Brown Sugar-Rum Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Lime Zest

Long time no post. This has been in my drafts for way too long. It's a great recipe we really enjoyed. 

It's been the usual crazy here in my house, hope to be posting again soon.

Brown Sugar and Rum Glazed Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Lime

original recipe by Bobby Flay, from the book Barbecue Addiction

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

4 sweet potatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup dark rum
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil

Put the sweet potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water by 2 inches, and add 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil and cook until a skewer or paring knife inserted into the center of a sweet potato meets with slight resistance, about 30 minutes. Drain well and let cool. Cut each sweet potato into wedges.

Heat grill to medium.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the brown sugar, stir and cook until smooth. Increase the heat, add the rum, and cook until reduced by about half. Add the lime zest and juice; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Brush the sweet potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes. Brush with some of the rum glaze and grill for one minute longer.

Remove the sweet potatoes to a platter and brush with more of the glaze.

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What to do with leftover roast chicken?

Make soup! 

Specifically you should make this soup, Black Bean and Ancho Chile Soup with Roasted Chicken, Cilantro, and Lime. From the book Bird in the Oven by Mindy Fox. It has become one of my all-time favorite cookbooks. Can't rave enough about it, we've loved every recipe I've tried from this book. I got pretty ambitious with this one, ambitious for me anyway. Made the stock from scratch from a roasted chicken the night before. Usually I'd use a boxed stock and save homemade strictly for matzoh ball soup. And usually from raw pullets. I never thought to use the carcass from the roast chicken before, it made a great stock. I got almost a quart from one roast chicken. And the leftover meat wasn't all mushed up from being boiled for hours. This was excellent.

I left out the cilantro completely, my kids think it tastes like soap. What do they know? They never had their mouths washed with soap. But I did once when I was small. So who knows, I just may be used to that taste. I pretty quickly learned never to repeat things my older brother said to say to mom! We laugh about that now but it was hard to explain to her at the time that it's his fault with my mouth full of bubbles :)  What we put our poor mother through back in those days!

Since it was somewhat spur of the moment, the black bean soup part, I used canned beans. The chicken stock was planned, I decided last minute that I would turn into the black bean soup, so I had to use what was on hand, and I had ancho chili powder instead of whole dried chilies. Didn't matter, the soup was outstanding. I wouldn't change a thing the next time I make it. The chicken stock was perfect, great flavor and it cooled to be like jiggly jello, just like the golden goodness my grandma used to make. The roasting gave it a deep delicious flavor. I'll never throw away the roast chicken bones again!

Rich Roasted Chicken Stock

Chorizo and Black Bean Soup

Black Bean and Ancho Chile Soup with Roasted Chicken, Chorizo and Lime

Black Bean and Ancho Chile Soup with Roasted Chicken, Chorizo and Lime  

Original Source: From the book Bird in the Oven by Mindy Fox

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

Printable Recipe

3 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed well

4 cups chicken stock

4 cups water

1 whole white or yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons ancho chile powder

1 tablespoon guajillo chile powder, or use any chiles you like

4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

salt and pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups roast chicken, shredded

4 ounces fully cooked chorizo, sliced into coins (I used Aidells chorizo, 2 links)

1-2 teaspoons olive oil

2 limes, sliced in wedges

2 ripe avocado's, pitted and cubed

scallions, chopped

sour cream

diced tomatoes or salsa

In a heavy soup pot, combine half of the chorizo, 2 cans of the beans, chile powders, onion, garlic, oregano, chicken stock and water. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for about an hour.

Remove from heat and very carefully, using an immersion blender, whiz the soup to a puree. You can use a blender but it's very hot, so be very careful.  Return the soup to the heat and add the last can of beans and the shredded chicken, simmer on medium-low for another 15-20 minutes. 

While the soup is simmering, cook the remaining chorizo in a non-stick skillet with a little olive oil over medium-high heat until they start to get a little browned. Remove and save for garnish.

Ladle soup in bowls, squeeze in some fresh lime juice and garnish with chorizo, diced avocado, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, scallions, or whatever garnishes you like.

Rich Roast Chicken Stock

Original Source: From the book Bird in the Oven by Mindy Fox

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

Printable Recipe

1 roast chicken carcass, plus the neck, leftover meat saved separately

1 onion, with skin, quartered

2 shallots, with skin, cut in half

5 garlic cloves, with peel, smashed

3 carrots, washed and peeled, cut lengthwise in half

2 parsnips, washed and peeled, cut lengthwise in half

1 small turnip, washed, peeled and quartered

2 stalks celery, plus tops, washed and cut lengthwise in half

2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

handful of fresh parsley, dill or any other fresh herbs you like 

salt, to taste

Add all of the ingredients to a large stockpot and add cold water to cover by several inches. Over medium-high heat bring the water to just a boil, then lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 3-6 hours, uncovered for a very rich broth. Simmer for 2-3 hours for a lighter broth. Taste for seasoning, salt to taste.

