Sweet Potato Fries with Curry Yogurt Dipping Sauce

This one is definitely NOT a Thanksgiving recipe. Unless, of course, you are doing an Indian-themed Thanksgiving. Then it totally could be. But it is orange, and it is yummy. This would be a nice appetizer for an Indian meal, or a great addition to an appetizer party. Or, if you're like me, you could just eat it for lunch because you didn't plan ahead and this is all there is. Not as if that is a hardship or anything.

I roasted up one sweet potato, and have lots of sauce left over. Currently I am thinking it would make a great dressing for a roasted potato and cauliflower salad. You could certainly also just use it as a dip for crudite. Or make some more sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Fries with Curry Yogurt Dipping Sauce

For the Potatoes

Preheat Oven to 400

Sweet Potato(es) Cut into Wedges (Mine was 11 ounces)
Cayenne Pepper to taste (I used 1/8 tsp)
Salt and Pepper
1 tsp (or more) Canola Oil

Toss all ingredients in a bowl or bag to coat. Spread the potato wedges on a greased baking sheet and bake until soft and browning, about 25 minutes. Turn 2 or 3 times during cooking. Remove from the oven and set aside.

For the Dipping Sauce

1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt
3/4 tsp Curry Powder
1/4 tsp Chili Powder
1/8 tsp Ground Coriander
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
1 Small Garlic Clove, minced or pressed
1/8 tsp Minced Fresh Ginger

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. I intentionally did not spice up the dip, as the sweet potatoes themselves are plenty spice with the cayenne.

Put the potatoes on a platter and the dip in a bowl and enjoy!

Yams, Two Ways

No, this is not Iron Chef. Nor is this anything fancy or complicated. But yams are an important dish on many Thanksgiving tables, and here are a few ways I like to prepare them. I know a lot of people like to add maple or brown sugar to yams, but I prefer them mostly plain. I find them plenty sweet on their own, but if you like, you could totally use maple syrup or brown sugar in either of these cooking methods. I also always call these 'sweet potatoes', which drives my son crazy. Hrmm... maybe that's why I continue to do it....

Easy Roasted Yams

And I mean easy. You don't even have to peel them for this cooking method. Grab however many yams you want to cook and slice them about 1/2 inch thick. Toss them with some salt, pepper and olive oil. (If you are the sort that goes for sweeter, you could add brown sugar or maple syrup at this point, I Imagine.) Spread them out on a baking sheet (or two) in a single layer, and bake in a 350 degree oven until soft and browned, maybe 15-20 minutes. You should flip them over once during cooking to get both sides browned. That's it. Easy peasy, but oh so yummy. Look, it was so easy I didn't even try to write a recipe!



Smashed Yams


Yams
Butter
Milk, Half and Half, or Cream
Salt and Pepper
Maple Syrup or Brown Sugar, if desired

I am not listing quantities because you can easily make a lot or a little depending on how many eaters you have. I used about 1 tbps of butter and maybe 1/4 cup milk for one big yam. (Plus the big pat of butter melting over the top in this photo.)

For this one you will need to peel your yams. Peel them, then cut them into roughly 1/2 inch hunks. Put them into a pan of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and boil until they are very tender, 15 minutes or so. Once they are tender, drain them and return them to the hot pan. Begin to mash them with a potato masher, when they are about 1/2 mashed, add in the butter, milk (and syrup) and continue mashing until you get the consistency you like. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sweet Potato Soup with Sausage and Collard Greens Recipe

I made this soup a few weeks ago with chicken and sun dried tomato sausage and really loved it. I remade it on Halloween night with Linguica, and didn't love it as much, but it was still pretty good.

Sweet Potato Soup with Sausage and Collard Greens

2 lb. Sweet Potatoes, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 lb Potatoes, 1/2 inch dice
12 oz. Precooked Sausage (Your choice)
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
6 Cups Chicken or Veggie Broth
1 Bunch Collard Greens
Red Pepper Flakes to Taste (Depending on heat of the sausage you choose)

Slice sausage into 1/2 inch rounds. Brown in olive oil over medium heat until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from pot and drain on paper towels. Add diced onions to pot and cook for about 10 minutes. Add garlic, diced sweet potatoes and potatoes, stir to coat. Add broth and bring to a boil. Let boil about 20 minutes, then add in roughly chopped collard greens and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Add sausage back into the pot and let cook for about 15 minutes, or longer.