Kicking off 2023 with healthy, delicious soup: Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup

YUM! Barry just made this for lunch and it we both thought it was absolutely delicious . . . as in an extra helping for each of us.This healthy, perfectly flavored soup is helping us kick off the year with healthy eating. 

Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup

2 tablespoons+ avocado oil

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 to 2 ribs of celery, chopped

1 red or orange pepper, chopped

2 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

24 to 32 ounces broth (chicken or vegetable)

1 bay leaf

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

1/2 teaspoon each – salt and pepper

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot on medium heat. Add carrots, onion, celery and pepper and sauté until tender, adding garlic near the end. 
2. Add sweet potatoes, 24 ounces of broth and all seasonings. Simmer long enough to develop flavors and cook veggies. 
3. Taste and adjust seasoning. 
4. Blend the soup with a stick blender (or add cooled soup to a blender). Check consistency (we liked it creamy) adding more broth as needed. (Ours is garnished with fresh thyme leaves.

Smoked Honey and Thyme Sweet Potatoes as featured in KANSAS! magazine

Fly Boy Brewery & Eats was featured in the latest KANSAS! magazine (2022, vol. 78, issue 5, pp. 48-57). Grant Wagner, co-owner and executive chef, creates farm to table menus that have hungry diners from all over the state going to Sylvan Grove. The restaurant also brews their own beer and offers up unique cocktails, too. 

Magazine's featured RECIPE –Typical of many of Grant’s recipes, this one is infused with several layers of flavor, from smoked honey to flamed vermouth. His puréed sweet potatoes can be made ahead, and Grant explains that even through the recipe calls for five pounds of potatoes, the volume is greatly reduced during the drying phase.

 

Smoked Honey and Thyme Sweet Potatoes   Serves about 10 

Grant says, “Be aware that the final step of this recipe is easiest when all ingredients (except the butter) are warm, so a little bit of timing is required. ” 

 

INGREDIENTS

1.5 (1 ½) cups honey (we use Labertew Honey, collected from local, hardworking bees)

.25 (¼) cup of chopped fresh thyme leaves

5 pounds peeled sweet potatoes, cut to roughly 1" cubes

1.25 (1 ¼) cups Antica vermouth (we prefer Antica vermouth, but any dry vermouth will work)

12 ounces (3 sticks) butter, cut into cubes

Kosher salt to taste 

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1.   Heat a smoker to 200 degrees F. We use oak or hickory at the restaurant, to maximize the smoke imbued in the honey. 

2.   Stir the chopped thyme into the honey and smoke for at least an hour and not more than 3 total.

3.    In the meantime, bring enough water to cover the sweet potatoes to a boil, approximately 2 gallons.

4.    Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F, while the water is coming to temp.

5.    Once the water is boiling, add the sweet potatoes and cook until fork tender, approximately 20 minutes.

6.   Strain the potatoes and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet, then roast them in the oven for 30 minutes. This will evaporate a lot of the water and intensify the flavor in the sweet potato purée.

7.   While the potatoes are drying in the oven, place the vermouth in a small sauté pan and turn heat to high.

8.   Once it is at a boil, you can ignite the evaporating alcohol if you have a gas range and cook on low heat until the flame goes out, or just reduce by approximately 15% to remove the alcohol if using electric burners.

9.   Finally, combine all the ingredients in a food processor or food mill and season with salt to taste. 

Note: These will last up to a week in a refrigerator and are easily reheated on the stove top, in the oven or microwave.

Sky Boy Brewery & Eats: 785-526-7800 / 105 N. Main St., Sylvan Grove, KS.flyboybreweryandeats@gmail.com  / Facebook: Fly Boy Brewery & Eats 

Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Leeks

 Roasted with leeks, these sweet potatoes are a nice and healthy side dish. 

Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Leeks   4 servings

4 cups chopped peeled sweet potato 

1 leek, thinly sliced (white section) into rounds  

2 cloves garlic, sliced 

3 tablespoons olive oil 

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or more to taste 

1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste 

1. .Preheat the oven to 375°.
2. Mix sweet potatoes, leek, and garlic in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the mixture and toss to coat; pour into a shallow roasting pan.


