat or store in an airtight container for up to 2 days

Enjoy :)

ROASTED GREEN CHILI PEPPERS

I have always used commercially roasted green chili's, but recently discovered that they are loaded with salt, so I started roasting fresh ones.

Poblano and Anaheim peppers are pretty spicy when raw, but when you roast them, they turn very mellow and delicious. They are one of those roasted veggies that you can "put in anything" and it adds just a little extra zing to any Mexican recipe. I love them in chili, tacos, rice, enchiladas, etc.

There are so many different peppers in the market these days, just make sure you look for Poblano or Anaheim (they are MUCH larger than the small spicy peppers like jalapenos).

Personally, I like Anaheim peppers because they are identical to the canned Ortega mild green chile's (in a can), but of course they taste better because they are fresh.
 

 

 

 

Poblano peppers are DARK green and shiny

 

Anaheim Peppers are lighter green

 

 

 



First, wash and dry the peppers, then put them under the broiler about 3" under the flame, on high. This not only cooks the peppers, but it chars the outer thin skin so it can be EASILY peeled off.  Turn the peppers every 2 or 3 minutes until they look blistered and dark on all sides. Total time under the broiler depends on how big the peppers are, but normally about 10 minutes total.

 

 



Peppers will have big black blisters on them (which is what you want). Immediately put them in a plastic bag (or in a bowl with tight fitting lid) and let them sit undisturbed for 15-20 minutes. This steams the outer skin and makes it easy to peel right off.

Remove from the plastic bag and you will be able to pull off the THIN wrinkled skin of the pepper, almost in one big piece. Some people like to leave little bits of charred skin on the pepper, it's your choice. 

The skin of these peppers is very thin, like this, and it will slip right off of the cooked pepper.

 

After you peel the skins off, pull out the stem and slit the pepper open. Pull out the seeds and any veins (it just takes a second. It's OK if you leave in a few seeds.

Cut the cooked and cleaned pepper into pieces.

 

 



They are ready to use in any recipe you like!! You will need to cook and dice 1-2 peppers to get the same amount of "ready to use" cooked peppers that usually comes in the Ortega can.

The cooked peppers stay good in your fridge for 3-4 days and do very well in the freezer for up to 3 months.

ENJOY !!!

 

NOTES:
Some people char their peppers right on the open flame of their gas range. I have an electric oven, so I use this broiler method.

Canned Ortega green chile's have a LOT of salt in them, so this is a healthy alternative for those of us watching salt intake.

Blueberry-Almond Coffee Cake Recipe

This coffee cake is a sure way of perking up your morning. 

Soft and moist. With a nutty almond flavor and bursting with sweet, fresh blueberries.

Who wouldn't love to wake up to a slice of this irresistible cake, next to a hot and steamy cappuccino?
I could really eat a slice of this blueberry and almond coffee cake. Every. Single. Morning.
I absolutely love almonds and almond flavored desserts. And when you combine it with sweet and juicy blueberries, you will end up with a deliciously soft, mouth-watering dessert.
Just the thought of this coffee cake in the morning would make jump right out of bed and run for the espresso machine! No more laying lazily under my blankie!
Maybe eating this everyday would not be good for my waistline. But once in a while, why not? Check out the ingredients, it's made from scratch with simple and wholesome ingredients.

You will be surprise by how easy and quick it is to make. Just plan ahead, and remember to remove the butter and the eggs from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before starting with the recipe.
Room temperature ingredients are easier to mix into the batter, so you'll end up with a more uniform, tender, light and airy texture.

Here is the video for you:

Ingredients: to make a 9x9 in (22x22 cm) cake, cut in about 16 pieces   PRINTABLE RECIPE

• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup (200 gr) of sugar
• 4 oz (1 stick, 115 gr) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1.5 cup (225 gr) of all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 2 cups (300 gr) of fresh (organic) blueberries
• 1 cup (120 gr) of sliced almond, divided

Preparation time: about one hour and a half
Directions:
1. Let the eggs and butter sit outside the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C). In a large bowl, add two eggs and the cup of sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy.

3. Add the butter cut in pieces and mix again, until mostly smooth.

4. Mix in the vanilla and the almond extracts.

5. Add the flour, the salt and the baking powder. Blend some more.

6. Fold the blueberries and about 2/3 cup of the almonds. The remaining almonds will be sprinkled on top.

7. Spray or grease a 9x9 inches baking pan with butter and flour. Pour the batter in the pan and flatten it out with the back of a spoon.  Sprinkle the remaining almonds on top of the cake.

8. Bake for about 45-50 minutes at  350° F (175° C) until slightly golden on top. Test with a toothpick for readiness. The toothpick should come out clean ... unless of course you poke a blueberry :)
Let the cake cool down for a few minutes before cutting in squares.

Enjoy :)