homemade date rolls

I've been buying these amazing coconut date rolls at the grocery store, but they are super-expensive ($6 for 6 of them!). Why do they cost so much? They're just dates and coconut. But I've been willing to spend the money because they are so good and they're something healthy to snack on. (I didn't realize how obsessed I could be about healthy-satisfying-snacks-that-you-can-hold-with-one-hand until I started nursing. When that kind of deep hunger strikes, carrots sticks just won't do!)

But these date rolls are breaking the bank. I decided to try and make them myself at home and see if that would be any cheaper. Turns out they are much cheaper and they are super-easy to make too. I just made a batch with Amelia in the sling. (She watched the whole thing and her favorite part was when I turned on the food processor. What a great white noise!)

Here's the recipe I made up. It's probably not exact, but you get the idea. Next time, I'll probably experiment with different nuts and flavors (pistachios and rose water? yum!) but the walnuts are pretty dang good. (It's important to use fresh dates in this recipe, not dried. My grocery store stocks them in the produce section.)

Homemade Coconut Date Rolls

10 fresh Medjool dates, pits removed
1 1/3 cup shredded coconut, plus more for coating
1/3 cup raw walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon orange flower water (or another flavoring of your choice)

Put all of the ingredients into a food processor and process for several minutes until the mixture forms a thick, smooth paste. It will be sticky. Portion out a generous tablespoon of the paste and with your hands, roll it into a ball. Dip the ball into some of the coconut and roll it around to coat. You can keep it as a ball or roll into a log like I did. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.

Makes about 1 dozen rolls.

over the river and through the woods to Mindy's house we go!

A part from the few doctors visits, I have not been on a real car ride in over a month—Amelia never has. So yesterday, after a few false starts and wardrobe changes, we set out to visit our friend Mindy who lives in Jericho, a half hour away.

This was a new adventure that would require getting on the interstate and then driving on several back roads in the middle of nowhere with Amelia in the back seat. Thirty minutes seemed like eternity on the way out, and I gripped the steering wheel so hard, I had white knuckles by the time we got to Mindy's house. Amelia the little angel slept the whole way.

Mindy and her mom had prepared a delicious lunch for my sister Emma, all the kids and me. Lucky for me (who has given up dairy for the time being to see if it helps with the spit-up sitch), Mindy is a vegan cook with a delicious assortment of meals in her repertoire. She made us butternut squash lasagna with a creamy bechamel sauce made from almond milk, herbs and pine nuts. It was out of this world! Mindy's mum made a warm spinach salad with mushrooms that we gobbled up. Sapphie's favorite part was the tangy shallots that had soaked up all the dressing. For dessert, we had chocolate chip protein bars, which I've started making myself at home for a healthy snack to nibble on during the day. (Here's Mindy's recipe below.)

After lunch, we sat by the fire to chat. Mindy's expecting her first baby in March and as we sat there, her baby started kicking. I felt nostalgic for my pregnant days (I loved being pregnant!). Mindy and her mom had lots of questions about what they'd need during the first few weeks. I replied: Burp cloths! Diapers! Lots of onesies. And of course, my trusty sling. I'd be lost without it. Amelia slept the entire time to make up for the night before and everybody got a chance to hold her. She slept the whole way home. Oh, and she even took her pacifier for the first time! What was I even worried about?

Here's Mindy's power bar recipe:

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Protein Bars
Yield: 24 Bars

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup almond butter

2/3 cup hemp protein powder 

¼ cup maple syrup
1 t vanilla extract

½ cup applesauce

¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (dairy-free)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of salt

1. Roast the oats in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350 F.
2. Cool oats, then combine all of the ingredients and stir well.
3. Spread the dough in a greased 9 X 13 glass dish and bake at 350 F for 20 minutes until golden brown. Cool before cutting.

find a new recipe, cook soup

My mum has been sending me an email every day, with updates on how her "home therapy" is going... It's been inspiring me to keep going, even though I'm having a hard time finding the motivation. So on Day 9 (last Thursday), the task was to find a new recipe and cook dinner. I didn't do it. And I didn't do it Friday night and I didn't do it all weekend.

Isn't that strange? I mean, I love cooking dinner. And I love trying new recipes. Heck, my job is all about that. But even I get in a rut sometimes. Plus, I get preoccupied with other things. (Sometimes I get annoyed that we humans must eat every day. Do you? It just really takes up so much time!) But finally I got my inspiration back tonight.

