Japanese Sweet Potatoes

I'm not a sweet potato fan unless you're talking about Japanese sweet potatoes.  They are on an entirely different level.  When I found them a couple of years ago at the grocery store that we go to I didn't think I had ever had them before but after eating one I quickly remembered that my grandparents grew these when I was a kid, even though they just called them purple sweet potatoes. I  may look into growing some.

The purple version has a deep magenta skin and white flesh that turns gold as it cooks.  They are drier and creamier than the orange variety which means when you cook them the edges get crispy while the center stays creamy.  I enjoy them baked, cubed and boiled, fried or oven 'fried'.  I did make a sweet potato pie out of them once.  The big guy said it was good but he prefers  orange for a pie.  Not surprised since he is a sugar addict.

Nutritionally they are better for you than the orange variety and any of the regular variety of potatoes, especially because they have much lower levels of glucose, the highest overall levels of phenolics, a high level of antioxidants and a high level of soluble dietary fiber. 

Do you eat Japanese sweet potatoes? Give them a try, I don't think you will be disappointed.

My Week

 Well I had plans on posting a couple of times this week but something always came up.  I have been spending time outside after work tending the herbs and veggies.  I love being able to walk outside and snip whatever is coming up and incorporating it into our meals. The arugula, radishes and leaf lettuce is doing great and we've enjoyed all of them throughout the week. Tomorrow I plan to make arugula pesto for the freezer before it bolts.

                                                    Thai and Aleppo peppers are doing well.

                                                                        Thai basil 

                                                                    Genovese basil

                                                                       Greek oregano

Our meals this week were pretty boring as I waited until Thursday for my dentist appointment.  I thought I had lost a filling so I was very leery of eating something and breaking the tooth.  Come to find out I did  not loose a filling but the enamel of a crown came off after 16 years.  The good dentist had already made notes in my chart that when this one went there is nothing that can be done but pull it.  Long story short, the metal part of the crown is still very much intact so everything is protected.  If and when it starts to bother me it will have to be pulled.  I'm still being careful but feel more comfortable eating now.

This week I have been reading Apron Anxiety by Alyssa Shelasky and am enjoying it.  I've written down a couple of cookbooks and memoirs that she has mentioned   It's a memoir about "My messy affairs in and out of the kitchen.  I'm actually really enjoying it.  On the menu for tonight is a recipe she included Lamb Meatballs garnished with pomegranate seeds.  It sounds amazing. The recipe was inspired by a home cook who submitted a recipe to Food52.com under the screen name "My Man's Belly"  I will share the recipe this week and let you know how they are.  

 Jet just jumped up on my lap and is half on the laptop so I guess that is my clue to wrap this up.  I hope everyone is enjoying this Summer Solstice.  Stay Safe!

My Week

 Happy Sunday!  My week was OK, nothing fabulous, nothing horrible so OK.  It has been hot and humid here because well, it is almost summer.  The very near forecast is in the low 80's and lows in the low 50's and I will appreciate that. 

Yesterday I sat outside in the sun for a couple of hours reading which is my favorite summer past time.  I'm reading Fresh Off The Boat by Eddie Huang the owner of Baohaus.  I'm about half way through and so far it's been a funny light summer read.

I lost a filling yesterday so the first thing on the agenda Monday is to call the dentist.  Luckily, no pain so far.  Eating will be light today though.

Meals this week:

Monday- BIG salad of red leaf lettuce, arugula, radish, red onion, snow peas, tomatoes, hardboiled eggs and shredded cheddar cheese.

Tuesday-  Mushroom, red onion and green pepper pizza

Wednesday- Beef short ribs, rice noodles, veggie, beef stock bowls.  I don't cook the veggies but put them in the bowl, add the hot broth, noodles and meat.  So good.

 

Thursday- Chicken Tikka Masala I usually make this from scratch but a friend of mine told me she always keeps a jar of this sauce for a quick and easy dinner.  Since she is Indian I trusted it was a good sauce and it did not disappoint.

Friday- Fried chicken, macaroni salad and corn on the cob.

Saturday- Steak, macaroni salad, baked potato and stuffed mushrooms all cooked on the grill.

Even though I spent my first 18 years in the Midwest I never would even try Macaroni Salad.  Something about cold pasta just did not interest me.  Well, I tried it for the first time a couple of weeks ago and it was good.  So I asked my friend for the recipe and made it.  While it's not something I will make often, I can now appreciate the cult following it seems to have.

Macaroni Salad

1 pound pasta

3 hard boiled eggs, diced

2 celery ribs, minced

1 red bell pepper, minced

1/4 red onion, minced

1/4 Cup sweet pickles, chopped

1 Cup Mayo

1/4 Cup sweet pickle juice

2 tsp honey or sugar

1 1/2 Tbs. Dijon

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.  Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until cooled.  Let pasta fully drain.

In a small bowl, mix the mayo, pickle juice, sugar and Dijon.  

Combine all ingredients and toss until fully coated.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Hope you all have a great week.  Are you a macaroni salad lover?

Things That Make Me Smile

I was finally able to get a couple pictures of one of the hawks that visit our yard.  The pictures do not reflect just how big it is.  Plus it was taken from inside so I wouldn't scare it off.  In the past week I have watched a hawk swoop down and get a cardinal.  Then one day I was sitting outside and there were a group of birds making a ton of distressed noise.  I looked up to see a hawk perch on the neighbors roof and proceed to de-feather a bird it had apparently taken out of a nest.  A group of birds were dive bombing it to no avail.  Once the poor bird was stripped the hawk carried it off I'm assuming to it's nest to feed it's own babies.

Nature is beautiful but cruel at the same time.

My Week

 I enjoyed my four day weekend.  I took advantage of the time off and relaxed quite a bit.  Pretty much all routines were out the window this week.

Yesterday we went grocery shopping.  Our first stop was our local meat processing shop. It is a local family owned store. Their prices are pretty much the same and the quality on beef and chicken is superior. We do not eat much ham but their 'deli ham' is actually real sliced ham, no processing.  It was beautiful and delicious. At the other two stores we shopped at the prices on everything has increased.  One price jump that really stood out was on the ground lamb that I usually buy.  It is a grass fed lamb that I used to pay about 5.00 a pound.  Now it is 11.99 a pound.  That is a huge increase.  I wish our local shop sold lamb. 

My focus this week is going to be working on projects around the house.  I believe in the future I will have to move my Mother down here with us and I am going to need to be prepared mentally and physically as much as possible for that. 

The weather was nice this week.  Pretty close to normal temperatures with a few days of rain.  The garden is doing very well.  So far the squirrels and ground hog have left it alone.  Fingers crossed, this continues.  I don't want a repeat of the heartbreak from last year.

I didn't take any pictures this week and I didn't even keep track of dinners which is very unusual for me but we did eat.

How was your week?

Stay Safe!