Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar and Lime

Recipe from marthastewart.com

Fall is officially here. It's the season for sweet potatoes! These are a perfect easy and yummy side to pair with any meal. I love the lime juice with the brown sugar, butter and cayenne pepper. They're sweet, tangy, and buttery, with a tiny bit of bite. Yum!

What you'll need
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

How to
1.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add sweet potatoes; cook, stirring once, until beginning to brown, 2 minutes.

2.  Add broth, packed brown sugar, and fresh lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until crisp-tender, 10 minutes.

3.  Uncover, and cook over medium-high until sweet potatoes are tender and liquid is syrupy, 7-9 minutes more (there should only be a small amount of liquid remaining).

4.  Remove skillet from heat; add butter, and swirl skillet until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Recipe from Anna Magazine.

Merry Christmas! Here is a delicious mashed potato recipe for your family dinner. The roasted garlic adds so much to these potatoes, no one will even mind if you run out of gravy.

What you'll need

4 Yukon gold potatoes

4 tbsp Butter

1/4 cup Whole milk or light cream

Coarse salt

Cracked black pepper

1 Whole garlic bulb

2 tbsp Olive oil

How to

1.  One hour prior to cooking potatoes, preheat oven to 350°F. Cut off top of garlic bulb horizontally and place on large piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil and wrap. Bake 30 minutes until fragrant. Remove from oven and set aside.

2.  Place potatoes in pot, cover with water and bring to a boil; reduce heat slightly and keep at rolling boil for about 20 minutes or until tender.

3.  Drain and add butter, milk, salt and pepper; squeeze garlic cloves from bulb and add to potaotes. Mash until desired smoothness. Serves 4-6.

Black Bean, Rice and Veggie Salad

Recipe modified. Original recipe from www.myrecipes.com

Here is another Pinterest recipe. It's super tasty and perfect for lunches.

What you'll need

1/4 cup Extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup Fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)

1 tsp Ground cumin

1 1/2 cups Cooked wild rice, cooled (I used a wild rice, quinoa blend)

1 540ml can Black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup Finely diced carrots

3/4 cup Corn (canned or frozen)

1 Red pepper, seeded and diced

1/4 cup Italian parsley, roughly chopped

1/4 cup Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1/4 cup Finely chopped red onion

Salt and pepper

How to

1.  In a serving bowl, stir olive oil, lime juice, and cumin to blend. 

2.  Add rice, beans, carrots, corn, red pepper, parsley, cilantro and onion. Stir gently to coat.

3.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bacon-Cheese Biscuits

Recipe from Real Simple magazine.

Soup with warm biscuits, what gets better than that? The best thing about biscuits (other than eating them) is that they are so quick and easy to make that it's simple to add them to any meal. This recipe does take a little longer than most biscuit recipes, as you have to fry up the bacon first. I'm telling you though, it is well worth it!! But be careful, these biscuits are scary delicious! Did I mention that the recipe calls for bacon drippings right in the dough? Yup, I told you, scary delicious!

What you'll need

4 slices Bacon (thick-cut)

2 cups All-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 tsp Baking powder

1/4 tsp Baking soda

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 tbsp Fresh chives, chopped

6 tbsp Unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces, plus melted butter for brushing

1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated

1 cup Buttermilk

How to

1.  Preheat oven to 425°F. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels and reserve 2 tbsp drippings. Finely chop the bacon.

2.  Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, chopped bacon and chives in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it is in pea-size pieces. Stir in the cheese with a wooden spoon.

3.  Add the buttermilk and reserved bacon drippings and gently mix until just moistened. The dough will be loose.

4.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 3-5 times, just until it comes together. (Don't overknead or the biscuits will be tough.) Roll out to 1/2 inch thick, then cut out biscuits using a floured 2-inch-round cutter. Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet. Reroll the scraps and cut out more biscuits. Brush the tops with melted butter.

5.  Bake the biscuits until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Serve warm.

Baked Beans

Recipe from Real Simple Magazine

Here is a tasty side to add to your BBQ dinner. 

What you'll need

4 oz Bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 Onion, chopped

1 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp Black pepper

1 lb Dried navy beans (I used half red beans and half navy beans)

1/2 cup Molasses

1/4 cup Ketchup

1 tbsp Dry mustard

2 tbsp Cider vinegar

How to

1.  Soak the beans in water overnight and drain.

2.  Heat oven to 300°F. Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until nearly crisp, 5-7 minutes. Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, 4-6 minutes more.