Mummy had brought me a pumpkin and a butternut squash from her garden a couple of weeks ago and I really needed to use them up. So I found this recipe from work that I've always wanted to try: Roasted Pumpkin Apple Soup. I peeled and seeded the pumpkin. I peeled and seeded the squash. I cut up some apples. I roasted them all together with some sage, salt and pepper. Then I pureed them up into a yummy soup, not unlike my Autumn Elixir. Col made grilled cheeses to go with.

It was nice and simple. And now we have soup dinner for the rest of the week. And (hopefully!) roasted pumpkin seeds too if we can get our act together.

autumn elixir with mumma

I put other things aside last night to have dinner with my mummy. It was sort of a last minute thing. I can't remember the last time the two of us spent time together, just us. She's been staying with my sis this week, so came over as soon as I was done work. We chatted as I cut up squash, onions and apple to roast for a soup.

I told her how inspired I've been by this whole 20/20 cure project. [Update on that is here: Yesterday's task (day 4) was to give one thing away. I actually have 3 things to give away (a chandelier, a small table and some chair covers), but I'm waiting till tomorrow to bring them to Recycle North. Today's task (day 5) is to get some "green" home cleaners. That wasn't hard, considering I try not to keep a lot of chemicals in the house. And the one bottle of bleach I do have scares me. I keep it hidden away in the basement...]

Mummy got inspired just talking with me about it, and said she couldn't wait to go home and clean out the storage room in the basement. Here's hoping you do, Maman!

It didn't take long for the veggies to roast, then I sauteed up some other yummy tidbits, added some spices, grated some fresh ginger and turmeric, and blended the whole thing into a flurry. I just happened to have a few candied walnuts leftover from my friend Elisa. I sprinkled those on top. We ate it simply with some warm baguette. It was just the ticket.

It was apparent that all beings in the house felt warm and fuzzy all over. Even our timid cat Suki came out of her social nut-shell and gave Mummy the special treatment, purring and rubbing up against her leg.

The soup, by the way, was delicious. I e-mailed Mummy my makeshift recipe (I realized it's not that easy to do when you're just throwing things in the pot). She replied saying, "This is the new name for your amazing soup: AUTUMN ELIXIR!!!"

Penelope's Curry Ginger Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (AKA Autumn Elixir)

1. Roast one butternut squash (cut in half, scoop, cut sides down on oiled pan, 40-50 minutes at 400)
2. In a Dutch oven or other big pot, saute: a chopped onion, a couple of chopped celery stalks, and some chopped garlic till tender and fragrant
3. Add 1 tsp curry powder, dash each of cumin and ground coriander
4. Add 1/2 bouillon cube and a few cups of water (or broth)
5. Add the cooked squash
6. Then grate in at least a teaspoon, I like more, fresh ginger. Grate a little bit of fresh turmeric too if you have some. Then cook it a little bit more.
7. Puree (Here's where my magic wand is really handy. What are they called? Immersion blenders?)
8. Add salt, pepper, honey to taste

Last when I made it for mummy, instead of doing halves, I peeled and diced the squash, then tossed it with a chopped onion, 2 or 3 whole garlic cloves, a chopped apple, some olive oil, salt and pepper. I cooked at 450 for 20-30 minutes...

me vs. the machine

We got a slow cooker as a wedding gift. Colin has really wanted a slow cooker for a while. He doesn't do a lot of the cooking at home, but he does make some pretty fantastic soups, stews and chilis. And he thought the slow cooker would expand his horizons even more.

I, on the other hand, was dubious. I don't know what it is with me and slow cookers, but I just haven't learned to embrace them. I have a mental block figuring out how it is that they actually save people time... and how anybody with a day job can fit in all that prep work before going to work. I have this image of me multi-tasking in the morning (as if I don't do that enough) making coffee, feeding the kitties and chopping onions in my pjs. It just doesn't work.

But my friend and co-worker Michelle can't stop talking about how her slow cooker has revolutionized her life. Some days, she'll have two going at once making tons of food that she can freeze for later. She even got me a cookbook that was recommended to her by one of the foodies at work: Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook. It's filled with 350 unbelievable-sounding recipes from Thai Pork with Peanut Sauce to Carrot Cake (yes, really!). I've leafed through its pages several times in search of inspiration, only to read a few recipes and feel totally overwhelmed by the logistics and planning needed. Needless to say, we've had this machine for a year and have only used it once—that was Colin; he made baked beans. They were delicious.

