Vegetarian recipes with sweet potatoes - Cookie and Kate

Southwestern Kale Power Salad

Kathryne Taylor — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 21:00:53 +0000

This hearty salad features a few of my all-time favorite ingredients. Here we have massaged kale, quinoa, spiced sweet potatoes, and black beans served with a dollop of creamy avocado sauce. I added crumbled feta and toasted pepitas for good measure.

I’d cook with only these ingredients if it weren’t for diversity’s sake. This texture-rich vegetarian salad packs great for lunch. If you like to meal prep for the week, this is an excellent candidate. Given the number of components, this is not the quickest recipe around, but it’s absolutely work the effort.

This recipe has been a reader favorite since it was originally published in 2015 (really, nine years ago?). I developed it during a month-long stay in Austin, Texas with my friend Ali. You could probably say that the Southwestern vibes influenced the recipe.

Today, this salad is getting fresh photos and some slight revisions. Enjoy!

How to Make This Power Salad

You’ll find the full recipe below, but here’s a brief rundown with notes and video.

Cook the quinoa. The recipe uses my foolproof method of cooking quinoa, which will differ from the instructions on your bag. You can make the quinoa a day in advance, if you’d like.
Cook the sweet potatoes in a skillet. I love roasted sweet potatoes, but these sweet potatoes are cut quite small, so the skillet method is ideal. We’ll add a little bit of water, cover and let them steam until tender, then uncover and cook them until they’re caramelized on the edges.
Massage and dress the kale. Massaging the kale (literally just scrunching it in your hands until it’s darker and softer) removes all the poky edges and improves the flavor. Then we’ll whisk together a simple olive oil and lime dressing, and toss to coat.
Make the avocado sauce. Combine the ingredients in a food processor and blend. Add more lime juice, if you’d like. The sauce should be nicely tart, but not overwhelmingly so.
Toast the pepitas in a skillet. Freshly-toasted pepitas taste amazing and are totally worth the extra few minutes. Keep an eye on the skillet, as it’s easy to turn on the heat and forget until they’re too toasty.
Assemble! Divide the components between bowls as shown, and enjoy.

Watch How to Make Southwestern Kale Power Salad

More Sweet Potato and Kale Recipes

Please let me know how this recipe turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.

Southwestern Kale Power Salad with Sweet Potato, Quinoa & Avocado Sauce

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 4 large salads
Diet: Vegetarian

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 144 reviews

Healthy kale and quinoa power salad with spicy sweet potato, black beans and creamy avocado sauce. If your lime are particularly big, scale back. This gluten-free, vegetarian (easily vegan) salad packs well for lunch, too! Recipe yields 4 generous salads or 6 medium.

Ingredients

Quinoa and kale

1 cup quinoa
1 bunch kale, ribs removed and chopped into very small, bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium lime, juiced
½ teaspoon fine salt

Sweet potatoes

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 ½ pounds), sliced into small, ¼-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon fine salt

Avocado sauce

2 ripe avocados, sliced into long strips
¼ cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 medium jalapeño, deseeded, membranes removed and roughly chopped
1 handful cilantro leaves
½ teaspoon ground coriander, optional
¼ teaspoon fine salt, to taste

Everything else

1 can (14 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
⅓ cup crumbled feta
¼ cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)

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Instructions

To cook the quinoa: First, rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh colander under running water for a minute or two. In a medium-sized pot, combine the rinsed quinoa and 2 cups water. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then cover the pot, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the quinoa from heat and let it rest, still covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover the pot, drain off any excess water and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Set it aside to cool.
To cook the sweet potatoes: In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped sweet potatoes and toss to coat, then add the cumin, smoked paprika and salt. Stir to combine. Once the pan is sizzling, add a scant ¼ cup water, then cover the pan and reduce heat to low to avoid burning the contents. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is easily pierced through with a fork, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Uncover the pan, raise the heat back to medium and cook until the excess moisture has evaporated and the sweet potatoes are caramelizing on the edges, about 3 to 7 minutes (add another little splash of olive oil if the potatoes start sticking to the pan). Set aside to cool.
To prepare the kale: Transfer the kale to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the chopped kale with salt and use your hands to “massage” it, which improves the flavor. Just grab handfuls of kale in your hands and scrunch it up in your palms. Repeat until the kale is darker green in color and more fragrant. Whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, the juice of 1 lime and ½ teaspoon salt. Drizzle over the kale and toss to coat.
To make the avocado sauce: Combine the ingredients as listed in a food processor or blender. Blend well, add more lime juice if desired, and season with salt, to taste.
To toast the pepitas: In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast the pepitas, stirring frequently, until they are turning lightly golden on the edges and starting to make little popping noises, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Once the quinoa has cooled down a bit, pour it into the bowl of kale and toss to combine. Divide the kale and quinoa mixture into four large salad bowls. Top with sweet potatoes, black beans, a big dollop of avocado sauce, and a sprinkle of feta and pepitas.

Notes

Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the feta.

Storage suggestions: This salad keeps well, covered and refrigerated, for a few days. To keep the avocado sauce fresh, store it separately in a small bowl, with plastic wrap pressed against the top surface to prevent oxidation.

Change it up: Butternut squash or carrots would be good substitutions for the sweet potatoes.

Edits January 11, 2024: Adjusted avocado sauce by omitting 2 tablespoons olive oil (unnecessary), decreasing the salt for the sweet potatoes from 1 ½ teaspoons to ½ teaspoon, and specifying the amounts of lime juice and salt.

Nutrition

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

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Perfect Baked Sweet Potato

Kathryne Taylor — Thu, 08 Dec 2022 21:39:44 +0000

Some baked sweet potatoes are better than others, and these are downright perfect. These baked sweet potatoes are silky-smooth all the way through. They’re sweet, creamy and delicious.

Baked sweet potatoes are always a nice side dish. They also make a great weeknight meal if you top them well. You’ll find several of my favorite flavor variations below.

In my baked sweet potato recipe testing, I was surprised to find so many parallels to baked potatoes. It’s easy to lump sweet potatoes (commonly called yams) and potatoes together, but they come from different plant families. They’re only distantly related, but I’ve realized that they do bake up similarly.

Both are best baked in the oven without foil, directly on the rack, at high heat. You’ll learn why and find the full recipe below!

How to Bake Sweet Potatoes

Here are a few key tips:

1) Always poke a few holes.

Before baking, use a fork to prick each sweet potato several times. You don’t need to jab the fork in deep. We’re creating steam vents. Otherwise the pressure in the sweet potato could build up so high in the oven that it explodes—an unlikely possibility but one best avoided!

2) Bake directly on the rack.

Sweet potatoes don’t bake evenly when placed on a baking sheet. They turn out much better when baked directly on the rack. To avoid any drips landing at the bottom of the oven, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place it on the rack directly below the sweet potato. (To reiterate: don’t place a parchment-lined baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven as the paper might burn.)

Note that we are not wrapping the sweet potatoes in aluminum foil. Foil traps moisture, and we want the excess moisture to escape from the sweet potato during baking. That way, we’ll get delicious condensed flavor inside and avoid soggy skin on the outside.

3) Bake at high heat.

The perfect temperature for baking sweet potatoes is 450 degrees Fahrenheit. I can’t explain the science, but my sweet potatoes baked at 450 turned out far better than at 400. They’re silky smooth and creamy on the inside, plus they bake more quickly. Even the largest sweet potato (around 12 ounces) was done within an hour.

