Baked Sweet Potato Wedges

I'm back and still just trying to catch up on everything.  My laptop is fixed so thank you to the tech at Apple's Genius Bar.  I made baked potato wedges before and they were great.  But these baked sweet potato wedges are completely different in how they turn out.  They are slightly sweet with a bit of a caramelization crust.  These baked sweet potato wedges don't get as crispy as the regular russet potatoes but are deliciously addictive.  Feel free to try different seasonings in addition to the salt and pepper, such as cinnamon, garam masala, etc.  Enjoy this great side dish!

Baked Sweet Potato Wedges

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

3 sweet potatoes

olive oil

salt

pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Scrub sweet potatoes clean, no need to peel them!  Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, and then cut each half into thirds.  If the wedges are long, you can cut them in half too.

Place sweet potato wedges onto a baking pan.  Drizzle sweet potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat the wedges.

Arrange potatoes in a single layer, cut side down.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and flip potatoes to the other cut side.  Bake additional 15 to 20 minutes.  The sweet potato wedges will be browned on the outside and tender inside.

Season with additional salt if desired.

Serves 4.

Blog Break

Hey everyone! I need to take a temporary break from blogging since I am without a computer. My MacBook Pro decided to die on me yesterday!  I need to get it fixed hopefully soon because I don't want to have to buy a replacement yet.  Be back soon but if you follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram then you will see any foodie (or doggie) updates in the meantime. Thanks to all my followers!

Vanilla Panna Cotta

I love panna cotta, it is an Italian dessert and means "cooked cream."  I am shocked at how easy it was to make panna cotta myself.  You basically simmer cream and sugar and mix in gelatin.  I made a basic Vanilla Panna Cotta and it was absolutely delicious.  I adapted David Lebovitz's Perfect Panna Cotta recipe.  My cousin Cathy (from Petite Therapy) is going to expect me to make this at the next family event when she's in town!  I served the vanilla panna cotta with some sliced peaches and I cheated by using frozen peaches from Whole Foods.  I would ideally have added berries if I had any but I didn't.  The next day, I did try the vanilla panna cotta with a spoonful of nutella on top and it was so good! Enjoy!

Vanilla Panna Cotta

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 packet gelatin (about 2 ¼ teaspoons)

3 tablespoons cold water

Directions

In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream and sugar.  Stir until sugar is dissolved.

 

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

Lightly grease 4 custard cups or 2 larger ramekins.

In a bowl, add cold water and sprinkle the gelatin on top.  Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

Pour the warm panna cotta mixture over the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is dissolved.

Divide the panna cotta mixture into the prepared cups or ramekins.

Chill in refrigerator for 4 hours or until panna cotta is firmly set.  Feel free to chill overnight.

To unmold, run a knife around the edge of the panna cotta and flip onto a plate.

Garnish with fresh fruit if desired.

Serves 2 to 4.

Cavanna Pasta

Last week was the first week of the Crystal City Farmer's Market and my favorite pasta stand, Cavanna Pasta, was there!  I couldn't believe it because Cavanna Pasta used to be at another farmer's market that I went to near my old apartment.  Also, the same guy runs the stand and he remembered me and its been about a year since I last saw him!  He even asked me how the dogs were so I guess Buddy and Ellie are memorable too.  If you happen to go to the Crystal City Farmer's Market (on Tuesdays 3pm-7pm), I would check out this pasta stand.  They sell raviolis, gnocchi, sauces and even meatballs.  I have tried their eggplant parmesan and lasagna before too and they are delicious. 

I bought the Tagliatelle pasta, which is one of my favorite types of pasta.  It comes frozen at the farmer’s market so it’s easy to store at home.  You can keep it frozen or in the refrigerator.  I was told if you store it in the refrigerator, you should open the lid a little bit so there is no condensation and the pasta remains dry.

It takes only 2 to 3 minutes to cook in boiling water.  Quick and easy!

I also got the Vodka sauce and it is amazing.  It is also frozen and defrosts easily in the refrigerator.  I reheat the sauce in the same pot after I drained the pasta.  I add the pasta back in the pot and toss it gently in the sauce to coat the pasta.  