Remove from heat, strain the soup into a container, discard the solids and let the stock cool. Refrigerate and skim fat from the cooled stock. You can freeze the stock.

Joining 

 Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.
 

Souper Sundays (soups, salads and sandwiches) @ Kahakai Kitchen

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 Souper Sunday weekly round-up of recipes

 

 Mosaic Monday  at the Little Red House

and Cookbook Sundays at Couscous & Consciousness

AND

 Food on Friday at Carole's Chatter

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Pasta Timballo with Ricotta

While I'm slowly getting through my pile of magazines, there are still plenty of cookbooks to go through, because I read them like novels. Post-it notes mark the pages where I see recipes that I must try one of these days. I finally got to The Heart of an Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys by David Tanis, and I loved it. There are quite a few more recipes bookmarked, and I hope to get to them. This one was very easy, very simple and so good.

This reminded me a little of baked ziti, but no mozzarella. The ricotta made the sauce very creamy. The recipe said fresh ricotta, which I don't know how to make. Yet. I have to look into it, but I used a good store bought ricotta cheese and the dish was delicious. Next time I'd add a little more crushed red pepper. The fresh basil was perfect. and I used plenty of Pecorino. I also used a jarred sauce this time. But would definitely make the tomato sauce next time, once the good tomatoes are in season again! 

The recipe called for Annelli, but I ran out, it's a fun shaped pasta. Rings! Like pasta Cheerio's! You can see them here. Instead this time I used a different mini pasta, a bag of pennette. Definitely making this again!

Pasta Timballo with Ricotta
Source: The Heart of an Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys by David Tanis
You can find the full recipe here!
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1 pound anelli pasta (a dried ring-shaped pasta) - I used pennette, small penne shaped pasta
olive oil
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
4 cups tomato sauce (recipe follows) - I used a good jarred sauce
1 pound fresh ricotta, at room temperature
grated pecorino
a handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Boil the pasta according to directions on package; it should be firmly al dente. Drain the pasta and put it in a large bowl. Drizzle with a little fruity olive oil, and season to taste with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Meanwhile, heat the tomato sauce. Have a large, deep ovenproof dish ready.

Spoon about half the sauce into the dish and stir half of the ricotta into the sauce, leaving it somewhat lumpy. Spoon the pasta on top of the sauce, and pour the rest of the sauce on top of the pasta. Top with dollops of the remaining ricotta and sprinkle with grated pecorino. Put the dish in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, to heat through completely.

Sprinkle with the basil, and serve more pecorino on the side.
 

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Balsamic-Marinated Flank Steak

Dope that I am, I took great pictures of a beautiful flank steak we had the other day, well, they looked great to me. I thought I uploaded the photo's to store on Picassa until I finished with the post, but nope. No photo. Not anywhere. And I did the grilling this time. Perfectly cooked, grilled marinade crust on the outside, pink rare on the inside, the ends more well done. Came out perfect, I tell ya!  But even without a picture, I had to post this recipe, it's fantastic. We've had such pretty weather the past few days here. Perfect grill weather. And I checked the grill cookbooks for a marinade. Came up with this one from Bobby Flay. A lot of flavor, it was super. So that's my review. A HUGE THUMBS UP! but if you want to see it and not take my word for it, then you just have to make it yourself. Great recipe, takes no time, simple. But so good. Highly recommended.

From the book Boy Gets Grill by Bobby Flay!

Balsamic-Marinated Flank Steak
Source: Bobby Flay - Boy Gets Grill
adapted There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped rosemary leaves (I used 1 tablespoon dried)
1 (1 1/2- to 1 3/4-pound) beef flank steak
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Whisk together the vinegar, the oil, the garlic and rosemary in a large dish (or use a large Ziploc freezer bag). Add the steak and turn to coat. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours, turning every 2 hours.

Heat the grill to high.

Remove the steak from the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly charred and crusty, 4 to 5 minutes. (Do not close lid on grill unless it is cold or windy) Turn steak over, reduce the heat to medium or move to a cooler part of the grill, and grill until medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes more. Be careful not to overcook.

Remove the steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch thick slices against the grain of the meat.

Food on Friday at Carole's Chatter 
 

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How Easy is That?