Bonus: If you love sweet potato skin…

Rub your sweet potatoes with a very light coating of olive oil before baking. With the oil, the skin turns darker and has a more paper-like texture, which makes it much nicer to eat. I wouldn’t call it crispy or irresistible, just nicer. Sweet potato skin fans, this optional step might be worth it for you!

Watch How to Bake Sweet Potatoes

3 Baked Sweet Potato Stuffing Suggestions

1) Irresistibly basic

Season with salt and pepper, add several pats of butter, and finish with a sprinkling of chopped chives or green onion. Add a dollop of sour cream or sprinkle of grated Parmesan if you’re in the mood. Inspired by my Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes.

2) Southwestern

Top with chopped red bell pepper and green onion, black beans, crumbled feta or shredded Monterey jack cheese, toasted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), avocado and/or a dollop of sour cream. Inspired by my Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas.

3) Sweeter but not too much

Top with pats of butter, toasted and finely chopped pecans, a light sprinkle of fresh chopped rosemary (trust me) and a light drizzle of maple syrup (or sprinkle of brown sugar). Season to taste with salt. Inspired by my Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole.

Don’t miss the Quinoa-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes in my cookbook, Love Real Food (page 145)! Featuring chickpeas, goat cheese and fresh flavorings, they’re still my favorite.

Please let me know how your sweet potatoes turn out in the comments. I love hearing from you.

Perfect Baked Sweet Potato

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 1 sweet potato
Diet: Vegetarian

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 22 reviews

Make the perfect baked sweet potato with this simple recipe! These baked sweet potatoes are perfectly tender throughout and silky smooth. Bake up just one sweet potato or several in the oven at once, then top as desired.

Ingredients

1 to 4 medium sweet potatoes (about 8 to 12 ounces each)

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the middle and another rack directly below it. Line the interior of a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to catch any sweet potato drippings.
To prepare the sweet potatoes, scrub them clean with a vegetable brush under running water. Using a fork, prick the sweet potatoes about 6 to 8 times each, about ¼ inch deep.
Place the sweet potatoes directly on the middle rack, and place the prepared baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drippings.
Bake for 45 to 65 minutes, until the sweet potatoes yield to a gentle squeeze (if the potatoes are starting to drip from their pierced holes, that’s a good sign to start checking them for doneness). Serve as desired.

Notes

Optional: For improved sweet potato skin (in both texture and flavor), rub each sweet potato very lightly with extra-virgin olive oil before baking.

Nutrition

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Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole

Kathryne Taylor — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 23:52:08 +0000

This sweet potato casserole is for everyone, even the people who don’t like sweet potato casserole. I’m serious! If you enjoy sweet potato casserole, I’m confident you’ll love this marshmallow-free version.

If you don’t like sweet potato casserole, this recipe will change your mind. I know it will, because it changed mine. I’ve sworn for years that I only like savory sweet potatoes, but I’m officially eating my words. I love this recipe.

This sweet potato casserole features an ultra creamy, pillowy interior with deep sweet potato flavor. The buttery pecan topping is crunchy-tender and lightly sweet, with optional fresh rosemary.

Overall, this dish is entirely irresistible. I hope it’s a big hit at your Thanksgiving table.

Watch How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole

How to Make the Best Sweet Potato Casserole

Here are a few reasons why this casserole is so delicious:

1) Baked Sweet Potatoes are Better Than Boiled

We’ll roast the sweet potatoes whole in the oven until they’re tender and cooked through. The sweet potato condenses and caramelizes in the oven, producing superior flavor. Boiling chunks of sweet potatoes just adds more moisture.

Baking takes longer than boiling, but it’s easy and worth the wait. You can bake the sweet potatoes in advance or go ahead and prepare the whole dish in advance, if desired. More on that in the next section.

2) No Marshmallows, No Flour, No Nonsense

In this recipe, toasted pecans and creamy sweet potatoes take center stage. There are no puffy marshmallows getting in the way, and no flour to damper the flavors. Make this recipe and I think you’ll agree with me.

Note: No flour means this recipe is naturally gluten free.

3) Less Sugar Makes a Better Casserole

I’ve always wondered why we add so much sugar to sweet potato casserole when the sweet potatoes themselves are already sweet. I reduced the sugar in the filling and the topping as much as I could, while still retaining that classic holiday flavor. Success!

4) Rosemary: Optional But So Good

I added some finely snipped rosemary to the topping, which lends a lovely savory, herbal note to the dish. It’s subtle but so nice.

A Few Notes & Tips

How to Chop the Pecans in a Hurry

Throw your pecans in the food processor and blitz! As a bonus, if you chop your pecans more finely than shown here in the photos, your topping will look more abundant even though you’re using the same amount.

How to Snip Rosemary

I’ll admit that preparing the rosemary is a little fussy. If you have clean kitchen scissors, simply snip the fresh rosemary leaves in tiny increments until you have about two teaspoons’ worth (you’ll need a couple of short sprigs). Snipping is easier than chopping, that’s for sure.

How to Reduce the Sugar

This naturally sweetened sweet potato casserole already has significantly less added sugar than most recipes. To bring it down even further, you can reduce or omit the maple syrup in the filling. I included the maple syrup because it tastes more decadent and holiday-like with it, but I also enjoyed the version without. Up to you!

How to Prepare This Casserole in Advance

You can roast the sweet potatoes in advance and chill them for later. Or, prepare the whole dish up to three days in advance and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. Since your dish is starting off cold, it will likely need an additional five minutes or so in the oven.

More Holiday-Worthy Side Dishes

Please let me know how your casserole turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.

Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Yield: 10 servings
Diet: Gluten Free

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 50 reviews

Make this sweet potato casserole recipe for the holidays! Topped with buttery pecans, this creamy sweet potato casserole will be a BIG hit. Recipe yields 8 to 10 servings.

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Filling

3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 medium)
½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup milk of choice
¼ cup maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon fine salt

Pecan Topping

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup packed coconut sugar or dark brown sugar
¾ cup pecan halves or pieces, finely chopped
2 teaspoons finely snipped fresh rosemary leaves (optional)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of fine salt

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to catch the sweet potato drippings. Grease a 9-inch square baker (or any other 2-quart baker) with butter or cooking spray. Remember to leave the butter at room temperature so it has time to soften.
To prepare the filling: Prick each sweet potato with a fork about 5 times so steam can escape. Place the whole sweet potatoes on the prepared baking sheet and bake until they yield easily to a gentle squeeze (use oven mitts!), somewhere between 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on their size. Set them aside to cool for a few minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Once the potatoes are cool enough to safely handle, slice each one in half. Use a big spoon to scoop the insides into a large mixing bowl, then discard the skins.
Add the melted butter, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, nutmeg and salt to the bowl. Use a hand mixer to whip the ingredients together until they’re smooth and creamy (alternately, use a potato masher or stir by hand). Scoop the mixture into the prepared baker and spread it in an even layer.
To prepare the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter (if it’s not soft enough to stir yet, microwave it in 6 to 8 second intervals), sugar, pecans, optional rosemary, cinnamon and salt. Stir until the mixture is evenly incorporated. Dollop small forkfuls evenly all over the sweet potato filling.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the pecans are golden and fragrant, and the filling is sizzling around the edges and warmed all the way through. Serve. Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for 4 to 5 days.

Notes

Recipe roughly adapted from Marian Burros of The New York Times and The Food Network.

Make it dairy free/vegan: Use dairy-free milk, such as almond. Replace the butter with coconut oil.

Make it nut free: While I haven’t tried, I think that pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) would be nice in place of the pecans. Blitz them in a food processor until they’re finely chopped and proceed as directed. Be sure to use a nut-free milk, and let me know how this turns out in the comments if you give it a try!

