I love sweet potatoes. They are a super food and they are yummy. What’s not to love? This roasted sweet potato recipe has become one of my favorites. It is easy enough to make on a weeknight and healthy enough to e eat any time you want.

Adjust the amount of crushed red pepper to your taste – I use 1/4 teaspoon which adds just a touch of heat. If you like your food really spicy, add more.

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Spicy Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

March 28, 2021

Servings: 4

Difficulty: Easy

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By: wandercookeat

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. sweet potatoes
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Directions

• Step 1 Heat oven to 400°. Stir together the honey, crushed red pepper, and lemon juice. Set aside.
• Step 2 Peel the sweet potatoes then dice them into 1/2 to 3/4 inch squares. Toss them with olive oil and kosher salt.
• Step 3 Spread sweet potatoes evenly on a sheet pan. Roast at 400° for 20 min. Stir once during roasting about half way through.
• Step 4 Remove pan from oven. Pour honey mixture over the sweet potatoes and stir to coat. Return the pan to the oven and roast the potatoes for another 5 more minutes (until sweet potatoes are done). Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Detailed Instructions

Step 1. Heat oven to 400°. Stir together the honey, crushed red pepper, and lemon juice. Set aside.

Step 2. Peel the sweet potatoes then dice them into 1/2 to 3/4 inch squares. Toss them with olive oil and kosher salt. If you want to prep the sweet potatoes ahead of time, after you toss them in olive oil you can let them sit on the counter for 30 min. or so. Just make sure you toss them in the oil immediately after cutting them up or they will turn brown. If you want to cut them up earlier than that see these tips on peeling and cubing sweet potatoes ahead of time.

Step 3. Spread sweet potatoes evenly on a sheet pan. Roast at 400° for 20 min. Stir once during roasting about half way through. (This helps them roast more evenly.)

Step 4. Remove pan from oven. Pour honey mixture over the sweet potatoes and stir to coat. Return the pan to the oven and roast the potatoes for another 5 more minutes until sweet potatoes are done. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

With all the rich Thanksgiving foods last week, I’ve been craving salads this week. In the Fall when the pears are ripe, this spinach, pear & Manghego salad with maple balsamic dressing is one of my go-tos. The secret is to use a perfectly ripe pear. Pears are rarely ripe when you get them at the store, so buy a few and let them sit on the counter until they are ripe. If you are in a hurry, Harry & David recommends putting the pears in a paper bag with a banana or apple to speed up the process.

The maple balsamic salad dressing for this salad is from an old Bon Appetit salad recipe. (For some crazy reason, it is no longer on their website.) I’ve found this dressing works well with spinach and a variety of combinations of fruit, cheese, and nuts, so I always keep some on hand. You can keep it in a jar on the counter for a few days. Just re-whisk it prior to using to reblend it. If you plan to keep it longer than a few days, store it in the fridge. Remove the dressing from the fridge a few hours before you plan to serve it so that the olive oil can come back to room temperature before your rewhisk it. (The olive oil will solidify in the fridge.)

Try this salad with Spaghetti Carbonara or Marinated Flank Steak.

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Spinach, Pear, and Manchego Salad

December 6, 2020

Servings: 1

Difficulty: Easy

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By: wandercookeat

Ingredients

• spinach 1 c. per small salad, 2 c. per large salad)
• 1/2 pear, diced
• 1-2 Tbsp. chopped pecans
• 1-2 Tbsp. Manchego cheese (diced or course grated)
• 1-2 Tbsp. salad dressing
• Salad Dressing
• 1/3 c. maple syrup
• 1/3 c. balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

Directions

• Step 1 Clean the spinach. Chop pecans. Cut Manchego into small (1/4″) cubes or grate with a course grater. Wash the pear, but do not cut it up yet.
• Step 2 Whisk together maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil for dressing.
• Step 3 Put spinach, pecans, and Manchego in serving bowl . Dice pear into small squares (leave the skin on) and add to the serving bowl. Top with dressing (1-2 Tbsp. per serving) and serve.