3. Roast sweet potato mixture in the preheated oven, turning frequently, until the vegetables are soft and golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.


4. Remove from the oven. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the vegetables; season with salt and pepper.

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Grain Bowls . . . a Building Blueprint

Grain bowls are a healthy meal alternative, a way to offer variety and to even use up leftovers. During a recent show on Food Network’s Kitchen, a visiting chef mentioned she prepared a variety of ingredients ahead of time, and then let her family create their own “custom-made-bowls.”  Since then, I’ve followed her lead. There are so many things to use, so this is just a general . . .

Grain Bowl Building Blueprint

Grains: rice, quiona, farro . . . 

Produce: asparagus, broccoli, green beans. sweet potatoes, onions or scallions, spinach leaves, lettuce, kale, thinly sliced cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, radishes, red peppers, tomatoes, avocado, mushrooms . . .

Protein: salmon, chicken, turkey, hard-cooked eggs, beans or lentils, nuts . . .

Salad Dressing: Mom's Celery Seed Dressing: Mom's Celery Seed Dressing, "Shake & Serve" Dressing, Sunflower Oil Dressing . . . 

Above: Offerings for a recent Grain Bowl included: spinach leaves, lightly steamed asparagus, hard cooked eggs, baked salmon, chopped tomatoes, sliced carrots, roasted sweet potatoes, cooked faro and basmati rice with dressing choices that  Mom's Celery Seed dressing and a commercial product. 

Other themed grain bowls on this site include:

Cuban Rice Bowls

Mexican Rice & Bean Bowls

Amish Mexico-Style Haystacks

Rader's Taters -- Campfire Dutch Oven Style

Campfire recipe for Kansas State Parks Guide

www.ksoutdoors.com

2019 issue, released in April, page 10

Meta Newell West

The 2019 issue of KANSAS! State Parks is available and features a cast iron campfire recipe provided by Kate Rader. Info about the cook and the recipe  follows as it appears in the magazine.  I've also added some helpful tips that Kate provided below the recipe. 

About the cook and recipe — Kate Rader, a seasoned campfire cooking enthusiast and trail cook, likes to stack up a collection of camp Dutch ovens and prepare a full meal in her backyard in Carlton, Kansas. One of her favorites sides is this colorful and flavorful potato dish that daughter, Annette Satterfield, makes for the family. 

Kate Rader with her camp-style Dutch ovens.

About the cooking methods — This recipe may be prepared over the campfire in a regular Dutch oven or cooking pot, or cooked in a camp Dutch oven. The regular cast iron oven has a rounded top, a flat bottom and no legs so the pot sets on a grate over the coals of the campfire or can be suspended from a tripod. A camp Dutch oven has legs and a flanged lid; coals are added to the top of the collared, flat lid and also placed underneath the pot. Although the following recipe uses just one oven, several ovens can be stacked saving ground space and fuel, and allowing multiple dishes to be prepared at one time. When stacked, the coals on the lid of one oven serve as the 'underneath' coals for the oven stacked on top; the oven on top helps trap heat for the oven underneath.

A stack of camp Dutch ovens allows multiple dishes to be  cooked one-on-top of the other.  

Rader's Taters      6 servings                                                                 

Yukon Gold, new or fingerling potatoes — about 3 pounds

1 big sweet potatoes, peeled, cut in bite-size pieces

2 or 3 garlic cloves, crushed

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped 

1 or 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped 

Olive oil, about 1/4 cup 

Butter, about 3 to 4 tablespoons

Layer potatoes, seasonings, oil and butter in Dutch oven. 

Regular Dutch oven method—Cover and cook on medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 35 to 45 minutes, stirring frequently. Adding a lid will help steam the potatoes and speed up the cooking.

For camp Dutch Oven method—For a temperature of 350°F, use about 16 charcoal briquettes on top and 8 on bottom; this system provides more uniform internal heat and lets the inside of the pot act as an oven. Kate advised, “I also heat a few extra briquettes to be on the safe side.” Baking requires more heat on top of the oven than is needed on the bottom. Rotate oven a quarter to a half turn once or twice while baking; this regulates the uneven heat caused by wind and/or the uneven distribution of coals on the top and bottom of the oven.