That's the question the Barefoot Contessa's new book asks!  It's rhetorical and I can't help but answer it! I just got my copy in the mail and really enjoyed it so far. Great recipes, beautiful pictures, hey, it's Ina Garten, so I'd expect nothing less! It delivers a ton of easy recipes, already bookmarked!   So the answer to "How Easy is That?" would be a resounding "VERY EASY!"

First recipe I tried was the Snap Peas with Pancetta! Just happen to have Pancetta in the freezer for just in case. Hey, you never know when you might need some Italian bacon!  You could use regular bacon, too, if you wanted. I loved it, and ending up serving it warm, but would be just as nice as a cold side! Even Miss Picky liked it! I made the peas ahead and although when I reheated it after shocking it, the green wasn't as bright, it was still so good! Would have been better if I remembered to sprinkle the Pecorino on. Can't remember everything. And I usually don't!

Snap Peas with Pancetta

Source: Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That? by Ina Garten, 2010

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

Printable Recipe

1 tablespoon salt
1 pound sugar peas, trimmed
1/4 pound pancetta, diced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup minced red onion
5 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper

My notes -- Instead of blanching you can also steam the snap peas in the microwave on high power for about 6 minutes, then drain in a colander and immerse in ice water. I also served it warm, so I heated it again in the microwave for about 2 minutes before I added the vinaigrette and bacon. If you make the peas in advance and reheat, it loses it's bright green color but still tastes delicious!

Bring 2-3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 1 tablespoon salt. Fill a large bowl with ice water and have a colander ready in the sink. Put the snap peas into the boiling water for about 15 seconds, drain in the colander in the sink, and immediately put them in the bowl with the ice water. Cool completely and drain. Cut each snap pea in half lengthwise and place in bowl.

Place the pancetta and 1 tablespoon of water in a medium saute pan and cook over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until the pancetta is browned evenly and crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to cool.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice. Pour vinaigrette over the snap peas, add the red onion, pancetta, and Pecorino. Toss well and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

And I'll join Suzy from Kitchen Bouquet with an Ina Garten Flashback for Flashback Friday. If you haven't tried it, The Barefoot Contessa Guacamole Salad is a really big, big favorite here. Click here to see the post on Guacamole Salad!

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Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce

Breakfast for Dinner. I've done that before, usually pancakes, waffles, eggs, stuff the kids like! The other night I was home alone for dinner, doesn't happen often, but this time everyone had somewhere else to be. It was actually nice. I was starving and wanted something really easy. That would be breakfast for dinner. And this past week on cable, The Hallmark Channel, there was a new cooking show I caught, Mad Hungry with Lucinda Quinn. She's associated with Martha Stewart, whose recipes have always worked for me, so I sat down to watch and liked the show very much.  This time she was making poached eggs in tomato sauce. And they looked amazing! And they were easy. Just what I wanted. I will be making these again. Very soon. And I'm getting that book. Mad Hungry. It says "Feeding Men and Boys," but I think Miss Picky and I will like a lot of those recipes as well! Amazon is delivering the cookbook soon, I'm looking forward to it.

Instead of Parmesan, I topped mine with Parrano Cheese. Great stuff, if you can find it, try it! Not the prettiest looking dish, looks aren't everything, but this one sure tasted good. The sauce was sopped up with a piece of baguette! Looking forward to this one again.

Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce
Source: Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn, recipe online at Martha Stewart Living
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1 can (28 ounces) whole plum tomatoes (or you can forgo the oil, garlic and tomatoes and just use jarred sauce)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 large eggs
4 slices toasted country bread, for serving
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (I used Parrano, use any melting cheese you like!)

Transfer tomatoes and their juices to the jar of a blender. Blend until tomatoes are coarsely chopped; set aside.

1 can (28 ounces) whole plum tomatoes (or you can forgo the oil, garlic and tomatoes and just use jarred sauce)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 large eggs
4 slices toasted country bread, for serving
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (I used Parrano, use any melting cheese you like!)

Pour tomatoes and their juices to the jar of a blender. Blend until tomatoes are coarsely chopped; set aside. If using a jarred sauce, just heat the sauce in a skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble.

In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil; season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

Gently crack eggs into tomato mixture, sprinkle a little salt and a little pepper on each egg, and let cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle as much cheese as you like on top of the eggs, cover and cook on lower heat a couple more minutes until the cheese has melted. Remove skillet from heat, uncover, and let stand about 2 minutes.

Transfer each egg to a piece of toast. Spoon over sauce, garnish with more grated cheese, and season with salt and pepper; serve immediately.

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Joining Mary's Mosaic Monday. For more mosaic's stop by the Little Red House!

also joining
 

 Food on Friday at Carole's Chatter

 

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