Sweet Potato Latkes with Pear "Sauce"

Recipe makes 4 servings (2 latkes per person)

Ingredients
Sweet Potato Latkes

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and grated
• 1/2 medium onion,  grated
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil for frying

Pear "Sauce"

• 1 large pear, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
• splash of white wine (I used chardonnay)

 In a medium bowl, combine grated sweet potatoes and onion. Add thyme leaves (removed from stems). Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir ingredient together and then add 2 eggs and 2 tbsp of flour. Stir until evenly mixed together. Cover and place in fridge until ready to cook.

In a small saucepan, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. When butter is melted add the pear cubes making sure to evenly coat them with the butter. Add the dark brown sugar and stir to dissolve in the butter. Add a splash of wine. Toss pears in the sauce and reduce heat to medium low. Cook until pears are tender.

Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium to medium high heat. When the oil is ready add two heaping spoonfuls of the latke mix to the pan. Use a spatula to flatten into small pancake shapes. When you see the edges start to crisp, flip the latkes. Remove from oil when both sides are a nice brown color. Repeat process with remaining mixture.

Serve hot topped with the pear sauce. I served mine as a side dish to a stuffed chicken breast (recipe to follow). Enjoy!

Seared Tuna with Olive-Tapenade Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chopped mixed-olive tapenade
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for cooking and dressing
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/8 cup aged balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
• 2 six ounce ahi tuna steaks
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning herb
• 2 cups baby arugula
• 1 lb fresh asparagus, grilled
• 1/2 lemon

In a bowl mix tapenade, onion, basil, olive oil, vinegar, and lemon peel. Season with salt and pepper.

Season each steak with 1/2 tbsp of Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable over medium-high heat. Cook tuna until desired doneness. I prefer mine rare to medium rare (1-2 minutes each side).

In a large bowl combine arugula and grilled asparagus (cute into bite sized pieces). Drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat vegetables. Divide among 2 plates. Cut tuna (across the grain) into slices and place on top of arugula and asparagus. Spoon tapenade vinaigrette over tuna.  

Original recipe from Epicurious

Parsnip, Potatoes and Spinach Casserole with Roasted Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 4 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• Salt
• 1 small onion
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• black pepper
• nutmeg
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• Paprika 

Roasted Mushrooms

• 2 - 2 1/2 pounds sliced mushrooms - I used white button, cremini and shitake mushrooms
• 8 to 10 cloves garlic, crushed
• fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon

Boil potatoes and parsnips in salted water over medium heat. Cook until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and return them to the hot pot. Grate in 4 tablespoons of onion, then add the spinach, butter, half of the milk and all of the cream. Season with salt, pepper and a bit of nutmeg. Mash the mixture together- add seasoning as needed. If the mixture is not creamy enough, add the extra splash of milk. Cool to room temperature, then stir in the eggs and then 3/4 of the cheese and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle with reminder of cheese and paprika. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Put the casserole on a baking sheet and put it in the lower third of the oven. Bake until hot and golden, about 35 to 40 minutes. 

In a medium baking dish toss the mushrooms with the garlic, thyme and olive oil. Roast until dark and tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Serve the mushrooms on top of the casserole.

Original recipe from Food Network

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pomegranate Seeds

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved
• seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate
• 1/2 lime
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Place brussel sprouts in a roasting pan and toss with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and outer leaves are crispy. Remove from oven and toss with pomegranate seeds. Dress with the juice of half a lime.

For little bit of a kick, you can add about a half teaspoon of cayenne pepper with the salt and pepper before baking.

This Is How Atlanta Iron Chefs

Quite a few months ago, while at a Foodspotting event, I met some foodies who mentioned they hold and participate in a local Iron Chef competition. Naturally, I wanted in. A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to flex my culinary skills in my first Atlanta Iron Chef Competition.

Here's the lowdown: On Friday, the secret ingredient is emailed to all participating chefs. All chefs are amateurs and the secret ingredient is randomly generated from an on-going list created by all participants. The chefs then have until Sunday late afternoon/evening to perfect their assigned dish (appetizer, entree or dessert) before presenting to the judges. On Sunday, the chefs present their dishes to the judges who then critic the food on taste/primacy (10 pts), presentation (5 pts), and originality (5pts).  There is an opportunity for 1 bonus point- a chef can earn this point by creating a beverage with the secret ingredient and the judges have to unanimously like it. So in the end there is an opportunity for a total of 21 points per judge. The points are tallied, scores/winners are announced and the new champion then hosts the next competition. We take our food seriously but it's all in fun and for the love of food.

This last go round the secret ingredient was ricotta cheese. It being my first time, I was unaware of anyone else's skill level so I had to make sure that I thought outside of the box and brought my A game. I didn't want to do Italian, I didn't want to make pasta and I didn't want to stuff anything. I came up with a ricotta burger with a garlic ricotta dressing, onions reduced in a tomato sauce, arugula and an asiago cheese crisp. I thought to myself, "A burger is pretty American... hmm... what's a burger without a shake." I then added a chocolate ricotta shake to my arsenal. My creativity paid off and I placed 2nd out of 9 dishes. The winner made a crostini with caramelized onions, fig preserves and HOMEMADE ricotta. Yes, homemade ricotta. It was delicious and worthy of the win.

I had great fun and am looking forward to the next competition. But the other chefs better watch their backs because I am in it for the win! (photo recap below)

 

My ricotta burger and chocolate shake

 Smoky mac with bacon

 Cajun mac with crawfish

 ricotta pound cake with lemon ricotta glaze

 ricotta salata and mushroom phyllo cups

potato ricotta au gratin- inspired by loaded baked potato

 crostini with ricotta, fig preserves and caramelized onions

 

ricotta rum balls

 crostini with ricotta, figs and bacon

 The whole spread

 former champ (left) and current champ (right)

all nine chefs

Butternut Squash Turnovers

 Ingredients

serves 6

• 1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1-2 large leeks, white parts only, cut into 1-inch dice
• 1/4 pound shiitake mushroom caps sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoons thyme leaves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Half of 2-pound butternut squash—peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen
• shredded smoked gouda cheese
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten 

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the diced leeks and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the shiitake and cook, stirring often, until their liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and the thyme and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, toss the squash with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the squash on a baking sheet and bake for about 12-15 minutes, until softened and starting to brown. Add the squash to the leeks and mushrooms and toss.

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently unfold the sheet of thawed puff pastry. Cut the pastry into 6 even squares. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the shiitake-squash mixture onto each square and top with 1 tablespoon of shredded smoked gouda. Lightly brush the edge of the squares with some of the beaten egg. Fold the squares over to form triangles and crimp the edges decoratively with a fork.

Arrange the turnovers on the prepared baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart. Brush the tops of the turnovers with the remaining beaten egg. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Original recipe from Food & Wine

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 16 large white button mushrooms
• olive oil
• 3 hot Italian sausage links (casing removed)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 2 cups of fresh spinach
• 2/3 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Asiago

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Remove stems from mushroom caps (stems can be saved and used another time or can be cut up and used in the sausage stuffing). Place mushrooms in a cats iron skillet. Lightly drizzle with olive and season with salt and pepper. Heat about 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until the sausage is brown. Add the onion and garlic. Add fresh spinach and cook until spinach is nicely wilted. Remove pan from heat. Stir in bread crumbs and cheese to the sausage filling (reserve a couple of tablespoons of cheese for the topping). Fill caps with stuffing and top with remaining cheese. Place the mushrooms int he oven and bake until cheese is a nice golden brown (approx. 10-12 minutes).

 Remove from oven and transfer to a serving plate. Serve hot.