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Additional Cast Iron Camp Cooking  Info  . . .

Equipment: Kate recommends starting with a good quality, pre-seasoned cast iron 12" camp Dutch oven that has three legs. Other needs: lid lifter, heavy gloves, long handled tongs, a small shovel, a lid holder, and a tote bag for each oven.

Cleaning Dutch ovens: Loosen stuck-on food by adding hot water to pot. After soaking, use a non-abrasive scrubber, wipe clean and dry thoroughly. 

Dutch oven storage: Wipe interior of pots with a thin layer of oil. Store in a tote with the lid under the Dutch oven. Or if lid is left on top, place a towel between lid and pot so the air can circulate.

Recipes: Start with simple ones and practice in your backyard. Kate adds, “It's a creative way of cooking, not an exacting science. Don't be afraid to experiment.” She does recommend the highly rated free phone app — Dutch Oven Coal Calculator. 

Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Usually we have a rich sweet potato casserole  for Thanksgiving but this year we opted for whipped sweet potatoes. Barry did them much like he does regular mashed potatoes but I squeezed half an orange and prepped some fresh thyme to add to the mix. They were scrumptious (creamy, savory with just a hit of sweet from orange juice) so thought I better record it so we can remember how to do it next time. Amounts are flexible and can be adjusted to your preferences.

Whipped Sweet Potatoes
5 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into medium chunks
About 1/4 cup+ sour cream (or use cream or whole milk)
About 1/4 cup butter
About 3 tablespoons orange juice
About 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
Dash of Kosher salt if needed

1. Add sweet potato chunks to cold, salted water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, add lid and cook until tender. Drain.
2. Mash with remaining ingredients; adjust ingredients as needed for taste and texture. 

We kept them warm in a slow-cooker set on LOW.

Thanksgiving 2018

Chicken & Sweet Potato Skillet

I can't lie. I'd rather have ham and sweet potatoes . . . but chicken and sweet potatoes are actually a nice combination. Chicken is also a healthier, heart friendlier choice and it doesn't contain the nitrates and nitrites used to cure ham. 

We recommend serving this with cabbage slaw — Asian-style Slaw or Jicama Slaw would be interesting choices.

Chicken & Sweet Potato Skillet   2 to 3 servings

½ lb. boneless chicken breasts or tenders

Salt and pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

About ¼ cup chicken broth or water

½ teaspoon fine kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes  

1. Cut the chicken into small pieces and season with salt and pepper.
   
2. In a skillet over medium heat, add about 1 tablespoon olive oil and chicken. Sauté the chicken for about 7 to10 minutes or until it is cooked though; stir occasionally; add garlic near the end of the cooking time. Set chicken aside.
   
3. In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of olive oil; then add diced sweet potatoes and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, until tender but still firm. Add broth or water as needed to deglaze the pan. Season with additional salt and pepper as it cooks.
   
   
   
   
4. Add some red chili flakes near the end of the cooking time. 
   

Recipe without photos . . .

Chicken & Sweet Potato Skillet   2 to 3 servings 

½ lb. boneless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

About ¼ cup chicken broth or water

½ teaspoon fine kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes  

1. Cut the chicken into small pieces and season with salt and pepper.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, add about 1 tablespoon olive oil and chicken. Sauté the chicken for about 7 to10 minutes or until it is cooked though; stir occasionally; add garlic near the end of the cooking time. Set chicken aside.
3. In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of olive oil; then add diced sweet potatoes and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, until tender but still firm. Add broth or water as needed to deglaze the pan. Season with additional salt and pepper as it cooks.
4. Add some red chili flakes near the end of the cooking time.  

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Sweet Potatoes were a hit at USD 435’s Parents as Teachers "Veggie Fun" playgroup session. Veggie painting, touching and tasting were part of the fun-filled morning session.

