Sweet Potato Superfood

I'll start by telling you that I eat a lot of sweet potatoes.  They are super healthy and satisfying too.  I often eat them mashed as a side with chicken and a vegetable for dinner.  It is a great way to eat them - peel and quarter potatoes, cover with cold salted water, bring to a boil and cook until just tender (about 20 minutes), drain and mash with a potato masher until desired consistency.  You could finish them off with a pat of butter but I recommend trying them as is with just a little sprinkle of sea salt.  There is so much flavor there it is really all they need.

The other way I love to eat sweet potatoes is as fries.  Who doesn't like a fry, right?  But, after deciding that the precut ones that come frozen are cut too small, resulting in fries that have too much crunch and not enough meat to them, I decided I would experiment with making them from scratch.

I learned there are two important steps to take to ensure the perfect outcome - make sure to cut the sweet potatoes into large enough wedges, about 1/2 inch thick (you should get about 16 fries out of a medium/large potato) and to cook them at a not too hot temperature of 375 degrees.  Once the fries are cut, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and toss to evenly coat each piece, then arrange on a rimmed baking sheet.  For two medium/large sweet potatoes (about 4 servings), it should take approximately 45 minutes, flipping them halfway through.  Definitely keep a close eye on them though and keep checking them every now and then until they are done just right - slightly crispy and golden on the outside, tender on the inside.

What Does It Mean to Eat Clean

Some may call me a magazine fanatic.   I came across Clean Eating magazine the other day in Whole Foods and was undoubtedly excited about reading a new food magazine.  I think its great because as much as I love my Bon Appetit and other foodie magazines, the recipes aren't always the healthiest and let's face it, sometimes I am not interested in tracking down a ton of ingredients to make a dish.  Here is where Clean Eating Magazine comes in:  breathing some life into healthy, simple cooking.  Click here for more information on what "Clean Eating" is and some free recipes.

Artisan Pizza in Davis Square

Had dinner tonight at a new restaurant in Davis Square called Posto Pizzeria and was impressed on all fronts.  There is really nothing like it in the area as far as dinner options go.  The loft-like space manages to feel large and cozy at the same time with high ceilings, exposed beams and a wall of windows that open in nice weather.  There is a separate bar area with a few tastefully placed flat screen TV's and dining room with views of the open kitchen, where you can watch pizzas being made before they make a visit to the brick oven.  I had the Spring Salad with an expertly seasoned Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette to start and then the Margherita DOC pizza with San Marzano tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella cheese, that had just a touch of char to its deliciously crisp, slightly chewy crust.  Posto boasts a stellar wine list with many options available by the glass, half or full bottle, a wide variety of local beers and a cocktail menu that includes inventive classics like the Aperol Spritz and the Mistaken Negroni.  You can tell that everything is freshly made using quality ingredients and I think the expansive selection of drool-worthy menu options is reason enough to keep coming back.

Pizzeria Posto, 187 Elm Street, Somerville, MA, 617.625.0600

(photo courtesy of Thrillist)

The True All-Purpose Vinaigrette

I have tried many different variations of vinaigrette and I just think this one is hands down the best.  It is a version of a recipe from Colin Cowie that appeared in Oprah Magazine a few years ago and I find I keep going back to it.  According to Colin it is "perfect not only on salad greens, but also as a glaze for baked or barbecued chicken, a wonderful marinade for shrimp and a sauce to drizzle over grilled seafood.  The versatility of this handy, foolproof vinaigrette borders on the magical and will make anyone feel like a superchef."  It makes me want to eat more salad, enough said.

I made it the other day and tossed a few tablespoons with green bean salad (cut fresh green beans into 1 inch pieces, briefly cook in boiling water, transfer beans to a bowl filled with ice water, drain and dry beans). Throw in a handful of sliced almonds for crunch.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped shallot
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup good olive oil

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, shallots, salt and pepper.  Slowly whisk in oil.