Prepare in advance: You can roast the sweet potatoes in advance and chill them for later. Or, prepare the whole dish up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. Your dish will likely need an additional 5 minutes or so in the oven since it’s starting off cold.

Freeze it: Prepare the dish as directed through the assembly in step 5. To minimize freezer burn, refrigerate the dish until fully chilled. Then, wrap or cover well and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight then bake as directed, allowing some extra time in the oven since it started off cold.

Nutrition

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Favorite Veggie Burgers

Kathryne Taylor — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 15:59:55 +0000

Have you met my favorite veggie burgers? If not, it’s about time! I have high standards for veggie burgers, and these put all the rest to shame. I have a feeling they’ll become your favorite veggie burgers, too.

These veggie burgers are hearty and satisfying, and feature an irresistible combination of flavors. They start with a base of quinoa, black beans and oats. Then we amp up the volume with sweet potatoes, fresh herbs, and some carefully chosen seasonings. They’re a little sweet and a little spicy, in the best of ways.

You may recognize this recipe as the “Sweet Potato and Black Bean Veggie Burgers” that have been hidden in the archives for quite some time. There’s a chance you’ve enjoyed these burgers in my cookbook, Love Real Food, sandwiched between buns with a crisp lime-cilantro cabbage slaw and guacamole (page 177).

Or maybe you’re seeing these burgers for the first time right now! If so, I’ll share why this veggie burger recipe is my favorite:

These burgers are absolutely delicious. In fact, these are the best veggie burgers I’ve ever had. They’re better than any restaurant’s, and far better than store-bought frozen veggie burgers.
These burgers retain their shape before, during and after cooking. Many veggie burgers are a chore to make or to eat, but these are totally fuss-free.
You can cook these burgers in the oven, on the stove, or yes, even on the grill. They also freeze well, so you can make a full batch and enjoy them over time.
These veggie burgers are perfect for serving to friends who follow special diets. These burgers are vegetarian, of course. They’re also conveniently vegan, gluten free, nut free, egg free and soy free.

Watch How to Make Veggie Burgers

Veggie Burger Cooking Options

You have three cooking options for these veggie burgers, and we’ll start with my favorite one.

1) Oven-Baked

I love baking these veggie burgers in the oven. It’s the easiest way to cook a bunch at once, and they turn out beautifully cooked through and golden on each side.

2) Grilled

These burgers grill well, too! I’ve successfully grilled them on the grates without the burgers falling apart. (If you do run into any trouble, just chill the burgers for a bit before trying again.)

3) Stovetop

Lastly, you can cook these veggie burgers in a skillet on the stovetop. The stovetop isn’t my favorite method because it requires more babysitting than the oven, but it’s totally doable. These burgers are extra moist inside. Check the recipe notes for details.

Veggie Burger Ingredients

These veggie burgers are made with easy-to-find, healthy ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

Sweet potatoes: For the best results, weigh your sweet potatoes at the store to ensure you’re starting with the right amount. Ideally, choose smaller sweet potatoes because they’ll cook a little quicker. We’re going to slice them down the middle and roast them until tender.
Quinoa: We’ll start with raw (uncooked) quinoa, and you’ll find instructions on how to cook it within the recipe. Or, if you happen to have 1 1/2 cups leftover cooked quinoa, you can use that instead. Millet will work in place of quinoa, too (check the recipe notes for details).
Black beans: Canned or home-cooked will work, as long as they are rinsed and well-drained. Though I have’t tried, I bet you could substitute an equal amount of pinto beans, chickpeas or white beans in a pinch.
Red onion, cilantro, and garlic: If you’re sensitive to any of these flavors, don’t worry, they mellow during cooking and produce a delicious end result.
Spices: Adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo) or smoked paprika lend some smoky grilled flavor. We’ll also add cumin, chili powder, and salt.
Quick-cooking oats: Oats absorb excess moisture and offer a dose of whole grains. You can also use old-fashioned oats, pulsed briefly in a food processor or blender to break them up.

Veggie Burger Serving Suggestions

Burger Accompaniments

Serve these burgers as, well, burgers! Find some great buns, or use butter lettuce leaves for a low-carb, gluten free options. Add any of the following:

Ripe, juicy sliced tomato
Crisp lettuce or fresh sprouts
Pickles
Sliced cheese
Onion, very thinly sliced
Avocado or guacamole
Ketchup and mustard
Maybe even fried eggs

Side Dish Suggestions

These burgers would go nicely with my Simple Healthy Slaw or Gaby’s Cucumber Salad.

You could make extra quinoa while you’re at it (you’ll need a total of 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa for the burgers), and make my Sun-Dried Tomato, Spinach and Quinoa Salad or Favorite Quinoa Salad.

Ideas for Leftovers

Keep these burgers on hand for quick, healthy meals. Leftover cooked patties store well in the freezer for several months.

Warm one up and serve it with a simple green salad, or a quesadilla, or any hodge-podge of ingredients you may have. However you serve them, these burgers will add some additional veggies, fiber and protein to your meal.

Please let me know how your veggie burgers turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.

Favorite Veggie Burgers

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 8 burger patties
Diet: Vegetarian

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 497 reviews

These sweet and spicy veggie burgers are both vegan and gluten free. You can bake them, grill them, or cook them on the stovetop! For best results when choosing the grill or stovetop method, prepare the burger mixture in advance and let it chill in the refrigerator (you can let it chill overnight or longer if you’d like). Recipe yields 8 patties.

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes (2 medium or 3 small)
½ cup quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh colander
1 cup water
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained (or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans)
½ cup chopped red onion (about ½ small red onion)
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 tablespoons adobo sauce* or 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups quick-cooking oats** (use certified gluten-free oats if necessary)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing (or avocado oil, if using stovetop method)
8 whole wheat hamburger buns (optional)
Your favorite burger fixings: Avocado or guacamole, tomato, onion, lettuce, pickles, cheese, sprouts, ketchup, hot sauce, mustard, fried eggs…

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
Roast the sweet potatoes: Slice the sweet potatoes down the center lengthwise. Place the sweet potatoes, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until they yield to a gentle squeeze, 30 to 40 minutes or longer. Set aside for now. (If you’ll be baking the burgers, reserve the parchment-lined pan and leave the oven on.)
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the quinoa and water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer, uncovered, until all of the water is absorbed, 11 to 14 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let the quinoa steam for 10 minutes.
Once the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin (it should pull off easily) and roughly chop the insides. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your electric mixer, combine the cooled sweet potatoes and quinoa, black beans, onion, cilantro, garlic, adobo sauce, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Use a potato masher, pastry cutter, large spoon or the paddle attachment of your mixer to mix really well. It’s ok if the black beans get smashed in the process.
Sprinkle the oats over the mixture and mix well with a large spoon until the mixture holds together when you shape a portion into a patty. If you won’t be making the burgers immediately, cover the mixture and refrigerate for later.
When you’re ready to cook, shape the burgers: Use a measuring cup to measure out ½ cup of the mixture. Gently shape it into a patty about 3 ½ to 4 inches in diameter. Use your hands to gently flatten the burgers and smooth out any jagged edges. Repeat the process for each patty; you should end up with 8.
If you’re baking the burgers (see recipe notes for alternate options), brush both sids of each patty generously with olive oil and place them on the lined baking sheet, leaving a few inches of space around each one. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until the patties are deeply golden on the outside, about 35 minutes, flipping halfway.
Serve burgers as desired. Leftover burgers keep well, refrigerated, for 4 days. Or, freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months (thaw in the microwave for about 1 minute or in a 400 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until warmed all the way through).