But my other co-worker recently gave me some helpful advice (yes, we do talk about slow cookers that much at work): keep it simple and just use it on the weekends.

This morning, I didn't have a choice: I had volunteered to make chili for Sunday family night only to remember too late that our stove is not really working right now. Well, the baby burners work, but that won't cut the mustard with my Dutch oven.

So I took a deep breath and searched for vegetarian chili in the index of NYMSCC. There were two. The first recipe called for soaking beans overnight. Dang. That's where the planning would really be helpful. Luckily, the second recipe called for canned beans. And it looked pretty simple.

I dropped Col off at the airport around 11:15, went straight to the store to pick up some ingredients and got home a little before noon. I boiled water and soaked the bulgur, chopped and sauteed onions, peppers and garlic. I opened tons of cans, strained beans. And measured tons of spices. Now it's quarter after 1 and the chili is simmering away. It still took me about 45 minutes to prep, but that's okay with me. It's Sunday. And now I have one recipe under my belt and maybe this is just the beginning.

I guess the real test is how good it tastes, but I won't know till later... it's slow cooking afterall.

kachumber cooler

Hey y'all. My, my. Well, well, is it the weekend again already? So, I was in New York City on Wednesday for work and before we flew back, my colleagues and I grabbed dinner at Tabla, an Indian restaurant on Madison Avenue. The food was pretty good, but what I haven't been able to stop thinking about is the cocktail I had that was out of this world: cucumbers, green chili peppers and gin. Are you kidding me?! I decided to try to find a similar recipe online and I actually found the recipe from Tabla on thekitchn.com. Yay! Friday night delight.

Kachumber Cooler

makes one cocktail

2 half-inch slices of cucumber

8 leaves fresh cilantro

2 quarter-inch slices of fresh green finger chili (any medium-mild chili, such as jalapeno or Anaheim can be substituted)

1 3/4 ounce gin (Tabla uses Plymouth, I will use Hendrick's)

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

1/2 ounce simple syrup

Muddle cucumber, cilantro, and chili in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass until well broken and slightly mashed. Add gin, lime, and simple syrup and shake vigorously. Strain into a double rocks glass, half filled with ice. Garnish with a slice of cucumber.

my love is like a red, red rose sorbet

The other day, my sister Hannah brought me some fresh red currants she'd picked up at our parents' house in the Northeast Kingdom. She presented them to me with strict instructions to make a special sorbet. Special? Okay, here is my attempt, inspired by the champagne cocktails they used to serve at our favorite old (now gone) restaurant Smokejacks. They spiked them with rosewater and prickly pear juice to make them hot pink! Ooh, that gives me an idea: I bet this would be really good with champagne too. Instead, I added a little bit of gin (you could skip the gin, but the smidge of alcohol helps to give it a smoother texture when it's frozen).

Red Rose Sorbet

1 1/4 cup fresh red currants
1 cup fresh red raspberries
1/2 cup sugar (this is for a sweet-tart sorbet; if you like yours sweeter, by all means add more)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon rose water (my local store sells it right by the vanilla)
1 teaspoon Hendrick's gin (optional)

Remove any stems from currents and rinse. Puree currants, raspberries, sugar, lemon and salt in a blender till smooth. Pass through a mesh sieve. Add rose water and gin, if using, and stir to combine. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to your machine's instructions. (Mine usually takes 20-25 minutes). Transfer to a lidded container and put in freezer till firm.

rhubard & custard, kippers & knickers

I got some mixed reaction to the blowout business. My friend Isaac mentioned that mine is a food blog and some people coming to the site looking for recipes might be put off. While I was not aware that this was solely a foodie blog (I rarely post recipes, except for today), I am sorry if I did in fact put any one off. I thought it was funny! And I want to remember that moment forever.

Any-who. Back to the subject at hand. And this one IS about food.

When we were kids, any time we'd go over a covered bridge (or was it any bridge? I can't quite remember) we would roll down the windows and yell at the top of our lungs, "Rhubarb and custard! Kippers and knickers!" I'm pretty sure it was my mom's idea. Where else would we come up with such rubbish? You should try it some time; it's really liberating.