Mutli-Grain Pizza with Italian Sausage, Spinach and Caramelized Onions

One of my all-time favorite pasta dishes is orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe from Alice Waters' cookbook, "The Art of Simple Food". I never thought of concocting a pizza version until I came across a recipe for sausage pizza in Real Simple magazine and decided I would make a play on it. It was simple to make and came out great. So easy in fact, that I am now inspired to make my own pizza more often and experiment with different flavor combinations. (Serves 6)



Ingredients:

• cornmeal for pan 
• 1 lb pizza dough (I like the multi-grain version from Whole Foods) 
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 large onion 
• 2 links Italian sausage, casings removed (about 3/4 lb) 
• 1 small bunch spinach, thick stems removed (about 3 cups) 
• Kosher/Sea salt & black pepper 
• 1 cup or more shredded reduced fat cheese (i used a combination of mozzerella and cheddar) 
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 

Directions:

1. Shape fresh dough into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, thinly slice onion and cook, covered over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, shaking the pan every now and then. Add 1 TBSP oil and some salt and pepper. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and sprinkle a rimmed baking sheet with cornmeal. Shape the dough into a 14 inch oval, place on prepared baking sheet and brush with 1 TBSP oil. Bake until puffed and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. 
4. While the dough is cooking, heat the remaining 1 TBSP oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with spoon until no longer pink, about 7-8 minutes. Add the spinach and 1/4 TSP each salt and pepper and cook until spinach is fully wilted, about 5 minutes. 
5. Top the partially cooked pizza dough with the sausage mixture, cheeses and caramelized onions. Bake until the crust is crisp and the cheese has melted, 12 to 15 minutes. 

I served this tonight with a simple salad of red leaf lettuce, cucumber and tomato with homemade vinegarette.

If you have any leftovers, make the perfect breakfast pizza by reheating in a toaster oven and topping with a fried egg, over easy. Yum!

Mark Bittman's Chicken Thighs Four Tasty Ways

It is no secret that I am a huge Mark Bittman fan.  For those are you that are unaware, he is a food columnist for the New York Times and frequently appears on the Today Show.  He is also a highly acclaimed cookbook author, most notably "How to Cook Everything which is adored by chefs and home cooks alike.

I personally love that he never takes himself or cooking too seriously.  His recipes tend to be fairly simple (his column at NYT is titled "The Minimalist") but always have great flavor.  His style is to prepare you with the basic fundamentals of a dish and as a champion for substitutions and variations, allows you to let loose in the kitchen and get a little creative.

Check out the following segment from this morning's "How to Cook Everything Today", for four glazes to spice up roasted chicken thighs from the master himself.

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Bon Appetit's Zucchini Carpaccio

I decided to make a vegetable side dish to bring to my brother's house for Easter dinner.  I came across this dish in the April 2010 issue of Bon Appetit (Click here to view the full recipe) and was easily sold on it because it's one of those rare dishes that looks impressive but isn't much work.  In fact there is absolutely no cooking involved, a perfect dish to put together on a hot day.

Of course having a mandolin v-slicer makes the prep much more fun, especially if you remember to use the finger guard!   While my dish didn't come out looking exactly like the Bon Appetit version (mine is 2nd one below) I was still pleased with the way it came out and it tasted delicious - the fresh, slightly crunchy vegetables and creamy ricotta were a great match.

Notes- I cheated a bit by not making my own ricotta cheese, but found a lovely substitute in local Narragansett Creamery Ricotta from Sherman Market in Somerville, MA.  More on that later. Also, keep in mind that unless you are using a platter the size of a picnic table, you will end up with many overlapping layers of zucchini - mine had four or five.  I simply stopped halfway through to add some salt, pepper, onions and ricotta cheese before finishing with the remaining zucchini to make sure it was seasoned all the way through.

Three Cheers for Lambrusco

I like any good excuse to try a new bottle of wine, and for me, holidays are a perfect one.  Although I must admit, finding the perfect bottle of wine to complement all the varied dishes served at a holiday meal can be a daunting task.  As I was contemplating about what type of wine I would bring to Easter dinner at my brother's house, I came across an article about the most versatile wines in the April 2010 issue of Food & Wine, titled "10 Ultimate Wines for Dinner Parties."  There were dry rieslings and crisp sauvignon blancs, been there, done that.  But an interesting dry red sparkling option called Lambrusco caught my attention, and when I was able to find it on the shelf at my local wine shop, I knew it was meant to be.  See below for full write up straight from the pages of the magazine.

NV LINI LABRUSCA ROSSO LAMBRUSCO ($15)

This wild berry–inflected, scarlet-hued sparkling wine will make anyone forget the insipid sweetness that characterized many mass-production Lambruscos in the past. Lini, a small family company, has been making terrific Lambruscos since the early 1900s.

Positively Nourishing

Ok although you could consider it food for your skin, it definitely isn't food, nor would I recommend eating it. However, I will tell you that Aveeno's new Pomegranate + Rice Smoothing Body Wash is an absolutely fantastic product that smells of real pomegranate and uses rice beads and walnut shells to gently exfoliate skin. You will have a truly sensory shower experience.