Detailed Instructions

Clean the spinach. Chop pecans. Cut Manchego into small (1/4″) cubes or grate with a course grater. Wash the pear, but do not cut it up yet.
Note: I like to clean the spinach in a salad spinner and then put it in the fridge in the salad spinner for at least 30 min (or overnight). This makes the spinach nice and crisp.

Whisk together maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil for dressing.

Put spinach, pecans, and Manchego in serving bowl . Dice pear into small squares (leave the skin on) and add to the serving bowl. Top with dressing (1-2 Tbsp. per salad serving) and serve. Note: It is important to add the pears at the last minute so that they don’t turn brown before serving.

This week, pictures from my visit to Emilia-Romagna have been popping up in my photo feed. Since I got back from that visit to Italy, I’ve tried to recreate several of the dishes I had there. One of them is Tortellini in Brodo. Traditional Tortellini in Brodo is simple – handmade tortellini simmered in homemade chicken broth. Simple and delicious. My attempts were good, but the store-bought cheese tortellini just isn’t the same as the traditional Emilia-Romagna version. In Emilia-Romagna they fill it with mortadella, Parmesan, and other goodies. One day I will attempt making it, but not today. If I was going to use store-bought tortellini I needed to find a way to kick it up a notch.

As luck would have it, this year I have had an abundance of peppers from the garden. I have been looking for ways to use them. The peppers, planted next to the Thai basil, gave me an idea. I decided to add sliced hot peppers, Thai basil, and cherry tomatoes to my tortellini in brodo to give it a Thai spin. This was just the kick that the store-bought tortellini needed! As a bonus, it is quick and easy to make, too! Pair it with a salad or sandwich for an easy lunch or weeknight dinner.

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Thai Tortellini in Brodo

September 2, 2020

Servings: 4

Difficulty: Easy

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By: wandercookeat

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 c. chicken broth (preferably homemade)
• 3/4 to 1 c. cherry tomatoes,
• 1-2 hot peppers (jalapeno or similar)
• 4 sprigs of Thai basil
• 10 oz fresh cheese tortellini

Directions

• Step 1 In a pot over medium heat, bring chicken broth to a simmer. While the broth heats, slice the peppers into rings and slice the tomatoes in half.
• Step 2 Simmer the tortellini in the chicken stock for the amount of time indicated on the package.
• Step 3 While tortellini cooks, get 4 serving bowls. In each bowl put 1/4 of tomatoes, 4-5 Thai basil leaves, and 2-3 slices of pepper (depending on your heat preference).
• Step 4 When tortellini has cooked, ladle the tortellini and broth into the bowls. Let sit and steep for 3-4 minutes before serving. Serve with a piece of sourdough toast or your favorite bread.

Substitutions

If you can’t find Thai basil, you could substitute cilantro or Italian basil

Detailed Instructions

Step 1. In a pot over medium heat, bring chicken broth to a simmer. While the broth heats, slice the peppers into rings and slice the tomatoes in half. Choose your hot pepper & the amount you use based on the heat level you want.

Step 2. Simmer the tortellini in the chicken stock for the amount of time indicated on the package. (This is usually 3-4 min.)

Step 3. While tortellini cooks, get 4 serving bowls.In each bowl put 1/4 of tomatoes, 4-5 Thai basil leaves, and 2-3 slices of pepper (depending on your heat preference).

Step 4. When tortellini is cooked, ladle the tortellini and broth into the bowls. Let sit and steep for 3-4 minutes before serving. Serve with a piece of sourdough toast or your favorite bread.

I always plant cherry tomatoes in my garden. A few plants can produce LOTS of cherry tomatoes. As a result, I have some great cherry tomato recipes. This roasted tomato ravioli is one of my favorites. It is quick, easy, and delicious. Pair it with a salad or roasted green beans and it makes a great weeknight dinner!