3.  Add the beans, molasses, ketchup, mustard and 5 cups water to the pot and stir to combine; bring to a boil.

4.  Cover the pot and transfer to oven, Bake until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 1/2 hours. Uncover and bake, stirring once, until the cooking liquid is thickened, 1 to 1 1/4 hours more.

5.  Stir in the vinegar and serve.

Twice-Baked Potatoes with Onion Horseradish Filling

Recipe by Canadian Living

I love twice-baked potatoes and these are especially delicious with the horseradish giving it a tiny bit of kick while the sour cream gives it a little bit of tang.

What you'll need

4 Russet potatoes, scrubbed

1 cup Light sour cream

1/4 cup Green onion, minced

1/4 cup Fresh horseradish, finely grated (I used horseradish from a jar and it was still delicious)

1/4 cup Butter, melted

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper

How to

1.  With fork, prick each potato in several places. Bake in 400°F oven until tender, 50-60 minutes. Let cool enough to handle.

2.  Cut lengthwise in half; scoop flesh into bowl, leaving 1/4 inch thick shells. Arrange shells on baking sheet.

3.  Mash potato flesh in a large bowl. Stir in sour cream, green onions, horseradish, butter, salt and pepper until smooth. Spoon filling into shells, dividing evenly. (To make ahead, refrigerate in airtight container for up to 24 hours. Add 10 minutes to the baking time)

4.  Bake on baking sheet in 400°F oven until hot and browned on top, 20-25 minutes.

Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Recipe from the Essential Canadian Christmas Cookbook,

by Lovoni Walker

These sweet potatoes are amazing. They're like candy...really, I had trouble maintaining my self control.

What you'll need

3 lbs Sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tbsp Olive oil

2 tbsp Fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Coarsely ground pepper

1/4 tsp Ground cinnamon

2 tbsp Pure maple syrup

How to

1.  Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2.  Combine potatoes, oil, rosemary, salt, pepper and cinnamon in large bowl. Toss to coat potatoes completely with mixture.

3.  Arrange in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes in preheated oven, stirring once during cooking.

4.  Drizzle with syrup and toss gently to coat. Bake about 15 minutes or until glazed and lightly browned.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Mustard

Recipe from the Essential Canadian Christmas Cookbook

by Lovoni Walker

I believe that a lot of the time when people don't like a certain food, it isn't the food that they don't like, but how it was prepared. Whenever my husband tells me he doesn't like a certain food I'm determined to find a way to prepare it that he would enjoy. Brussels sprouts are one of those foods, for many I'm sure.  Maybe it's because I smothered them in mustard and bacon, but my husband has now decided he doesn't hate Brussels sprouts.  Another victory!

What you'll need

4 slices bacon, chopped

1/4 cup Green onions, thinly sliced

2 tbsp Grainy mustard

2 tbsp Orange juice

1 tbsp Butter

2 lbs small Brussels sprouts, stalk ends trimmed (clearly by the picture, I forgot this step...oops)

How to

1.  Cook bacon in small frying pan over medium heat until golden; drain on paper towel.

2.  Reserve 2 tbsp of bacon fat in same frying pan; discard any remaining fat. Add onion and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes or until softened.

3.  Add mustard, orange juice and butter and stir until butter is melted.

4.  Meanwhile, cook sprouts in steamer in large saucepan over simmering water for 10 to 12 minutes or until tender crisp and bright green; do not overcook. Drain water from pan and remove streamer. 

5.  Add sprouts to same pan with the bacon and toss to coat.  Spoon into serving bowl and serve immediately. 

Jalapeno and Tomato Guacamole

Modified recipe. Original recipe by Chatelaine.

My husband said this was the best guacamole I've ever made. The cilantro and lime juice give it the fresh taste, while the cayenne pepper gives it that little bit of heat.  

What you'll need

4 Ripe avocados

Juice of 1/2 a lime

1 Clove garlic, minced

1 to 2 pinches Cayenne pepper

Salt to taste

1 large Jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup Fresh cilantro, finely chopped

15 to 20 Grape tomatoes, quartered

How to

1.  Cut avocados in half and remove pits. Scoop flesh into a bowl. Mash until fairy smooth with just a few chunks remaining.