Well, despite how silly it sounds, rhubarb and custard is indeed one of the best things in the world. They seem an unlikely combination: tart and grassy; sweet and creamy. But when they get together there are just fireworks happening.

Well, now it's rhubarb season. (Did you know that rhubarb has fiber, vitamin C and potassium and is good for your heart too?) I got some at the market last week. I had some girlfriends coming over last night for dinner and one of them was bringing vanilla ice cream, so I decided to make a rhubarb sauce to pour on top. At first the gals were hesitant at the idea and made me put the sauce on the side. But once they tried it, they just couldn't get enough! This sauce goes so well on top of vanilla ice cream, mixed into plain yogurt or as a fruit base for rhubarb ice cream. It's so easy to make! I like to add lemon, cause it brings out the flavor. Start with about this much rhubarb:



Rhubarb Sauce
About 4 cups of diced rhubarb stems (don't eat the leaves)
Juice of about 1/2 or 1 lemon (if you really like it tart like I do, otherwise you could just skip the lemon and just use less sugar)
About 1/2 cup to 1 cup of sugar
Vanilla is optional

Cook the rhubarb, lemon and sugar for about 10 minutes on medium low till the rhubarb starts to break down. Turn heat to low and cook for another 10 or so minutes till some of the liquid has evaporated and the sugar has turned a little syrupy. Remove from heat. At this point you can add vanilla, but you don't need it. Serve hot over vanilla ice cream or cold mixed into yogurt. Yum!

pasties & cyder

It was just about a year ago that we took our unforgettable trip to England to visit family. One of the best times we had during the stay was a day trip we took to the tiny village of Worth Matravers on the Dorset Coast. Uncle Richard recommended an ancient local pub, the Square & Compass, for the best cider and Cornish pasties around. So we went there for lunch and then took an epic walk along the coastal cliffs.

During the walk, we happened upon some strange caves, which Uncle Richard later informed us were used during the war as hide-outs for the military. Butter Boots, our sassy English superhero, was also born in the wheel wells of a big old tractor. The whole day was a succession of amazing discoveries and good feeling, so we decided to try and recreate part of it for the one-year anniversary. Namely: the pasties and cider.

Traditional Cornish pasties (the 'a' pronounced as in 'cat') are a very simple free-form type of meat pie filled with chunks of beef, potatoes, onion, and turnip. With just a little salt, pepper and parsley for seasoning. Nothing more. My mother says:

A true Cornish pasty is as simple as can be, chunks of meat, rather than ground, and potatoes, onions and turnips, inside a crisp pastry overcoat. There's a legend at home that tells of the Devil refusing to cross the Tamar River into Cornwall because he had heard that the Cornish people were putting just about anything in their pasties!"

Oh dear. We used some hot sausage from Kevin's piggie and shredded rutabega instead of turnip. Let me just say, pasties are much harder to make than they look! (Maybe it's because I used organic shortening and whole wheat flour for the crust, instead of lard and white flour.)

The Devil did not approve. My pastry kept breaking and the first one I made looked like a total blow-out, Colin said. By the last one, I was starting to get the hang of it. Maybe next year, they'll actually look like the real deal. Surprisingly, they actually tasted quite delicious!

We also found a lovely local organic Vermont cider from Flag Hill Farm. They offer a fizzy and a still version. Both are wonderful and quite close to what we were drinking at the pubs over in England. Highly recommend.

Two people were missing from the table: Hannah and Brian. We missed you. Next year maybe? We'll save the Butter Boots reunion for when we're all together again.

xoxo

Cornigan Pasties

Pastry:
1/2 pound lard
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup water, or more

Filling:
1 pound beef chuck, cut into chunks
2 large onions, sliced
2 large potatoes, cut into quarters and sliced thin
Grated turnip
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley

1. Mix the lard, flour and salt, and add water slowly, using just enough water to form a dough that is slightly moist.
2. Roll the dough into 4 balls.
3. Roll out each pastry ball to the size of a dinner plate.
4. For each pastry, on the part of the crust furthest from you, layer a quarter of the potato, meat, onion, turnip and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Lift the front half of the crust over the filling.
6. Lift the other half to meet the front and press the edges together.
7. Crimp the edges tightly to seal in the filling.
8. Brush the pastry with milk or beaten egg.
9. Cut a slit at the top, near the crimped edge, to allow steam to escape.
10. Bake at 350 degrees F for one hour.

strange cravings: kimchi mac & cheese

Yes, that's exactly what I said. Kimchi on top of mac & cheese. Would you eat it?

