30 Days of Holiday: Orange-Spice Mashed Sweet Potatoes

This is the twenty-second day of 30 Days of Holiday.  We have, so far, covered appetizers, sides, and Desserts (with a capital "D", if I do say so myself).  Baking is my thing.  I could bake forever and never grow tired of it.  And I love fancy, and unique, and showy and fabulous.  

But not everyone shares my enthusiasm for all things baked.  There are those who shun sugar even during the holidays.  There are those who will bypass the yeast rolls, the sugared ham, and even Brownie Trifle to fill their plates with  vegetables.  And, I'm not talking casseroles...

This week my focus will be recipes that offer taste without requiring an extra trip to the gym.  We start with the "perfect food".  Sweet potatoes are low in fat and calories and high in almost everything else.  Make this recipe and your "potatoes" will still be perfect...perfect with a kick!

What's In It:
To save time, you may bake the potatoes the day before you need them.  Just cover and chill until ready to use!

3 lbs. sweet potatoes
1/3 c. orange juice (Sugar free.  Organic is even better!)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg (Let's grind this fresh.  It does make a difference!)
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. grated orange rind (Avoid oranges with a thick rind such as navels.)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

How To Make It:

Bake potatoes at 400 degrees F for 1 hour or until tender.  Peel and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Beat potatoes, juice, nutmeg, and ginger in large bowl at medium speed until smooth.  Spray 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray.  Spoon mixture into prepared dish.
Combine chopped pecans and next 3 ingredients; sprinkle evenly over potatoes.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.



© Copyright 2009-2010 Stacye Carroll All Rights Reserved

30 Days of Holiday: Coconut Sweet Potato Pudding

My family might never have experienced the joy that is this pudding had my mother not saved enough green stamps to trade for an Osterizer.  For the uninitiated (read: younger than 40), green stamps used to be given back along with change at the grocery store where catalogs were also available.  Mother spent lots of time persuing that catalog.  When enough stamps had been saved to trade for the item she'd circled in red ink, we drove to the Green Stamp Store.  For some reason (probably having to do with plenty of "breakables"), we were never allowed to go inside but sat, instead, inside a very hot car at the top of a very steep hill that served as a parking lot.  It was worth it though, because right across the street from the Green Stamp Store sat a Dairy Queen.  We went through the drive-thru.  Mom had her banana split while we sucked a rainbow of Mister Misties through red straws.
This recipe was one of many that came with mother's new blender, and she couldn't wait to try it.  Thanks to Oster, I was introduced to my first fresh, whole coconut.  It wasn't an altogether pleasant meeting.  Seems mother hadn't had occasion to conquer a coconut before but, using tools that heretofore I'd only seen used to screw screws and hammer nails, she did just that.  Coconut milk went everywhere.  And, the language!
Over the years she tamed the coconut, shredding enough for this pudding and a wonderful coconut cake.  Both soon became a Thanksgiving staple. 

What's In It:

1 1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. fresh coconut (Those not proficient with hand tools may choose to use 1-3 1/2 oz. can flaked coconut, but it does lose something in the translation.)
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs (Thank you Sylvia, Chloe, Pat, and Lucy!)
2 tbl. butter, softened (Butter! It matters!)
1 tsp. cinnamon (I have taken the time to grind my own.  I don't anymore.)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg (Here, fresh ground is ALWAYS best.)
1/2 tsp. ginger or allspice (Can I get a show of hands?)
1 1/2 c. diced, raw sweet potatoes
3/4 c. raisins (I prefer golden in this dish but you may use dark raisins, if you prefer)

How To Make It:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Pour milk into blender container, cover, and press LIQUEFY button.
Remove cap and add coconut, gradually.  Process until coconut is grated.
Pour mixture through strainer; remove as much moisture as possible, retaining it in separate bowl.
Return liquid to blender container, setting strained coconut aside.
Add to liquid in blender-sugar, eggs, butter, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, ginger or allspice.  Cover and LIQUEFY for a few seconds.
Remove cap and add potatoes, gradually.  Process until smooth.
Add raisins and process until coarsely chopped (Do not overprocess!)
Stir in 3/4 c. strained coconut.
Pour into buttered casserole dish.
Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.


© Copyright 2009-2010 Stacye Carroll All Rights Reserved