2.  Stir in the lime juice and garlic. Add the cayenne pepper and salt to taste.

3.  Add the jalapeno, cilantro and half the tomatoes.  Stir.

4.  Spoon into a serving bowl and top with remaining tomatoes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Cauliflower Cheese Bake

Recipe modified.  Original recipe from the Essential Canadian Christmas Cookbook, 

by Lovoni Walker.

Cauliflower always tastes great cheesy!  I love the nutmeg and mustard in this recipe.  It puts a spin on your regular cheese sauce, but isn't overpowering.  If you're still looking for ideas, this is a great dish for your Christmas gathering.

What you'll need

2 1/2 lbs Cauliflower florets

Cheese Sauce

2 tbsp Butter

2 tbsp All-purpose flour

2 cups Milk

1 cup White or orange cheddar cheese, grated

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

Salt and Pepper to taste

Garlic Crumbs

1 1/2 tbsp Butter

3 Garlic cloves, minced

1 cup Fine fresh breadcrumbs

How to

1.  Line a 6 to 8 cup baking dish with parchment paper.  Heat oven to 350°F.

2.  Cook cauliflower in steamer over a pot of simmering water until tender.  Place in prepared dish.

3.  To make the cheese sauce, melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add flour and stir until mixture is bubbling. Gradually stir in milk and continue to stir until mixture is smooth.  Simmer, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until thickened and boiling.  Remove from heat.

4.  Add the cheese, mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper and stir until well combined.  Pour over cauliflower.

5.  Melt butter for the breadcrumbs in medium frying pan over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until garlic is softened and fragrant but not brown.  Stir in breadcrubs and cook for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.  

6.  Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the cauliflower and cheese sauce and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until bubbling and hot.  Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes.  Serve.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

Recipe by Anna Magazine.

This is a fun way to brighten up your sweet potato dish.  

What you'll need

2 medium Sweet potatoes (about 4 cups), peeled and cubed

1 tbsp Honey

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to season

1/4 + 2 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp Fresh lime juice

1 tbsp Mayonnaise

1/3 cup Green onions, chopped

1/4 cup Fresh mint leaves, chopped

How to

1.  Preheat oven to 400°F.  Toss potatoes with 2 tbsp olive oil and honey in a medium bowl.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper and roast for 30-40 minutes or until soft.

2.  In medium bowl, combine lemon juice, mayonnaise and the remainder of the olive oil; add potatoes and green onions.  Toss well and sprinkle with mint.  Serves 4 to 6.

Broccoli with Asian Dressing

Recipe slightly modified.  Original recipe from Jamie's Food Revolution.

I was just watching Jamie Oliver on TV.  I loving watching how passionate he gets about food.  It's so inspiring.  So, from his brilliant mind, I bring you broccoli!  I like the bit of flare he puts in everyday food.  Enjoy!

What you'll need

1 1/4 lbs. Broccoli

Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1 Garlic clove, minced

1 Fresh red chile, seeded and chopped

1 tbsp Sesame oil

3 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp Soy sauce

Juice from 1 lime

1 tsp Balsamic vinegar

How to

1.  Break up the broccoli into small pieces and chop up the stalks.  Place in a steamer over boiling water and cover with a lid.  Steam for about 6 minutes, until the stalks are tender.

2.  Meanwhile, mix together the ginger, garlic, chile, sesame oil, olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice and balsamic vinegar.

3.  Once the broccoli is cooked, place in your serving dish.  Mix up the dressing once more, then pour over broccoli.  

Pineapple with Mint

A friend told me this secret years ago and I've been hooked since.  The mint and pineapple together bring out a whole new flavour that will amaze you!

What you'll need
1 Pineapple, peeled and cut into bite size chunks
1 small handful fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

How to
Put the pineapple and mint in a bowl together and mix.  Let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours, so that the flavours really blend together.  Delicious!

Flaky Biscuits

Recipe by Canadian Living

This is the most amazing biscuit recipe.  Apparently I have no self control when eating warm flaky biscuits smothered in butter.  I won't even admit how many I can eat at one time.  That's all to say...these perfectly fluffy, perfectly flaky, melt in your mouth biscuits are dangerously good.

What you'll need

2 cups All-purpose flour

1 tbsp Baking powder

2 tsp Granulated sugar

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 cup each cold Butter and Shortening, cubed

2/3 cup Milk

How to

1.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.  Using fingertips, or pastry blender, cut in butter and shortening until in coarse crumbs with a few larger pieces.  Make a well in centre; pour in milk all at once.  Stir with fork just until dough clings together.

