Sweet Potato Hash

While there are many variations on a hash, this version is pretty basic and can be doctored up to suit your palate's desires, please feel free to add any veggies you may have hanging out from the produce order; cook them at the same time as the onion/peppers. This should yield about 6 servings.

2 Jumbo Yams (orange flesh)
1 large Onion, med dice
1 ea large red bell pepper, med dice
1 ea large green bell pepper, med dice
1 large garlic clove, mince

1 teaspoon cajun seasoning (recipe follows) plus extra to season.

Bacon fat

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel and dice Jumbo yams.

Heat 1tbs of bacon fat in a large, heavy bottomed pan (cast iron or wok is ideal). Add Bell Pepper and Onion once the pan is really hot (Test heat with one piece of bell pepper, it should sizzle immediately.) Stir constantly. Add 1tsp cajun seasoning. Saute until veg have a nice brown carmelization- to prevent burning, constantly stir!!!

Add garlic. Once fragrant, remove from heat and transfer into a separate container. Wipe pan with paper towels to absorb any excess fat, it does not have to be clean.

Back onto high heat, add another 1tbs of bacon fat. Once hot, add sweet potato cubes. Lower heat to Med-high. Stir and turn potatoes until all or most sides have a nice brown crust. This could take up to 10 mins.

If your pan is oven safe, stick it into the 400 degree oven to complete cooking of sweet potatoes. If not, transfer potatoes into baking sheet or casserole. Bake for another 10 minutes, or until fork tender.

Combine and toss with Onion/Pepper mixture, add more cajun seasoning if necessary.

Eat with your meat of choice and top with a couple over easy eggs :)

Cajun Seasoning:

2tbs Paprika
1tbs Black Pepper
1tbs Cayenne
1tbs Garlic Powder
1tbs Onion Powder
1tbs dried Oregano
1tbs dried Thyme
pinch of clove
1.5 tbs Sea Salt (Optional)

Combine well.

Sweet Potato Ginger Soup

 Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 medium red onion, diced

1 1/2 pound of sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger *I learned something awesome recently. If you throw your fresh ginger in the freezer it makes it SO much easier to peel and grate. Try it out!

5 cups water

2 Tablespoons chopped scallions

Melt coconut oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and saute for about 10 minutes until golden and soft. Add the sweet potato to the saucepan and saute for 3 more minutes.

Add cumin, salt, ginger and water.

Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes.

Puree the soup until smooth with an immersion blender or by putting it into a blender in batches.

Sprinkle chopped scallions on top and serve.

Enjoy! 

(recipe, politely stolen from sweetcheekshq.com... thanks girls!)

Butternut Squash Lasagna!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef, sausage or turkey
1 red onion
3 cloves garlic
15 oz pizza/tomato sauce
1/2 c roasted red peppers
1/4 c olive oil
few leaves of fresh basil
1 small butternut squash

Process:

- Preheat oven 400ºF. In a saute pan crumble the sausage and brown it, along with the onions & garlic. While that’s going, cut the top and ends of the squash off and peel it. Split it into 1/4′s. What I mean by that is, right where the squash starts to turn bulbous, cut it in 1/2, width-wise. Split those two halves in half, lengthwise. This will make it much easier to cut into planks. Pull out the seeds. Slice the squash into the aforementioned planks.

- Make the sauce by pureeing the pizza sauce, red peppers, olive oil and basil. If you don’t a contraption that will puree (blender, food processor, immersion blender), chop up the red peppers and just whisk everything together.

- Using a 9×9 oven safe baking dish, put down enough sauce to lightly cover the bottom of the dish. (This keeps the squash from sticking to the pan.) Next add the squash, trying not to overlap the pieces, then spoon on the sausage mixture, followed by the sauce. Repeat until all your ingredients are used up…trying to reserve enough sauce to cover the top of the lasagna.

- Bake for 45 minutes. You’re looking for a bubbly pan with a crispy, browned top. Right out of the oven, the lasagna may by liquidy, let it set for a good half hour before cutting into it, as it will solidify.