Serve with a little parmesan cheese if desired and dinner is ready!

 

Korean Spicy Pickled Cucumbers

Need a cool refreshing side dish?  These Korean Spicy Pickled Cucumbers are your answer!  My friend Hoang gave me this recipe after I saw her post a picture of it on facebook.  (BTW - are you following me on facebook?) The recipe I'm posting lists the original ingredients but I adjusted mine a bit.  I used only 1 teaspoon of chili powder since I can't handle too much spice and I used toasted sesame oil.  I also omitted the scallion only because I didn't have any but I will definitely add it in next time.  This recipe is versatile, I can see trying honey or agave in place of the brown sugar too.  Overall this is a really delicious and easy side dish, perfect for warm weather.  Enjoy!  And thank you Hoang if you are reading this!

Korean Spicy Pickled Cucumbers

Printable Recipe

 

Ingredients

2 or 3 Persian cucumbers, sliced
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons red chili powder
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon brown sugar

1 scallion, chopped 

Directions

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except cucumbers.

   

Add in cucumber slices and toss to coat.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Serves 2 to 4 as a side dish.

Buddy Birthday Cake

Happy 11th Birthday Buddy!  I can't believe Buddy is already 11 years old, it felt like yesterday when I first brought him home.   The recipe for Buddy's Birthday Cake is similar to last year's birthday cake but with a few modifications.  Somehow I think Buddy knew this cake was for him because he wouldn't leave me while I was in the kitchen baking it.  Ellie was of course right by Buddy's side!  Buddy also got a new frog toy - it is his favorite one (he's been getting a new one once or twice a year for birthdays/holidays).  I decorated the cake with Old Mother Hubbard dog biscuits and Zuke's mini natural dog treats and frosted with plain greek yogurt.  I used peanut butter in a plastic sandwich bag with a corner snipped off to pipe Buddy and 11 on the cake.  Overall this was another hit with Buddy and Ellie - they loved it! 

Here is a snapshot of Buddy's fun times in the last several years, he's such a lucky dog!  

Buddy Birthday Cake

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 egg

¼ cup peanut butter

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon greek yogurt

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Optional Frosting:

plain greek yogurt

peanut butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda.

In a small bowl, mix together wet ingredients

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well.  Stir in carrots.

Pour cake batter into an 8 inch or 9 inch round baking pan.  You can use a similar sized baking dish/pan of your choice.

 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.  Allow to cool before frosting.

For the frosting – Spread the yogurt over the cake.  I put some peanut butter in a plastic sandwich bag and snipped a corner of the bag to use for piping on the cake. (Flip cake from pan onto plate to easily frost the bottom of the cake.)

Feel free to decorate with extra shredded carrots, dog biscuits, or your dog’s regular kibble.

Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. 

Buddy ate the toppings first! 

 

 Doesn't this cake look good enough to eat and not just for dogs?  LOL

Baked Potato Wedges

I think the title of this recipe explains itself, Baked Potato Wedges.  I admit I nearly spelled wedgies instead of wedges as I was typing up this post.  LOL  I can't believe I haven't made these baked potato wedges before because its so easy and delicious.  You really should try seasoning them with old bay spice too - it's a Maryland thing to season your fries (and anything else) with old bay.  Bay fries are amazing and I also sprinkle old bay on my corn on the cob too!  Try it sometime.  It was a Meatless Monday meal this week so I served these baked potato wedges with an avocado salsa topped veggie burger (Morningstar Spicy Black Bean Burger).  Enjoy!      

Baked Potato Wedges

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 large russet potatoes

olive oil

salt

pepper

old bay spice (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Scrub potatoes clean, no need to peel them!  Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, and then cut each half into thirds.  If the wedges are long, you can cut them in half too.

Place potato wedges onto a baking pan.  Drizzle potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat the wedges.

Arrange potatoes in a single layer, cut side down.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and flip potatoes to the other cut side.  Bake additional 15 to 20 minutes.  The potato wedges will be browned and crisp on the outside and tender inside.

Season with additional salt and old bay spice if desired.

Serves 2 to 4.