A quick note: This recipe uses the family sized cheese ravioli. If you are using the regular 8 oz – 10 oz size, halve the recipe and be sure to use a smaller sheet pan to roast everything. (This keeps the juices from drying out before the shallots and tomatoes finish roasting.)

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Roasted Cherry Tomato & Shallot Ravioli

July 28, 2020

Servings: 4-5

Difficulty: Easy

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By: wandercookeat

Ingredients

• 4 c. cherry tomatoes
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 c. feta
• 1/4 c. basil, thinly sliced
• 18 oz. cheese ravioli or tortellini

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 400°.
• Step 2 Toss tomatoes, shallots, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil on the pan. Bake at 400° for 20-25 min. Stir 15 min in. If the balsamic vinegar is starting to dry out and burn, add 1-2 Tbsp. of water.
• Step 3 Boil the pasta according to package instructions.
• Step 4 In a serving bowl, top the pasta with the cherry tomato sauce, feta and basil. Serve warm.

Gluten-free Option

For a gluten free option, serve over quinoa or use gluten free pasta (2 c. of dried pasta should be enough for 4 servings).
 

Detailed Instructions

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Line a rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil. Clean tomatoes and slice shallots.

Step 2. Toss tomatoes, shallots, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil on the pan. Bake at 400° for 20-25 min. Stir 15 min in. If the balsamic vinegar is starting to dry out and burn, add 1-2 Tbsp of water. They are ready when the tomatoes pop open and the shallots are caramelized.

Step 3. Boil pasta according to directions.

Step 4. In a serving bowl, top the pasta with the cherry tomato sauce, feta and basil. Serve warm.

I’ve been spoiled all spring with fresh lettuce from my garden. This strawberry salad is one of my favorite salads to make with fresh-from-the-garden lettuce. I’ll either eat it as a side or add chicken, salmon, pork or steak to make it a main dish.

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Strawberry salad with honey lemon vinaigrette

June 6, 2020

Servings: varies

Difficulty: Easy

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By: wandercookeat

Ingredients

• Dressing
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• Salad per person
• 1 c lettuce or spinach for side salad, 2 c for entree salad
• 3-4 strawberries, quartered
• 1 Tbsp crumbled feta
• 1 Tbsp chopped pecans

Directions

• Step 1 Clean lettuce
• Step 2 Whisk together Dressing ingredients
• Step 3 Put greens in bowl and toss with desired amount of dressing. (Reserve remaining dressing for future salad.)
• Step 4 Top greens with strawberries, feta, and pecans and serve.

Variations

• For a main dish, add chicken, salmon, pork, or steak
• Use chopped almonds, pistachios, or walnuts instead of pecans
• Use goat cheese or fresh mozzarella instead of feta
• Use other fresh fruit (e.g., peaches, raspberries) or dried fruit (e.g., cranberries, cherries) instead of strawberries

 

Detailed Instructions

Step 1.Clean lettuce. I like to use mixed greens, butternut lettuce, or spinach. I recommend using a salad spinner to clean the lettuce. Dump the water from the salad spinner and then put the salad spinner full of lettuce in the fridge for at least 15 min. This makes the lettuce nice and crispy. (Note: I store my lettuce in the fridge in the salad spinner and it stays nice and crisp for days.)

Step 2.Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Whisk until emulsifies – that means the oil and the vinegar bind together.

Step 3. Put the greens in a bowl. Add desired amount of dressing to greens and mix together. Reserve remaining dressing in the fridge for future salads.Note: When you store the dressing in the fridge the olive oil will separate from the other ingredients and solidify in the fridge. To use, remove it from the fridge and let come to room temp for 30-45 minutes before using. The olive oil will re-liquify. Whisk together for a few seconds to get the dressing to re-emulsify. (You can zap it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds if you are in a hurry.)

Step 4. Top with strawberries, feta, and pecans and serve.