Among other things, children had the opportunity to see how a sweet potato grew and then tasted these yummy treats. The recipe was recommended by Carley Clark and prepared by Lori Portelli for the activity-based session. 

A great way to add veggies to your menu!  
Note: If you are concerned about young children consuming cinnamon, check out what Dr. Weil says @ his website.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes     4 servings

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1” cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sprinkling of  ground cinnamon, optional

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. In a large bowl, combine the honey, olive oil, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
3. Add the sweet potatoes and toss to coat.
4. Dump potatoes onto a large rimmed baking pan; spread out evenly on pan.
5. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. 

Ham & Mashed Potato Pot Pie

Actually, it's a Shepherd's Pie of sorts but I used the leftover Easter ham and cheesy mashed potatoes rather than typical ingredients that Barry's mom used. Instead of a tomato soup and green bean base, I used white sauce loaded with the veggies we had on hand.
I made a small casserole but simply increase ingredients for a larger version.

Ham & Mashed Potato Pot Pie
Olive oil
About 1 1/2 to 2 cups diced veggies  (I used 1/2 onion, 1/2 red pepper, 2 carrots, 1 small sweet potato, 3 or 4 mushrooms)
2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups milk+
1 cup+ diced ham
1/3 cup frozen peas
About 1 to 1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 egg (break into a dish; mix with a fork & then pour out about half)
Paprika

1. Drizzle a Dutch oven with olive oil set on medium heat. Add diced veggies, except for mushrooms, and saute' until onions are tender. 
   
2. Add mushrooms and continue to sauté for l or 2 minutes. Then turn heat to low, add lid and allow the veggies to steam for a few minutes until all are tender.
   
   
   
   
3. Return heat to medium. Add butter to veggies and stir to melt. Then add flour and seasonings and cook for a minute or two.
4. Slowly stir in milk and allow mixture to thicken; add additional milk if sauce becomes too thick. Taste mixture and add additional seasonings if needed.
5. Add ham and frozen peas to sauce.
6. Pour mixture into a casserole/baking dish.
   
7. Add 1/2 egg to mashed potatoes and stir to combine.
8. Spread mashed potato mixture over filling in casserole; sprinkle with paprika.
   
9. Bake at 375° for about 20 minutes or until casserole is hot and bubbly.
   
   
   
   

Besides this pot pie, we've also used our leftover Easter ham to make  floured and fried ham steaks, ham and beans, 

Ham & Cheese Flatbread, Ham & Cheese Quiche 
and Spaghetti Carbonara with ham.

Recipe without photos . . .
Ham & Mashed Potato Pot Pie
Olive oil
About 1 1/2 to 2 cups diced veggies  (I used 1/2 onion, 1/2 red pepper, 2 carrots, 1 small sweet potato, 3 or 4 mushrooms)
2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups milk+
1 cup+ diced ham
1/3 cup frozen peas
About 1 to 1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 egg (break into a dish; mix with a fork & then pour out about half)
Paprika

1. Drizzle a Dutch oven with olive oil set on medium heat. Add diced veggies, except for mushrooms, and saute' until onions are tender. 
2. Add mushrooms and continue to sauté for l or 2 minutes. Then turn heat to low, add lid and allow the veggies to steam for a few minutes until all are tender.
3. Return heat to medium. Add butter to veggies and stir to melt. Then add flour and seasonings and cook for a minute or two.
4. Slowly stir in milk and allow mixture to thicken; add additional milk if sauce becomes too thick. Taste mixture and add additional seasonings if needed.
5. Add ham and frozen peas to sauce.
6. Pour mixture into a casserole/baking dish.
7. Add 1/2 egg to mashed potatoes and stir to combine.
8. Spread mashed potato mixture over filling in casserole; sprinkle with paprika.
9. Bake at 375° for about 20 minutes or until casserole is hot and bubbly.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad – creamy and packed with flavor

For years we’ve been making Roasted Potato Salad using either red or white potatoes so when Barry ran across a similar recipe that uses sweet potatoes, he just had to give it a try.

He made a few adjustments to the original recipe that can be found on the Better Homes and Gardens website. It's yummy!