Notes

Recipe adapted from the Cafe Flora Cookbook. Cafe Flora is a wonderful vegetarian restaurant in Seattle with an ever-changing seasonal menu—check it out if you’re nearby.

*Adobo sauce note: Buy canned or jarred chipotle peppers in adobo and use the sauce. You’ll usually find this ingredient in the international or Hispanic aisle of the grocery store. You can transfer leftover peppers and their sauce to a freezer bag, squeeze out any remaining air, and freeze for later use.

**Oats note: You can use old-fashioned oats instead, if you briefly blend them in a food processor or blender until broken into smaller pieces (not as fine as flour).

Stovetop cooking method: Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or other high heat oil) in a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, place several burgers in the pan, leaving enough room to flip them. Cook each patty until browned and heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet for each pan of burgers you fry, and dial down the heat as necessary to prevent burning.

Grilling method: Ideally, let the mixture chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before shaping the burgers and grilling. No need to coat the burgers in oil, which might burn on the grill. Shape the burgers as instructed in step 6, and cook on a grill over medium heat, turning once the undersides have turned golden and developed some grill marks. Repeat on the other side.

Make it gluten free: Use certified gluten-free oats and choose your accompaniments carefully. As an alternative to buns, try butter lettuce leaves!

Prepare in advance: Prepare the burger mixture and let it chill in the refrigerator (you can let it chill overnight or up to a couple of days if you’d like). Then assemble the burgers and cook as directed.

Serving suggestions: These veggie burgers don’t have to be served as traditional burgers. The patties are good on their own with toppings like guacamole and pico de gallo, or in a salad with Southwestern flavors. Try serving them with corn on the cob in the summer.

Recipe notes 8/18/20: The original version of this recipe called for ⅓ cup millet cooked with 1 cup water (yielding 1 cup cooked millet) and 1 cup old-fashioned oats, lightly ground in a food processor or blender until the flakes are broken up, but not as fine as flour.

Nutrition

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Perfect Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Kathryne Taylor — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 23:52:07 +0000

Roasted sweet potatoes are my favorite! They’re pillowy-tender and sweet on the inside, and deliciously salty and caramelized on the outside.

Unlike sweet potato casseroles with marshmallows on top, roasted sweet potatoes have an inherently savory side to them. That’s why I love them.

In fact, I didn’t even like sweet potatoes until I discovered sweet potato fries. Roasted sweet potatoes were just a sidestep away, and they’re certainly healthier than deep-fried varieties. Do you know that sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, plus vitamins A and B6?

Since we’re going back to basics this month, I’m sharing my tested and perfected roasted sweet potatoes recipe. As you’ll see, roasted sweet potatoes make a wonderful side dish, snack or hearty plant-based meal component. Crank up the oven and let’s get to it!

Watch How to Roast Sweet Potatoes

How to Roast Sweet Potatoes

Roasted sweet potatoes are easy to make and delicious, if you know these basic tips and tricks.

1) Buy good sweet potatoes.

Look for sweet potatoes that feel heavy for their size, with even skin and no squishy bits. I try to buy sweet potatoes that are more rounded and evenly shaped, which is helpful when it comes to slicing them into even pieces. Store your sweet potatoes in a dry, cool, dark place (like a pantry or cupboard, not the fridge). They should keep for a week or two.

Any variety of sweet potato will work for this recipe. The more colorful your sweet potatoes are on the inside, the more antioxidants they contain—truly! That’s why I always buy orange-fleshed (or occasionally purple-fleshed) sweet potatoes, rather than white. Note that in the United States, “yams” are typically just sweet potatoes by another name (here’s what a real yam looks like).

2) Peel or scrub them clean.

This is up to you. I tend to peel my sweet potatoes out of habit, but you can leave the skin on if you don’t mind some additional texture. If you decide to leave the skin on, be sure to scrub them clean under running water and pat them dry before slicing.

3) Cut them into even cubes, or close to it.

Start by slicing each sweet potato into one-inch wide rounds. Then, cut each round as necessary to make chunks that are roughly one-inch cubes. They won’t be perfectly even, but that’s fine.

4) Don’t overcrowd the pan.

Like all vegetables, sweet potatoes need some breathing room on the pan. Otherwise, the cubes will produce so much steam that they’ll never turn golden on the edges. It’s better to use two pans, arranged on separate racks near the middle of the oven, than to cram too much onto one pan.

Tip: Here are my favorite large, rimmed baking sheets (they’re called half-sheet pans, and that’s an affiliate link). Each of these pans can accommodate up to two pounds of sweet potatoes.

5) Roast at a relatively high temperature, turning halfway.

We want the oven turned up high enough to yield delicious golden edges. Not so high that the olive oil burns, which both smells and tastes bad. I recommend baking at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

6) Don’t stop until deeply caramelized.

If you roast the sweet potatoes long enough, their sugars will start to caramelize against the pan. Those caramelized bits are the best parts! Don’t worry if you see a few spots that look burnt—take it as a sign that your sweet potatoes are done. In all likelihood, the sweet potatoes will still taste great.

How to Serve Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Roasted sweet potatoes make a great side dish for a wide variety of meals. They’re an especially good option for quick stovetop dinners. Put your sweet potatoes in the oven before you get started on the rest, and they’ll be done around the time your entrée is finished.

As you skim through the suggestions provided below, you’ll see that I love to incorporate sweet potatoes into Mexican (or even Thai) meals. They’re sweet enough to contrast with spicy ingredients, and I can’t get enough.

Serve roasted sweet potatoes as a side dish for these meals:

Roasted sweet potatoes are a great addition to hearty salads with whole grains, including wild rice, farro and quinoa. Here’s proof:

Craving more roasted vegetables?

Here are a few more versatile recipes:

Please let me know how your roasted sweet potatoes turn out in the comments. For a fun variation on roasted sweet potatoes, try my crispy baked sweet potato fries. They’re the perfect snack!

Perfect Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 17 reviews

Roasted sweet potatoes are truly delicious, and so easy to make! This healthy recipe will become your new favorite side dish. Recipe yields 4 side servings.

Ingredients

2 pounds sweet potatoes (3 to 4 medium sweet potatoes)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Optional: 1 teaspoon chili powder or freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
Either scrub the sweet potatoes clean and pat dry, or peel them (I generally peel mine). To slice, use a sharp chef’s knife to cut them into 1-inch thick rounds. Then, cut up each round to make 1-inch cubes. The “cubes” won’t be perfectly even, but that’s ok.
Place the sweet potatoes on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil on top. If using, sprinkle the chili pepper or several twists of freshly ground black pepper on top, followed by the salt. Toss until the sweet potatoes are all evenly coated in oil, and arrange them in a single layer.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway, until the sweet potatoes are tender and caramelizing at the edges. Serve while warm. Leftover sweet potatoes will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for about 4 days. Gently reheat in the microwave or oven if desired.

Notes

Easy dipping sauce ideas: For a snack, I’ll serve these roasted sweet potatoes with ketchup, my shortcut aioli, or spicy mayonnaise (mayo mixed with sriracha, gochujang or hot sauce, to taste).