I got home from work just now with a knot in my stomach—that kind of knot you get when you're starving, but can't think of anything you want to eat. Quickly perusing the meager stock in my fridge, my eyes locked on a jar of Sunja's Spicy Cabbage Kimchi. It was exactly what I wanted. I pulled the jar from the fridge, grabbed a fork from the drawer and proceeded to stuff my face with that delicious, gingery stuff.

Gosh, I really was hungry. Kimchi alone is no meal for no swashbuckler! I needed some sustenance to carry me through.

Here's where the story gets a little depressing. The only other thing I could find in the cupboards that was even remotely appetizing was a box of Annie's Mac & Cheese (that's Col's stock; I normally hate packaged meals!). But at that moment, it was exactly what I wanted.

I pulled it from the cupboards, put some water on to boil and started wondering what I would put on the Mac & Cheese to make it better (you have to put something on it to cover up the gross powdered cheese flavor). Then it hit me: what I really wanted was the kimchi and the mac & cheese together. In the same bowl. Right now.

So I did it. I really, really did it. I put my mac & cheese in a bowl. Then I poured about half a jar's worth of kimchi right on top. Then I ate it. I ate the whole thing.

Was it good? You bet it was! A seemingly disparate pair in the stomach (kimchi is praised for its digestive health benefits; dairy is blamed for indigestion) is a surprisingly delicious combo on the palate. I would do it again in a heart-beat.

xoxo

chili bread bowls

At The Shed in Stowe, Vermont, they serve their chili in yummy bread bowls with melty, crusty cheese baked on top. I never get it though, cause I don't eat beef. Recently, Col and I discovered we could just as easily make this comfort food concoction right at home. That's right. You can buy these pretty little buns at the supermarket and fill them with your own homemade chili. Here's how:

With a serrated knife, cut a circle out of the top. (This is a fun thing to do with a group of friends—some people like cutting out circular tops, some square, some big, some small.) Scoop out the innards with your fingers and reserve for another use. Toast the bowls in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes until crispy. Remove the bread bowls from the oven and place on a baking sheet. Line the bottom of the bowls with grated Vermont cheddar cheese. Ladle in some hot chili. Then sprinkle some more cheddar on top. Return the bowls to the oven and cook until the cheese is nice and melty.

We made them with this delicious Multi-Bean Chili recipe from EatingWell.

Give it a try! It's the perfect warming winter meal.

mint chocolate chip ice cream

This recipe is a custard base, which means there are eggs and there's cooking involved. The best ice creams are made this way! For a richer ice cream, use more cream instead of milk. You can find peppermint oil in the beauty section of your natural food store. Just be sure it's food grade. Makes about 6 servings (or 4 if Kevin's over for dinner!).

Ingredients
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup half & half or cream
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
8-10 drops pure food-grade peppermint oil
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, coarsely chopped

To make
In a stainless steal bowl or top of double boiler, whisk eggs and sugar together until creamy and light in color (about 2 minutes).

Combine the milk and cream. Then scald 1 cup of the milk mixture in a saucepan. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Pour over the egg mixture and mix well. Place over a saucepan of simmering water or double boiler and stir slowly and continually with a wooden spoon until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in remaining milk and peppermint oil. Cool completely, then cover and chill for a couple of hours. If you want to make the ice cream right away, place over an ice bath for 20-30 minutes till the mixture is chilled. Freeze in ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add the chocolate chips during the last 5 minutes of churning.

it's soup weather

That's what my tummy was telling me today. When everything's diets, and weight loss, and new year's resolutions, I'm just craving something to fill me up and warm my hands while I hold the bowl. I watch the translucent tender tips of my fingers gradually turn from white to hot red then deep purply blue. Bruised like ice. That's what happens to my fingers when it's cold. They turn to crinkled golden raisins. Bloodless and empty.

