Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Curry

Ingredients:
1 Red Onion - Diced
2 -3 Fresno Chilis or Serrano Chilis - Seeds removed, chopped
1 Inch Ginger - Peeled & diced
1 tsp - Tumeric
1 tsp - Coriander
1/2 tsp - Cinnamon
1 tsp Sea Salt
2 tbsp Coconut or Vegetable Oil
1 Can Coconut Milk
1 1/2 Cups Vegetable Stock
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Sweet Potato - Peeled & Chopped
1 Butternut Squash - Peeled, Seeded, Chopped
1 Cup Black Rice - Cook as directed

In a food processor add the onion, ginger, garlic and spices and blend into a paste.

In a large pan over med - high heat, add the oil and add the paste and cook about 1 minute.  Add in the coconut milk, vegetable stock & tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and add the potatoes & squash. Stir to combine.

Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 40-50 minutes. Start checking potatoes after about 30 minutes to see if they are cooked. Don't over cook or they turn to mush.

Let sit about 10 minutes and then serve over black rice.

Enjoy. #cheftainment

Homemade Sweet Potato Tater Tots

2 large sweet potatoes

Sea Salt

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

¼ tsp cayenne powder

½ cup flour

Vegetable Oil

In a med/large pot cover the potatoes with water by about 2 inches.  Add in about 4 tbsp sea salt.  Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes or until a knife can pierce easily, but still firm.  Remove potatoes and let cool for about 5-10 minutes, then peel and roughly chop.

Add the potatoes in the food processor in batches and pulse about 5-10 times until you get a coarse chop.  Do not puree.  You want texture.  Add the potatoes into a bowl w/the sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper.  Stir in the ½ cup flour to combine.

In a medium saucepan heat the vegetable oil on med / high heat to about 350 degrees.  (I added a dash of garlic oil and a dash of hot pepper oil, or you could smash a garlic clove and place in the oil until browned and then removed).  Using a small cookie scoop or melon baler, scoop about a 1” ball of potato mixture into the oil and cook for about 2 minutes each side or until golden brown.  Remove onto a cooling rack or a tray lined with paper towels.

Dipping sauces are great but these should be so flavorful you won’t need any.  Enjoy.

Thanksgiving Pommes De Terre a la Boulangere

1 Pkg Bacon – Cooked low and slow, fat rendered out (save) and bacon crisp & chopped.

1 tbsp Butter

2 tbsp Bacon Fat

3 Med – Large Sweet Potatoes – Peeled & sliced about 1/8” thin (I use a Mandolin)

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

1 tsp Cinnamon

1 4 oz. Goat Cheese

1 tsp Coriander

2 Cups Beef Broth

In large pan add bacon in an even layer.  Turn stove on to low - med. heat.  Cook bacon low and slow, rendering out fat until bacon is crispy.  Save fat.  Chop bacon into bits.

Butter a 9x13 baking dish, bottom and sides with 1 tbsp butter and bacon fat.  Take ½ of the potatoes and create 2 layers with each slice overlapping the previous one.  Sprinkle 1/2 of the salt, pepper and cinnamon over potatoes.  Break up ½ of the goat cheese and drop evenly over potatoes.  Sprinkle ½ of the bacon over potatoes. Repeat potatoes, seasonings, goat cheese and bacon.  Sprinkle coriander over top.  Add 2 cups beef broth.  Pour down the side so as not to disrupt the toppings.

Cover dish with aluminum foil and place in preheated 300 degree oven for 2 1/2 hours.  (I put my dish on a cookie sheet just in case there was any spill over.)  Take foil off and cook another 20 minutes to let the top layer of potatoes brown and crisp.  Test with a knife to make sure potatoes are fully cooked.  Let rest for at least 15 minutes before you cut into it to let the beef broth soak into the potatoes.

Grilled Steak & Roasted Sweet Potato & Kale Soup

Roasted Veggies

1 Large Sweet Potato – Peeled and ½ inch dice

½ Medium Red Onion – Thinly Sliced

4 Large Cloves of Garlic – Smashed

2 Medium Anaheim Chili Peppers – Seeded and ½ inch dice

3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

½ tsp Salt

½ tsp Pepper

½ tsp Crushed Rosemary

Beef Broth

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well to coat everything.  Then put in a baking dish with just enough beef broth to cover the bottom to prevent burning.  Cook in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Remove and set aside to cool.

Steak

½ tsp Salt

½ tsp Pepper

½ tsp Onion Powder

½ tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp EVOO

2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 Steak (I prefer London Broil)

Marinate the steak at least ½ hour but could be marinated over night.  Grill steak about 4 minutes each side and then set aside to allow the juices to redistribute.

Soup

½ Medium Red Onion – Finely Diced

2 Carrots – Peeled, Finely Diced

2 Celery – Finely Diced

1 Cup Crimini Mushrooms – Finely Minced

EVOO

8 Cups Beef Broth

8 Cups Water

5 oz Kale – Stems removed and rough chop

2 Cups Brown Rice – Cooked)

In a large pot, coat the bottom with EVOO and add in mushrooms.  Sautee about 5 minutes then add ¼ cup beef broth and cook about 2 minutes or until the broth is almost evaporated.  Then add in onion, carrots, celery and sautee about 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften. 

Add beef stock, water and kale and simmer about an hour w/ the lid slightly cracked.  Then add in rice, roasted vegetables and steak that has been sliced into ½ inch cubes.  Simmer another 15 minutes.  Adjust seasonings with salt / pepper if necessary.  Enjoy.

* This is a slightly spicy soup.  To reduce the spice level, only add 1 Anaheim Pepper.