Nutrition

5 Recipes Featuring Roasted Sweet Potatoes

1) Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos with Avocado-Pepita Dip

“This is my first time ever leaving a recipe review but I just made these for dinner and they were unbelievably DELICIOUS!!! I agree that the pictures definitely don’t do this meal justice. It was the first time my husband has ever called anything I made “restaurant quality”!!! I can’t wait to make these again!” – Lisa

2) Spicy Sweet Potato and Green Rice Burrito Bowls

“I made this last night and it was fabulous! Wonderful combination of flavors. This will definitely be added to our regular rotation, and I’m sure I’ll use the green rice in other recipes. Thank you!” – Rebecca

3) Sweet Potato Burrito Smothered in Avocado Salsa Verde

“Well done, this made our familly recipe book for future use. Everyone loved it.” – Marc

4) Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tostadas

“I made this last night. It tastes like vacation! My husband, daughter and I loved it!!! It’s so interesting to combine sweet potatoes and black beans. I will make this again!” – Pat

5) Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole

“Delicious, like a Mexican lasagna. The whole family loved it!” – Carol

The post Perfect Roasted Sweet Potatoes appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Seriously Good Vegetable Soup

Kathryne Taylor — Mon, 11 Nov 2019 19:58:08 +0000

You know how most vegetable soups are pretty tired and “blah”? Not this one! This hearty homemade vegetable soup is full of fresh, wholesome flavors.

I’m excited to share this vegetable soup recipe with you. It’s honestly the best I’ve ever had, and I hope you’ll agree. You just might have all the ingredients you’ll need to make this easy soup on hand already.

I can think of so many reasons to make this soup. Warm up with a big bowl of veggie soup on a cold day. Make it for someone who’s under the weather. My husband has a cold and it’s snowing outside as I type, so this soup is just what we need right now.

Prepare a batch and you’ll have a healthy side dish ready to go for the rest of the week. This soup is a great way to lighten up heavier meals, especially as we get into the holidays. Did I mention that it’s vegetarian, vegan and gluten free for all to enjoy?

Vegetable Options for Vegetable Soup

This homemade vegetable soup is versatile by design, so you can enjoy it from fall through winter. We’ll use onion, carrots and celery as a base.

We’ll also add two cups of seasonal vegetables to make this soup more hearty and interesting. Choose from veggies you have on hand, or grab your favorites at the store. Any of these will work:

Sweet potatoes or regular potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch long segments
Bell pepper, chopped
Cauliflower, cut into very small bite-sized pieces
Zucchini or yellow squash, chopped
Fresh greens: Kale, collard greens, chard, or spinach

How to Make the Best Vegetable Soup

We’ll use several simple techniques to build flavor as we cook this soup. Here’s how:

1) Start with the veggies.

We’ll sauté chopped onion, celery, carrots and seasonal vegetables in olive oil, with some salt. This softens them up and enhances their flavors. Adding salt during different stages of the cooking process builds more flavor than simply adding it all at the end.

2) Add fresh minced garlic, curry powder, and dried thyme.

Sautéing these ingredients for about 1 minute wakes up their flavors, but isn’t long enough to risk burning the garlic (burnt garlic tastes awful).

Curry powder is the secret to making this soup so delicious. We aren’t adding much. You probably won’t be able to pinpoint the flavor, but it adds some subtle intrigue and warmth to this soup. I’ve also used curry powder in my lentil soup and chickpea noodle soup as well, and it always works like a charm.

3) Add canned diced tomatoes with their juices.

We’ll cook them all together for a couple of minutes to reduce any tinny flavors. I used fire-roasted diced tomatoes for these photos, but regular diced tomatoes were just as good. I always recommend using Muir Glen brand of tomatoes because they taste the best and come in BPA-free cans.

4) Almost done—add some vegetable broth, water, and more flavorings.

Vegetable broth keeps this soup vegetarian/vegan. We’ll also add bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and a little more salt. If you’re sensitive to spice, you can reduce or omit the red pepper flakes. If you love spice like me, you might even want to double the amount at the end (add to taste). Regardless, we’ll let the soup gently simmer for 25 minutes so the flavors can meld together.

5) Add chopped fresh greens and finally, some fresh lemon juice.

Lastly, we’ll add chopped greens for health bonus points, and simmer for 5 minutes to soften them up. Before serving, we’ll brighten up the soup with a big squeeze of lemon juice (one of my other go-to soup tricks) and add another splash of olive oil for rich flavor. Taste the soup before and after these additions, and you’ll notice a big difference! Finally, season to taste with salt and pepper, as necessary.

Watch How to Make Vegetable Soup

Please let me know how this soup turns out in the comments. I love hearing from you, and your feedback encourages other readers to try the recipe.

Craving more hearty, healthy, meatless soups this season? Me, too. Here are a few more great options:

Classic Minestrone Soup
Best Lentil Soup
Chickpea Noodle Soup
Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta and Beans Soup)
Quinoa Vegetable Soup with Kale
Sweet Potato, Kale and Chickpea Soup

Don’t miss the hearty soups in my cookbook, Love Real Food. They’re some of my favorites!

Seriously Good Vegetable Soup

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 6 bowls

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 615 reviews

This vegetable soup recipe is seriously so good! It’s easy to make, and full of veggies and fresh flavor. If you’re feeing under the weather or just wanting to lighten up your meals, this soup is the answer. Recipe yields 6 bowls of soup.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cups chopped seasonal vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, green beans, butternut squash, potatoes, bell pepper, zucchini or yellow squash
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided, to taste
6 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
½ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, reduce or omit if sensitive to spice
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups chopped kale or collard greens or chard (thick ribs removed), or spinach
1 tablespoon lemon juice

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Instructions

Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, seasonal vegetables and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the garlic, curry powder and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and cook for a few more minutes, stirring often.
Pour in the broth and water. Add ½ teaspoon more salt, 2 bay leaves and the red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
Cook for 25 minutes, then remove the lid and add the chopped greens. Continue simmering for 5 minutes or more, until the greens have softened to your liking.
Remove the pot from heat and remove the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and/or red pepper flakes. (You might need up to ½ teaspoon more salt, depending on your vegetable broth and your personal preferences.) Divide into bowls and enjoy.

Notes

Recipe adapted from my quinoa vegetable soup and lentil soup.

Storage suggestions: This soup keeps well in the refrigerator for about 4 days. It freezes and defrosts well if you want to freeze extra portions for later!

Recommended equipment: I’m convinced that everything I cook in my Dutch oven (affiliate link) comes out extra delicious.

Nutrition

The post Seriously Good Vegetable Soup appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Hearty Sweet Potato, Arugula & Wild Rice Salad with Ginger Dressing

Kathryne Taylor — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 19:00:36 +0000

This stunning salad came to be by accident. In a state of impending hanger, I threw together the leftovers scavenged from my fridge: fresh arugula, cooked wild rice, baked sweet potato fries (why not?), and ginger dressing.

I topped it with the leftover toasted nuts and seeds sitting in a bowl by the sink, and somehow summoned the energy to add some crumbled feta.

That salad really hit the spot, so I jotted down some notes about it and here we are.

Why This Salad Works

Spicy arugula offers a nutritious, green base. Fresh ginger in the salad dressing balances the sweetness of the caramelized, roasted sweet potatoes. I’ve been obsessed with wild rice in salads lately, since it offers such a great, chewy-tender texture and nutty flavor.

Crumbled feta, green onion and dried cranberries round it out to create a bold, beautiful fall and winter salad. This is a meal-in-a-bowl situation.

Watch How to Make Hearty Sweet Potato, Arugula & Wild Rice Salad

Salad Notes

This is a seriously large salad that makes great leftovers. Be sure to store the salad and dressing separately if you intend to have leftovers that last for several days. You can toss it all together at once, but the arugula wilts fairly quickly—not a bad effect if you’re eating it all within a day or so.

