Category — Root Vegetables

For the last several years, my family has bypassed our usual sweet potato recipes in favor of this sweet potato casserole with a brown sugary, strudel-like topping.  It would make a great addition to your Thanksgiving recipes!  In fact, if you’re expecting a crowd, I’d make a double batch…there are rarely any leftovers on this one.

Sweet Potato Crunch

Base:

• 3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup milk

Combine all above ingredients in a large mixing bowl, blend well, and place in a square baking dish.  Set aside, and prepare topping.

Topping:

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 tbsp. melted butter
• 1/2 cup pecans

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, and blend with a fork.  Mixture will be crumbly.  Sprinkle on top of sweet potato mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until bubbly on the sides and topping is crisp.

No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a heaping helping of piping hot and buttery mashed potatoes.  There are several ways to make delicious mashed potatoes.  Here are a few variations on “mashed potato recipes”.

Old-Fashioned Mashed Potatoes: Mashed potatoes made with a hand potato masher, like the one above, will give you that irregular, a little bit lumpy, texture in your mashed potatoes.  For those who want mashed potatoes like Grandma used to make, this is probably the way to go.  Peel potatoes, boil, and drain before mashing.  Add milk, butter and salt to taste.

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In my never ending quest to squeeze more veggies into my family’s diet, I was reading the other day about the health benefits of sweet potatoes.  Turns out these funny looking root vegetables are an excellent source of vitamin A, and a good source of both calcium and vitamin C. In addition, the antioxidants contained in sweet potatoes are linked to helping the body heal itself, and fight cancer and other diseases.  This article on sweet potatoes even rates them as the most nutritious vegetable in existence.

You can make baked sweet potatoes in the oven, or even in your microwave, just like a regular baked potato, or mash them.  I’m also going to try this skillet recipe:

Skillet Sweet Potatoes

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 whole sweet potatoes
• 1 cup sliced onions
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper

Peel sweet potatoes with a vegetable peeler.  Using a mandolin slicer or a knife, slice the potatoes into 1/2 inch strips, and then the onion into medium-thick slices.

In a nonstick skillet, cook onions in oil for 5 minutes, or until softened.  Next, add sweet potatoes and vegetable stock.  Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until potatoes are tender.   Serves 2-4.

Sweet potatoes pair well with pork dishes, or baked chicken breasts. Here are more sweet potato recipes.

As if I haven’t given you enough reasons to get out to your local farmer’s market and take advantage of all the fruits and vegetables that are in season right now, here’s another one.  It’s been scientifically proven that they help prevent and fight cancer.
These are the health-promoting compounds that occur naturally in foods:

• Anthocyanidins - Antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties.  Think purple: beets, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, red grapes and purple cabbage.

• Carotenoids - protect vital fatty acids and enhance immune response.  Good sources: apricots, carrots, dark leafy greens, yams, squash, and tomatoes.

• Lutein - an antioxidant that helps protect cells and maintains health of eyes, heart, skin, and breasts and cervix in women.  Go green: spinach, collard greens, kale, leeks, peas and romaine lettuce

• Lycopene - reduces risk of prostate cancer in men.  Overall, it’s also a potent antioxidant and prevents damage to DNA.  Tomatoes have the highest percentage of lycopene; other food sources include watermelon, pink grapefruit and guava juice.

• Sulfer compounds - may help remove cancer -causing agents from your body as well as improve estrogen balance.  Mr. Mustard Family: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, mustard greens, radishes, and turnips

The easiest way to make sure you’re selecting a good mix of cancer-fighting fruits and vegetables is by observing the colors: purple, orange, dark green and pink/red.  A mix like this is not only pleasing to your body but also to your eye.

I made this the other night for the first time and we loved it. Perfect for summer. It’s fresh, tangy and sweet enough to make those who avoid eating vegetables get down on them. Use a food processor and make a huge amount in a snap to bring along to picnics and potlucks. To get in your greens, try it on a bed of watercress - a sophisticated delight. You will need:

• 2 medium celery roots
• 2 apples, I used golden delicious
• 5 green onions
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine or balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 lemon for juice
• salt
• 1/4 walnuts, roasted

Wash the vegetables and apples. Cut the skin off of the celery root and apples then cut into one inch slices. Feed through the food processor using the grate blade. Cut the green onions about half way down then feed the bottom portion through the food processor. Empty it all into a salad bowl. In a smaller bowl mix the ingredients for the dressing. Taste and adjust until it pleases your palette. Mix the dressing thoroughly into the salad. Top with walnuts and crunch away!

My husband came up with this recipe when we were experimenting with completely alkaline meals. This also just happens to be totally satisfying and delicious! You will need:

• 1 jicama
• 1 cucumber
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1-2 ripe avocados , mashed
• 1-2 tbsp olive or flaxseed oil
• 1 tbsp veganaise or mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 lemons for juice
• sea salt

Peel and chop jicama and cucumber into bite size cubes. Wash and chop parsley by hand or using an herb chopper. Mix all ingredients in a salad bowl along with the mashed avocado, oils, tahini, lemon juice and salt to taste. ATTN: This salad is not an exact science. Use your good sense when mixing. It should be creamy and delicious! You can also add any other vegetables or beans you think might taste good: chick peas, tomato, or even seeds like sesame or pumpkin. Enjoy! And if you don’t eat it all, this salad will save in the refrigerator for a day or two, just give it a stir and you’re good to go.

Continuing with my respect for vegetables theme, this week I’d like to talk about some lesser-known alkaline friends. Like Hollywood actors, these background players have a lot to offer. They just need that first break so they can become star names. Let’s give these extras a lead role in your next kitchen production!

• JICAMA - We all have Mexico to thank for introducing us to one of their star players: the crunchy, mild, sweet tasting, not weird at all, easy to use… jicama (pronounced hik-a-ma). This root vegetable is gaining popularity in North America and Asia and can be used in a variety of salads and stews. Once peeled, it’s reminiscent of a potato or apple and what makes this vegetable top notch on my favorite picks list is that when refrigerated, it can stay good for up to a month!

  

• SWISS CHARD – Now is the time to get your hands on this giant of green goodness. Available through out the year, the best season for it runs from June through August. You’ll recognize it by the tall stalk that may be white, yellow or red and it’s dark green, fan-like leaves. Don’t be scared by the greenness of it! I’ve got a recipe that will get you hooked on it like sugar sticks.



• CELERY ROOT - A star in France and Germany, this interesting root is not as well known in American cuisine. It can be used in salads, soups and gratins and it also gets major points for it’s long time storing freshness: up to three months if refrigerated!



• WATERCRESS – One of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by human beings, watercress is a significant source of iron, calcium and folic acid. It also appears to have cancer-suppressing properties and is widely believed to help defend against lung cancer.

These vegetables aren’t just a pretty face. They’re packing loads vitamins. To check out a list of nutrition facts go to the Whole Foods siteand get the stats. Don’t let corporate America control what you eat. Employ an out-of-work vegetable today!