2.  Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead lightly 10-12 times. Pat out into scant 2 cm thickness.  Using a 6 cm round cutter, cut out biscuits, dipping cutter in flour between cuts.  Repeat with scraps once.

3.  Bake on parchment paper-lined baking sheet in 450°F oven until golden and flaky, about 10-12 minutes.  Serve warm.  

Cranberry Sauce

Happy belated thanksgiving!  This was a great weekend of numerous gatherings.  For the last one I was asked to bring cranberry sauce, which was wonderful since I had ran out of time to make much else.  I tried something different this time and added some orange, which complimented the cranberries perfectly!

What you'll need
4 cups Cranberries, frozen
Juice and zest of 1 orange
2 tbsp Sugar
1/4 cup Water

How to
Combine all ingredients in a pot over medium-high heat.  Bring to boil then simmer, stirring frequently, until cranberries pop.  Let cool at room temperature, then place in fridge until ready to serve.  Easy!

Dijon Dressed Asparagus

Recipe modified. Original recipe from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.

We eat so much asparagus in our house and I never get sick of this recipe. It's easy and adds extra zip to a meal.

What you'll need

1 lb Asparagus

4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp Red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp Parsley, dried (or a pinch of fresh chopped parsley)

1 pinch Salt and Pepper each

How to

1. Wash the asparagus and break off the bottom ends. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Place on a grill that has been pre-heated to medium heat. Grill, rotating, until asparagus are tender and just charred.

2. To make the dressing combine the remainder of the ingredients and 3 tbsp of the olive oil in a small bowl. Mix until well combined.

3. Plate the asparagus and drizzle with the dressing. Delicious!

Grilled Basil Tomatoes

Recipe from fortheloveofcooking.com

A friend recently introduced me to the wonders of barbecuing tomatoes. Now I'm hooked. I like tomatoes, but I never knew they could taste this good. I found this recipe the other day. The combination of basil, garlic and lemon compliments the tomatoes perfectly.

What you'll need
4 Vine ripened tomatoes
1 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
1 Garlic clove, minced
Juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
1 tbsp Fresh basil, chopped
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

How to
1. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the oil, garlic, basil, lemon juice and zest.

2. Heat the grill to medium heat.

3. Slice the tomatoes in half crosswise and season with salt and pepper. Place, cut side down on grill. Grill for 2-4 minutes, until slightly charred. Turn the tomatoes over and grill till the skin blisters and they begin char, about 2-3 minutes.

4. Plate and drizzle with above mixture. Serve warm.

Basil Green Beans

Recipe by Canadian Living.

What you'll need
1 lb Green beans, trimmed
1 Red pepper, thinly sliced
2 tsp Vegetable oil
2 tbsp Fresh basil, chopped
1/4 tsp Salt
Pinch Pepper

How to
1. Steam the green beans.

2. Cook the red pepper in oil over medium heat until soft.

3. Add the beans, basil, slat and pepper and toss to combine. Serve.

Lemon Dill Potatoes

Recipe by Real Simple Magazine.

I usually roast these potatoes in the oven like the recipe calls for, but this time I did it on the barbeque wrapped in foil. Either way the are a delicious change from your regular baked potato.

What you'll need
2 pounds Baby potatoes, halved (I used red potatoes cut into cubes this time...it's all I had)
1 Lemon, thinly sliced
2 tbsp Olive oil
3/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 tbsp Fresh dill, coarsely chopped

How to
1. Heat the oven to 450°F.

2. In a bowl, toss the potatoes and lemon with the oil, salt and pepper.

3. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast, tossing once, until tender, 25 to 35 minutes.

4. Toss with dill before serving.

Tzatziki Sauce

I love tzatziki sauce! It's delicious with so many things. We had it the other day with roasted potatoes. It's actually quite simple to make and worth it if you have the time.

What you'll need
750 ml Plain yogurt or plain Greek yogurt
1 Large cucumber
2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp Dill
Salt to taste

How to
1. (Skip step one if using Greek yogurt). If using plain yogurt, start by straining the yogurt.  Line a strainer with paper towel then add half the yogurt. Let stand for 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining yogurt. Place in a large bowl.

2. You can peal the cucumber if you prefer, but that's where all the vitamins are, so I like to keep it on. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Shred. Dry the cucumber with a paper towel to get out as much of the moisture as possible. Add to the yogurt.

3. Add the garlic, lemon juice and dill. Mix and salt to taste.

4. Enjoy!