You could also easily halve this recipe, if you don’t want to make an enormous amount at once. Either way, you’ll end up with some leftover dressing that you can use to improvise your own salads. Let me know how those turn out!

If you have an Instant Pot, (affiliate link) check out the recipe notes for a foolproof and faster way to cook the wild rice.

Change It Up

This recipe is versatile. Here are a few ways to change it to suit your needs:

For extra protein, add cooked chickpeas.
Butternut squash would work well in place of the sweet potato. Or, you could save time and simplify the recipe by swapping raw diced apples for the sweet potato.
Any cooked whole grain (about 3 cups) will work in place of the wild rice; farro or wheat berries would be really nice.
Sub your favorite green for the arugula (massaged chopped kale or baby kale, spinach, spring greens, etc.).

Please let me know how this salad turns out for you in the comments! It’s not the quickest salad to make, but it keeps so well that it’s definitely worth the effort.

Craving more hearty salads that keep well? Here are a few of my favorites:

View all salad recipes here.

Website Updates

Thank you so much to everyone who filled out our 2019 reader survey. With over 5,000 responses (holy moly!), I’m still reading through and taking notes on your answers.

Thank you for your kind encouragement and suggestions. I’ve already implemented a few of the most frequent requests. You’ll now find a “jump to recipe” button at the top of every recipe post, in case you’re in a hurry or working on your grocery list.

I’m also investigating better search solutions, and I’ve fixed an issue with the mobile version of the menu so you now have easier access to all of the recipe filters.

I’m carefully considering your responses. Since I’m both the website developer and recipe developer, working on one side takes time from the other. I love stretching my brain in both directions, though, and keeping the Cookie and Kate team small. I’d rather grow slowly than burn out, because this is my absolute dream job.

These things take time. I also need time to sleep, and Cookie wants to go on more walks. Maybe I’ll make another cookbook. I’m definitely going on more vacations and hope you do, too.

Cheers to many more fresh and wholesome recipes this year. Thank you for being here.

Hearty Sweet Potato, Arugula & Wild Rice Salad with Ginger Dressing

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 6 salads

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 160 reviews

This delicious salad recipe features roasted sweet potato, wild rice and arugula. It’s fresh, filling and nutritious! Enjoy this salad all week long. This recipe yields a lot of salad (6 generous servings) and is easily halved.

Ingredients

Salad

1 cup wild rice, rinsed
½ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes (2 medium or 3 small), peeled and sliced into 1” cubes
1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¾ cup raw pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), sunflower seeds, chopped pecans or almonds, or any combination thereof
5 ounces arugula (about 5 packed cups)
½ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese (about 2 ounces)
½ cup thinly sliced green onion
¼ cup dried cranberries

Ginger dressing (this makes extra)

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, to taste
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
About 20 twists of freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

To cook the wild rice: Bring a large pot of water to boil (or see Instant Pot option provided in notes). Add the rinsed rice and continue boiling, reducing heat as necessary to prevent overflow, for 40 minutes to 55 minutes, until the rice is pleasantly tender but still offers a light resistance to the bite. Remove from heat, drain the rice and return the rice to pot. Cover and let the rice rest for 10 minutes, then remove the lid, stir in ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and set aside.
Meanwhile, to roast the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Place the cubed sweet potato on the pan, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Toss until the sweet potatoes are lightly and evenly coated in oil. Arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing halfway, until they are caramelized on the edges and tender when pierced through with a fork. Leave the oven on and let the sweet potatoes cool for a few minutes.
To make the dressing, simply combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
Combine the arugula, wild rice and roasted sweet potatoes (keep the parchment paper) in a large serving bowl or platter.
Spread the seeds and/or chopped nuts on your parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant (be sure to set a timer; we’re toasting at high heat here).
Spread the toasted seeds/nuts over the salad. Top with the crumbled feta, green onion and dried cranberries.
If you’re serving the salad immediately, go ahead and drizzle most of the dressing on top (you probably won’t use it all). Gently toss to combine, and let the salad rest for a few minutes so the rice has time to absorb some of the dressing. Serve.
If you’re planning to have leftovers, divide the salad into portions and store the dressing separately. The salad and dressing will keep well, each covered in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. Leftover dressing is great to keep on hand for future salads!

Notes

Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the feta. For a vegan salad, be sure to use maple syrup instead of honey.

Make it nut free: Use pepitas and/or sunflower seeds in place of the nuts.

Instant pot option: Add the wild rice and 1 ¼ cups water to the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing. Select the Manual/Pressure Cook option and cook on high pressure for 22 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then move the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure. When the floating valve drops, remove the lid and give the rice a stir. Let the rice cool for at least 10 minutes before tossing with the remaining ingredients.

Nutrition

The post Hearty Sweet Potato, Arugula & Wild Rice Salad with Ginger Dressing appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Kathryne Taylor — Sat, 15 Dec 2018 17:22:48 +0000

These sweet potato fries will change your life. I’m serious! They are salty-sweet, crunchy, and spicy if you wish. Baked sweet potato fries have been one of my favorite snacks since I first shared the recipe eight years ago.

These crispy fries beat their fast-food fried Russet cousins in simplicity and ease. They require fewer cooking steps because they’re baked rather than fried.

Over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks to make my sweet potato fries even more crispy. Crispy fries or bust!

You’ll learn all of them as you make the recipe, but I’m sharing my top tips in more detail below. Are you hungry for sweet potato fries yet?

How to Make the Best Sweet Potato Fries

I’ve tried baked sweet potato fries every which way, and these elements really do make a big difference in the crispy factor:

1) Slice your fries thinly.

You want your fries to be about 1/4″ wide, or close to it. Thick fries never get crispy.

Here’s how to slice a sweet potato into fries: Rest your sweet potato on its side on a sturdy cutting board. Working lengthwise, slice off a 1/4″ thick slab from one of the sides. Turn the sweet potato onto the flat side so it’s more stable. It gets easier from there!

Continue cutting the sweet potato into slabs, and then cut the slabs into thin fries. As you’re cutting the slabs, you’ll eventually want to turn the sweet potato onto the now-larger flat side to maintain stability.

2) Toss your sliced fries in cornstarch before oil.

Cornstarch really helps to get the outsides crisp! It’s a little trick I learned from a commenter named Jeni (thanks Jeni). I’ve played around with various amounts of cornstarch and olive oil and found the perfect ratio.

I’ve experimented with arrowroot starch as well, and it produced fries that were somewhat less crisp, but it’s worth using if that’s what you have.

3) Divide your fries between two pans and arrange them in even layers.

Overcrowded fries steam each other and never get crispy! You can fit one pound of fries per pan.

Be sure that each fry lies flush against the pan, not piled on top of other fries. The fries develop crisp edges when they’re resting on a hot surface.

4) Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Any lower, and your fries will be soggy. Any higher, and the oil will start smoking. Plus, at higher temps your fries will turn from crisp to burnt way too fast.

Halfway through cooking, you’ll flip the fries with a spatula and swap the pan positions (from lower to upper rack and vice versa). This helps ensure that they bake evenly, turning perfectly golden on the outside and cooking through on the inside.

5) Season last, if desired.

Add salt before baking the fries, but wait to add any spices until after baking. Otherwise, the spices will burn and lose their flavor. I love to balance the sweetness of the fries with a little cayenne pepper and garlic powder, and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

Another benefit of seasoning last? You can add spices to taste, so you won’t overdo it.