That's what happens to my belly too. And the best remedy is hot, hearty soup. And fast. That's when I like to whip up this tortellini soup. The best part is that you can keep most of these ingredients on hand in your pantry for a rainy (or snowy day) and whip up the whole shebang in about 15 minutes. Boil about 4 cups of broth and add some cheese tortellini. Cook it till tender. Then add two chopped tomatoes (in mid-winter, I like to add a can of diced tomatoes, no salt added) and a can of drained, rinsed cannellini beans. Heat through. Remove the soup from the stove and add 1/2 coup of chopped basil. Tonight I added a bunch of chopped fresh spinach too. Chopped garlic. A couple splashes of balsamic vinegar (or any vinegar you have on hand). Serve up in a bowl and garnish with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. That's it!

stealth veggies

This is a term we kick around a lot at EatingWell. Our readers are often looking for favorite family meals made healthier, so we developed a bunch of tasty, healthy recipes that have extra veggies hidden inside! It's great for lowering fat and sneaking veggies into kids' meals—sometimes you can't even tell the difference!

The idea of "stealth veggies" is a little funny. I mean, the whole idea of learning to eating healthier is learning to appreciate and crave those ingredients that are good for you—and learning to mistrust those ingredients or foods that are detrimental. It's definitely a learning process. If kids think they're just eating mac & cheese, rather than mac & cheese with spinach, then left to their own devices, they'll probably just eat plain old mac & cheese. Cause they just don't know any better.

Still there's something so satisfying about eating a meal that tastes naughty—but really isn't! And though I don't have any kids, I'm often trying to get Colin to eat healthier foods. Recently, I made Southwestern Cheese Paninis (glorified grilled cheeses) for him and some of his chicken-wings-eating friends and none of them could believe they were actually healthful and made up of mostly veggies. They loved them! Healthful or not, it's one of my favorite quick dinner recipes. I always double the amount of carrots and zucchini, because I love them. And the trick is finding a good bread that stands up to the moisture. (I like honey oat.)

So, if you like to play this game of hide the spinach under the cheese, here are some other "stealth veggies" recipes to try:

• Southwestern Cheese Panini
• Hamburger Buddy
• Updated Mac & Cheese
• EatingWell's Pepperoni Pizza

sweet potato quesadillas

When I was a student at Middlebury College, I worked for Dolci, a student-run restaurant in the basement of a French-style chateau on campus. The head chefs (a weekly rotating job) and all of the other student cooks had the run of a restaurant-scale kitchen and dining room. We would build the menu, prepare a shopping list, come to prep on Wednesday, and on Fridays serve a beautiful multi-course meal to a group of 90 lucky people, typically comprised of students, faculty and guests.

This quesadilla recipe was—and still is—one of my favorites from the Dolci repertoire. I rediscovered it this week when I was trying to find a way to use up some sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes and the cumin are a flavorful combo. Cut into triangles, they make a great appetizer. Or serve a bigger portion with side salad for brunch or dinner. Bonus: They're quick, nutritious and low in fat (if you use reduced-fat dairy) and they keep and reheat well for lunch the next day!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups grated sweet potato (approximately 3 potatoes, I like to leave the peel on)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 generous pinch of cayenne powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
8 (8-10) tortillas
Mexican-style tomato salsa
Sour cream

To make:
Saute onions and garlic in the oil until the onions become translucent. Add grated sweet potatoes, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. When sweet potato is tender, add salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.

Fill each tortilla with 1/8 of the mixture and 2 tablespoons of the cheese. Roll or fold tortillas closed. Over moderately high heat, toast the filled tortillas on a slightly oiled or non-stick skillet, seam side down, until golden brown. Then flip and brown the other side.

Serve while hot. Top with salsa and sour cream.

apple manchego salad

What to do with all those apples you just picked? Here's a recipe I adapted from EatingWell's Crunchy Pear Salad with my favorite cheese and fruit combo: apples and Manchego cheese (an aged nutty sheep's cheese from Spain). I like how the Manchego holds its shape and texture with the vinegar dressing. Or you can make it a Vermont apple salad and use white Cheddar instead. Leave the apple skins on for a splash of color.

Ingredients
2 stalks celery, cut into small 1/4 inch pieces
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large apples, such as McIntosh or Cortland, diced
1 cup finely diced Manchego cheese
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

To make
Soak celery in a bowl of ice water for 15 minutes and then drain. Whisk vinegar and honey in a large bowl until the honey is dissolved completely. Whisk in the olive oil. Add apples and gently coat. In a large serving bowl or salad bowl, combine the apples, celery, cheese, and pecans. Season with pepper and salt. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

10 things you can do with mint

I love mint. How could you not? Such a versatile and tasty plant--and it's so easy to grow. In fact, my mother deems it a weed. Her 3 or 4 varieties have taken over the herb garden. Still, we should not take it for granted.