Creamy roasted sweet potato salad.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

4 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 ½ lbs.), peeled and coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped

2 to 3 tablespoons pickled yellow peppers slices, or jarred red peppers, diced -- optional

3 green onions chopped

About 1 tablespoon dried dill weed or ¼ cup chopped fresh dill

⅓ cup mayonnaise

⅓ cup soup cream or plain Greek yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. In a large bowl combine potatoes and oil. Season with salt, and pepper. Roast for 18 minutes or until just tender but still hold their shape. Remove.
3. Return potatoes to large bowl. Drizzle with vinegar; stir to coat. Cool completely.
4. Add eggs, peppers, green onions, and dill.
   
5. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise and sour cream/yogurt. Pour over mixture; toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Make Ahead How To: Assemble salad; prepare dressing separately. Cover; refrigerate up to 24 hours. Toss salad with dressing before serving.

Recipe without photos . . .

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad 

4 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 ½ lbs.), peeled and coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped

2 to 3 tablespoons pickled yellow peppers slices, or jarred red peppers, diced -- optional

3 green onions chopped 

About 1 tablespoon dried dill weed or ¼ cup chopped fresh dill 

⅓ cup mayonnaise

⅓ cup soup cream or plain Greek yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. In a large bowl combine potatoes and oil. Season with salt, and pepper. Roast for 18 minutes or until just tender but still hold their shape. Remove.
3. Return potatoes to large bowl. Drizzle with vinegar; stir to coat. Cool completely.
4. Add eggs, peppers, green onions, and dill.
5. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise and sour cream/yogurt. Pour over mixture; toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Make Ahead How To: Assemble salad; prepare dressing separately. Cover; refrigerate up to 24 hours. Toss salad with dressing before serving.

Double the Flavor—Twice Baked Potato stuffed with sweet potato filling

Baked Russet Potato + Baked Sweet Potato = Calorie-conscious stuffed potato with twice the flavor that loaded with nutrients! Inspired by a combo baked potato prepared by Joan Thayer, I simply baked two potatoes (one russet, one sweet potato, cut each in half, scooping out and then mashing the insides with a little milk, a drizzle of olive oil and seasoned salt. Definitely a tasty combination, and a healthy side dish.

Twice Baked Potato stuffed with sweet potato filling    Makes 2 servings

1 russet potato

1 sweet potato

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Milk

1. Preheat the oven to 375-400°.
2. Place potatoes on a baking sheet; Pierce each potato in a few spots with a fork. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt.
   
3. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until cooked through (time will vary based on size of potato). Remove potatoes from the oven, and cool.
4. Cut russet potato in half and scoop out both halves to make a canoe-like shape. Remove outer skin of sweet potato.
   
5. Place insides of both potatoes in a mixing bowl, add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and white pepper to taste. Whip and taste and add more milk, olive oil and seasonings as needed.
6. Refill the shells with the potato mixture, mounding it slightly. At this point the potatoes can go into the oven for their second baking, or they can be set aside and then baked, for the second time, later. Potatoes can be baked for the second time now, or refrigerate and bake later if preferred.
   
7. Set the potatoes  on a baking sheet, and bake at 350° until heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe without photos . . .

Twice Baked Potato stuffed with sweet potato filling    Makes 2 servings

1 russet potato

1 sweet potato

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Milk

1. Preheat the oven to 375-400°.
2. Place potatoes on a baking sheet; Pierce each potato in a few spots with a fork. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt.
3. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until cooked through (time will vary based on size of potato). Remove potatoes from the oven, and cool.
4. Cut russet potato in half and scoop out both halves to make a canoe-like shape. Remove outer skin of sweet potato.
5. Place insides of both potatoes in a mixing bowl, add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and white pepper to taste. Whip and taste and add more milk, olive oil and seasonings as needed.
6. Refill the shells with the potato mixture, mounding it slightly. At this point the potatoes can go into the oven for their second baking, or they can be set aside and then baked, for the second time, later. Potatoes can be baked for the second time now, or refrigerate and bake later if preferred.
7. Set the potatoes on a baking sheet, and bake at 350° until heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.