The Great Soaking Debate

I wondered if sweet potato fries would benefit from a soak in water like my crispy potato wedges do. Those wedges are made with Russet potatoes, and soaking them for 10 minutes in hot water helps release some of the starch in the potatoes and lets them absorb moisture, which leads to ultra-crisp outsides and moist interiors.

So, I tried soaking batches of fries in hot water, and batches in cold water, and baking them with and without cornstarch. You know what? It wasn’t worth the effort. Hot water actually seemed to inhibit crispiness. When I compared a batch of cold water and cornstarch fries with un-soaked cornstarch fries, the un-soaked actually fared better.

I hate extra steps as much as you do, so I’m pleased to report that you do not need to soak your sweet potato fries for great results!

Sweet Potatoes are Nutritious

Unlike regular deep-fried French fries, these baked sweet potato fries have a lot of redeeming nutrition properties. Standard orange sweet potatoes provide an excellent source of beta-carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A.

Sweet potatoes are also full of antioxidants and fiber, and have some beneficial blood sugar-regulating properties. Plus, they’re a very good source of vitamin C, manganese, copper, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6 (source). Winning!

Serving Suggestions

These sweet potato fries would be awesome with my sweet potato veggie burgers (if you have a copy of my cookbook, Love Real Food, check out the updated version on page 177).
I bet they would be nice with black bean soup or pinto posole.
I’m happy eating them with just about anything, but they’d be especially fun with Mexican food, like tacos and quesadillas.

Recommended Equipment

You’re going to need some basic equipment to make these fries. Chances are, you already have everything you’ll need! These links are affiliate links.

Sharp chef’s knife: Essential for safely slicing the fries into thin shapes.
Vegetable peeler: Optional. I always peel my sweet potatoes, but you can leave the skin on if you prefer. Just give your sweet potatoes a good scrub and pat them dry before slicing.
Half-sheet pans: These are large enough to accommodate 1 pound of fries each, and they have rims around the edges so no fries fall off. Half-sheet pans are the professional standard—all legit chefs and recipe writers use these when they create recipes, so if your baked recipes don’t turn out right, it might be your pan!
Parchment paper: I recommend lining your pans with parchment paper so the fries don’t get stuck to the pan (there go your crispy edges).

Watch How to Make Sweet Potato Fries

Please let me know how these sweet potato fries turn out for you in the comments! I’m obsessed with them and hope you are, too.

Craving more crispy and salt snacks? You do not want to miss my ultra crispy baked potato wedges!

Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4 from 362 reviews

Learn how to make crispy, oven baked sweet potato fries! Tossed with olive oil and sea salt, sweet potato fries are an easy and healthy homemade snack or side dish. Recipe yields 4 side servings.

Ingredients

2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 medium-large or 3 medium)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Optional spices: freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper and/or garlic powder

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven (make sure the top rack is about 6″ from the heat source and no closer). Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper so the fries don’t get stuck to the pans.
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into fry-shaped pieces about ¼″ wide and ¼″ thick. Try to cut them into similarly sized pieces so the fries will bake evenly. Transfer half of the uncooked fries to one baking sheet, and the other half to the other baking sheet.
Sprinkle the sweet potato fries with the cornstarch (use 1 ½ teaspoons per pan) and salt (¼ teaspoon per pan). Toss until the fries are lightly coated in powder. Drizzle the olive oil over the fries (1 tablespoon per pan) and toss until the fries are lightly and evenly coated in oil, and no powdery spots remain (use your fingers to rub visible cornstarch into the fries as necessary).
Arrange your fries in a single layer and don’t overcrowd; otherwise they will never crisp up. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the fries so they can cook on all sides. (The easiest way to flip them is with a metal spatula. Section by section, scoop up about ten fries and flip them with a quick turn of the wrist.)
Arrange the fries in even layers across the pans again, moving any particularly browned fries more toward the middle of the pan so they don’t get overcooked. Return the pans to the oven, swapping their positions (former top pan goes to the lower rack and vice versa).
Bake for 10 to 18 more minutes, or until the fries are crispy. You’ll know they’re almost done when the surface of the fries change from shiny orange to a more matte, puffed up texture. Keep an eye on them, as they can turn from crisp to burnt quickly. Sometimes the lower pan will be done a few minutes before the top pan. Don’t worry if the edges are a little bit brown; they will taste more caramelized than burnt.
If desired, toss the baked fries with seasonings, to taste. I like to use lots of freshly ground black pepper, and a scant ¼ teaspoon each cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Serve warm!

Notes

Storage suggestions: These fries are best served fresh and hot, but leftovers keep well in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days. To retain their crispness, reheat in an oven or toaster oven until warmed through and crisp. Leftover fries make a great base for nachos!

Prepare in advance: You can peel and slice the sweet potatoes up to 2 days in advance. To prevent them from browning, place the fries in a bowl large enough to contain them and fill the bowl with water. When you’re ready to bake, drain and thoroughly pat the fries dry with lint-free tea towels before proceeding with the recipe.

Make just two servings: I love having leftover sweet potato fries, but you can cut this recipe in half if desired. Divide the ingredients by 2 and use 1 pan. Bake the fries on the upper rack (make sure it is 6 inches from the heat source). Flip after 15 minutes and keep an eye on them—they will be done 5 to 15 minutes later.

Nutrition

The post Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Kathryne Taylor — Sat, 16 Dec 2017 16:57:28 +0000

I’m on a mission to stock this food blog with all the holiday recipes you might need, and it’s about time I shared a mashed sweet potato recipe. The problem with most mashed sweet potatoes is that they’re made even sweeter with brown sugar and marshmallows. Sweet potatoes are already plenty sweet on their own!

So, I added savory ingredients to my mashed sweet potatoes to balance out that inherent sweetness. Finely chopped fresh parsley and green onion combined with some sour cream and butter are all you need for incredible savory mashed sweet potatoes.

I don’t know why these basic ingredients create such a stellar flavor combination, but they do. These mashed sweet potatoes took a cue from my baked rosemary Parmesan sweet potatoes (another simple holiday side option) and the quinoa-stuffed sweet potatoes in my cookbook.

Watch How to Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes

More Sweet Potato Recipes to Enjoy

If you’re looking for regular mashed potatoes (and by regular, I mean my family’s favorite), meet Lucille’s Mashed Potatoes. For more meatless holiday recipes, look no further.

Please let me know how these mashed sweet potatoes turn out for you in the comments! Your feedback means so much to me.

Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 176 reviews

These incredible mashed sweet potatoes are mixed with herbs, butter and sour cream. No marshmallows or brown sugar in this mashed sweet potatoes recipe! Recipe yields 6 to 8 side servings.

Ingredients

4 pounds sweet potatoes (about 7 small-to-medium), peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
2 teaspoons salt, divided
⅓ cup finely sliced green onion, mostly green parts (from 1 bunch)
⅓ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 small-to-medium garlic clove, pressed or minced
¼ cup sour cream*
3 tablespoons butter, cubed
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

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Instructions

Place the cubed sweet potatoes in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and add enough water to cover by about 1″. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender (in other words, it’s easy to slide a fork in and out), about 9 to 12 minutes.
Drain well, then return the potatoes to the pot. Mash the sweet potatoes to your desired consistency.
Promptly add almost all of the green onion and parsley, reserving a small amount of each for garnish. Add the garlic, and stir to combine. Then stir in most of the sour cream (reserve roughly 1 tablespoon for garnish), all of the butter, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Season to taste with additional salt (I usually add another ¼ to ½ teaspoon) and freshly ground black pepper.
Transfer the mashed potatoes to a serving bowl and swirl the reserved sour cream onto the top with a spoon. Sprinkle with the reserved green onion and parsley, drizzle the top lightly with olive oil, and finish with a sprinkle of pepper.
Serve promptly. Leftovers will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for 3 to 4 days.

