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Sweet Potato Fries w/ Sweet Dipping Sauce

May 5, 2009 By Kate 14 Comments

I am not really a fan of sweet potatoes. I usually skip all of the sweet potato dishes during the holidays and very rarely prepare them at home. Sweet potato fries are the one exception to this.

Whenever we eat out, if sweet potato fries are on the menu, I’ll often order them. I’ve tried making them at home in the oven, but they never turn out as good. I think I’ve discovered the trick though – deep fried sweet potato fries. I understand this cuts down on the healthiness of them, but man are they good!

If you’ve made sweet potato fries in the past and weren’t happy with how they turned out, you should definitely give these a shot. And even if you already have a method that you prefer, try this super easy but delicious dip next time you make them.

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Sweet Potato Fries w/ Sweet Dipping Sauce

  • Oil for frying
  • 2 -3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into fries
  • Salt
  • 1/2 c. sour cream
  • 1/4 c. brown sugar
  • 1/4 c. crushed pineapple

1. Fill a medium sauce pan about halfway full with oil. Heat over medium high heat until hot. (I never measure with a thermometer. Instead, I test the oil with the handle of a wooden spoon. If the oil bubbles around the handle, I know it’s hot enough.)

2. Add a handful of sweet potato fries and cook until slightly browned and crisp, about 5-6 minutes/batch. Drain on paper towel or cheesecloth lined plate and sprinkle with salt immediately. Keep warm in an oven set at its lowest setting. Continue in batches until done.

3. For the sauce: Combine sour cream, brown sugar and pineapple in a small bowl. Mix well. Refrigerate until serving. This tastes fine served right away or prepared up to 6 hours in advance.

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Stuffed Artichoke

May 4, 2009 By Kate 26 Comments

Growing up in Chicago, I was a huge fan of Gino’s East Pizza. Of course I loved their traditional, deep dish, Chicago style pizza. But I also loved the stuffed artichoke appetizer. While they no longer serve it, I’ve never lost my taste for it.

So for a long time, I’ve wanted to tackle a re-creation of that dish. And now that it is spring and the artichokes are plentiful on the grocery store shelves, I decided it was as good a time as any.

I am so glad I finally decided to make this. The stuffed artichoke turned out delicious. It is a perfect appetizer for our family and I definitely would not hesitate to serve it to company. It’s also surprisingly easy to make.

I don’t know if it necessarily measures up to the ones I remember, but then again, do food re-creations ever live up to our memories?

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Stuffed Artichoke

  • 1 large artichoke
  • 1/2 c. bread crumbs
  • 1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 T. each salt, garlic powder, Italian Seasoning
  • 1/2 t. black pepper
  • 1/4 c. olive oil

1. Cut artichoke stem so that it stands flat. Trim the pointy tips off of all the leaves. Place in a medium saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until artichoke is tender. To test the tenderness, stick a butter knife or the tines of fork into the stem. If it slides in easily, the artichoke is done.

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2. While the artichoke cooks, combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

3. Carefully remove the center bundle of leaves from the artichoke and scoop out the choke with a spoon. Using a teaspoon or your fingers, stuff some filling in between all of the leaves. If there is any extra filling, put it in the center of the artichoke. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the filling is golden brown.

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4. Serve with melted butter and/or marinara sauce for dipping.

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Oven Roasted Green Beans

April 24, 2009 By Kate 7 Comments

This super simple side dish just screams Spring. (And it’s alliterative too.) I love fresh green beans and I always make sure we get our fill throughout spring and summer. When prepared this way, they make as tasty a snack as they do a side dish. I should know; I snack on them a lot! According to my oldest, these taste like green bean french fries.

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Oven Roasted Green Beans

  • 1 lb. fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed
  • 1 1/2 T. olive oil, divided
  • 2 t. salt, preferably coarse sea salt
  • 1 t. black pepper
  • 1 t. Italian seasoning

1. Place the green beans in large mixing bowl and toss with 1 T. olive oil and seasonings. Set aside.

2. Heat oven and cookie sheet to 375 degrees. Remove cookie sheet from oven and drizzle with remaining 1/2 T. olive oil. Pour green beans onto cookie sheet and spread out so that they are in an even layer. Bake for 5 minutes. Flip green beans and return to oven for about 10 more minutes.

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