I haven't always loved mint, however, because of a traumatic childhood memory that involved fluorescent green mint jelly. And so it wasn't until this summer that I rediscovered mint as a wonderful addition to any meal, sweet or savory. Mint truly is versatile and abundant. And it's in season! So why not freshen up your palate with some new ideas?

1. Rub it under your nose to awaken the senses
2. Substitute for basil in a tomato and mozzarella salad (or any salad for that matter)
   
3. Mince and sprinkle over honey and plain yogurt for a simple but stunning Romanesque snack
4. Infuse in your favorite drink for a summer refresher
5. Chop with other herbs--rosemary, lemon thyme, basil, sage, parsley--and mix with sour cream and cream cheese for a yummy veggie dip
6. Simmer with blueberries, maple syrup, and Grand Marnier to make a delicious berry topping for ice cream, pancakes or yogurt
7. Chop and combine with steamed new potatoes and olive oil, then chill for a healthy potato salad
8. Mince and sprinkle over berry sorbet or vanilla ice cream
9. Grow it in a pot and let it flower--so pretty
   
10. Freeze into your ice cubes for a pretty cocktail topper
    

easy homemade ice cream

Here's a really simple way to make ice cream from David Lebovitz--and the best part is that you don't even need a machine!

Try it with this healthy and delicious Raspberry Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt recipe. LZ made this for some of us girls the other night and it was to die for.

mama sonia's flan

One thing I inherited from my grandfather was an ecstatic love for sweets. A while back, I wrote about my experience of making flan for my him and my grandmother. The recipe was hers. I didn't know it at the time, of course, but the flan was the last dessert we would make for Papa Roger before he died.

I haven't had flan since, but was reminded of the creamy custard last night, when Colin announced out of the blue, "I don't think I like flan." We were watching Iron Chef on the Food Network, but there was no flan on the menu.

I looked at him quizzically. "Of course you do," I said.

"I do?"

"Yeah, you like creme brulée, right? And creme caramel? It's all just custard really."

"Oh," he said. "It's a good thing creme brulée isn't called custard. I wouldn't like it as much." I knew he was teasing me. Sort of. But I can't have a boyfriend of mine disliking flan. No sirree. I'll just have to make it for him to prove that I'm right. And there's no thing like the real thing, homemade and all.

And for all of you out there who think you don't like flan and for all of you out there who absolutely crave it, here is the recipe, courtesy of my grandmother:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1 cup milk
3 large eggs, plus 3 large egg yokes
1/2 teaspoon almond extract or 2 teaspoons light or dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To Make:
Have ready a heatproof glass casserole/bowl or 8 individual molds. In a small saucepan melt sugar over moderate heat stirring frequently, until sugar is a dark, caramel-colored liquid. Remove from heat and pour into mold. Quickly grasp mold to coat bottom and sides as much as possible with the caramel. (A neat even coating is not necessary.) Let mold cool 5 to 10 minutes while caramel hardens.

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Put the sweetened condensed milk, milk, eggs, egg yolks and flavorings into an electric blender. Cover and blend 8 to 10 seconds at medium speed to mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into caramel-lined mold. Put mold in a larger pan filled with hot water to a depth of about 1 inch. Bake for 1 hour until custard is set and a knife inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean. Remove from oven and remove mold from water. Cool and refrigerate. When ready to serve, cover mold with an inverted serving platter. Hold mold and platter together and turn them over. Lift away the mold. Caramel will fall as a liquid sauce over the custard. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

lychee teeny weeni martini

Here's the recipe for the cocktail we entered in the Bitesize competition this weekend:

In a shaker with ice, combine the syrup from one 15 ounce can of Lychee nuts with equal part Stoli Blueberry vodka. Squeeze in the juice of one lime. Add some mint leaves (squeeze them in your hand first to release the aroma). Shake!

To serve, tear a mint leaf into 3 or 4 pieces. Stuff one of the pieces into a Lychee and place in the bottom of a port glass (or shot glass). Fill the glass with your drink. It's so delicious, you can sip or shoot. The Lychee makes for a very happy ending. Now that's a winning recipe!