Notes

Make it dairy free/vegan: I believe you could replace the sour cream with vegan sour cream (recipe also available in my cookbook, page 217). Instead of butter, stir in extra-virgin olive oil, to taste.

*Sour cream alternative: Many are asking if Greek yogurt will work, and yes, I think it will! I just prefer sour cream in savory applications like this.

Nutrition

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Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Kathryne Taylor — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 20:59:48 +0000

Quick! I’m sharing these enchiladas with you as a suggestion for a post-Thanksgiving meal this weekend (don’t forget, I have lots of vegetarian Thanksgiving options here).

The enchiladas are stuffed with creamy, hearty sweet potato, plus black beans, feta cheese, and spices. The sauce is super easy—just grab some mild salsa verde at the store. Or, you can go the extra mile and make your own.

Most restaurant enchiladas are so cheesy that I leave with a belly ache, but not these. They are delicious, satisfying and leftovers taste even better the next day. If you want to make a vegetarian dinner and hear, “I don’t even miss the meat,” these enchiladas are for you.

This recipe is actually one that I shared back in 2011, but it was missing some key instructions, like how to roast the sweet potato. So, I revisited it and tweaked it a bit, and they’re better than ever.

These enchiladas taught me some valuable lessons about cooking back then, so I’m leaving my notes for you below.

From 2011: Do you ever cut corners when you’re following a recipe? I do—all the time—and I’m always learning from my mistakes.

Take these black bean sweet potato enchiladas, for example.

I blundered through Gluten Free Goddess’ recipe, made it my own, and came out a better cook in the end.

Lessons learned:

Substitutions can be ok: I subbed Target’s salsa verde for the Karina’s green chile sauce, which worked out fine.
Skipping steps is usually not ok: I ignored her recommendation to warm up the corn tortillas first, so they broke to pieces when I tried to wrap the tortillas around the inside ingredients. As a result, my enchiladas weren’t as pretty as they could have been, but it didn’t affect the flavor. I need to trust that my fellow cooks will not recommend additional steps if they are not integral to the dish’s success!
Additions are just fine: I love spicy food, so I knew adding a jalapeño was a good idea. And it was.
Pay more for high quality ingredients: Packaged breads, including tortillas, tend to be full of preservatives and unnecessary ingredients. I paid more for these sprouted grain corn tortillas at my local health food store, and go figure, they taste better than the rest!
Some flavors are so good together, you can’t go wrong: Black beans and sweet potatoes are a delicious combination. Even with all my mistakes, I ended up with a mighty delicious meal.

Please let me know how these enchiladas turn out for you in the comments! I hope they’re your new favorite.

Craving more Mexican-ish, cheesy goodness? Don’t miss my roasted veggie enchilada casserole or baked jalapeño poppers.

Watch How to Make Enchiladas

Vegetarian Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 5 servings

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 536 reviews

Amazing black bean and sweet potato enchiladas, smothered in salsa verde. A delicious, hearty vegetarian entrée. Recipe yields 10 enchiladas, enough for about 5 servings.

Ingredients

Filling

1 ¼ pounds sweet potatoes (2 small-to-medium)
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
4 ounces (1 cup) grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 ounces (½ cup) crumbled feta cheese
2 small cans (4 ounces each) diced green chiles
1 medium jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Remaining Ingredients

2 cups (16 ounces) mild salsa verde, either homemade or store-bought
10 corn tortillas
4 ounces (1 cup) grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon water
¼ cup chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and coat the flat sides lightly with olive oil. Place the sweet potatoes flat-side down on the baking sheet. Bake until they’re tender and cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. Leave the oven on, since we’ll bake the assembled enchiladas soon (no temperature adjustments necessary).
Meanwhile, pour enough salsa verde into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish to lightly cover the bottom (about ½ cup). In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the remaining filling ingredients.
Once the sweet potatoes are cooked through and cool enough to handle, scoop out the insides with a spoon. Discard the potato skins, and lightly mash the sweet potatoes with a fork or the back of a spoon.
Stir the mashed sweet potato into the bowl of filling, and season to taste with additional salt (I added ¼ teaspoon) and pepper.
Warm up your tortillas, one by one in a skillet, or all at once in a microwave so they don’t break when you bend them. Wrap them in a clean tea towel so they stay warm.
Working with one tortilla at a time, spread about ½ cup filling down the center each tortilla, then wrap both sides over the filling and place it in your baking dish. Repeat for all of the tortillas.
Top with the remaining salsa verde and cheese. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until sauce is bubbling and the cheese is lightly golden.
Let the enchiladas cool for about 5 minutes. Whisk the sour cream and water together to make a drizzly sour cream sauce. Drizzle it back and forth over the enchiladas, then top them with cilantro and red onion. Serve.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Gluten Free Goddess.

Make it gluten free: Use certified gluten-free corn tortillas.

Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the cheese. Stir a scant 1 cup vegan sour cream into the filling, reserving a few tablespoons for drizzling on top. Once baked, thin the vegan sour cream with a little extra water to make it extra-drizzly and drizzle it on top as shown.

Nutrition

Original photo from 2011.

The post Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Vegetarian recipes with sweet potatoes - Cookie and Kate

Southwestern Kale Power Salad

How to Make This Power Salad

Watch How to Make Southwestern Kale Power Salad

More Sweet Potato and Kale Recipes

Southwestern Kale Power Salad with Sweet Potato, Quinoa & Avocado Sauce

Ingredients

Quinoa and kale

Sweet potatoes

Avocado sauce

Everything else

Instructions

Notes

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Perfect Baked Sweet Potato

How to Bake Sweet Potatoes

1) Always poke a few holes.

2) Bake directly on the rack.

3) Bake at high heat.

Bonus: If you love sweet potato skin…

Watch How to Bake Sweet Potatoes

3 Baked Sweet Potato Stuffing Suggestions

1) Irresistibly basic

2) Southwestern

3) Sweeter but not too much

Perfect Baked Sweet Potato

Ingredients

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Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole

Watch How to Make Sweet Potato Casserole

How to Make the Best Sweet Potato Casserole

1) Baked Sweet Potatoes are Better Than Boiled

2) No Marshmallows, No Flour, No Nonsense

3) Less Sugar Makes a Better Casserole

4) Rosemary: Optional But So Good

A Few Notes & Tips

How to Chop the Pecans in a Hurry

How to Snip Rosemary

How to Reduce the Sugar

How to Prepare This Casserole in Advance

More Holiday-Worthy Side Dishes

Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Filling

Pecan Topping

Instructions

Notes

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Favorite Veggie Burgers

Watch How to Make Veggie Burgers

Veggie Burger Cooking Options

1) Oven-Baked

2) Grilled

3) Stovetop

Veggie Burger Ingredients

Veggie Burger Serving Suggestions

Burger Accompaniments

Side Dish Suggestions

Ideas for Leftovers

Favorite Veggie Burgers

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

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Perfect Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Watch How to Roast Sweet Potatoes

How to Roast Sweet Potatoes

1) Buy good sweet potatoes.

2) Peel or scrub them clean.

3) Cut them into even cubes, or close to it.

4) Don’t overcrowd the pan.

5) Roast at a relatively high temperature, turning halfway.

6) Don’t stop until deeply caramelized.

How to Serve Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Craving more roasted vegetables?

Perfect Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition

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Nutrition

Nutrition

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Nutrition

Nutrition

Nutrition

Nutrition