Japanese Sweet Potatoes to PERFECTION; Bonus recipes - Cake and Caramel

We have some friends who taught us how to make sweet potatoes the very BEST way without adding anything to it and I can not go back to eating them any other way.  Do yourself a favor and try these out - you WON'T be sorry!!!

This can be done with any type of sweet potatoes but the japanese sweet potatoes come out like pound cake 😋  This works best in an Instant Pot but if you only have a steamer pot, that is fine too.

Sweet Potatoes to PERFECTION

4 or more japanese sweet potatoes, or any kind
Instant pot or steamer pot
9x9 square casserole dish

Peel and rinse sweet potatoes.  Place in an instant pot on the rack that comes with the pot.

Add a cup to a cup and a half of water to the pot.  Set it on manual for 16 minutes (assuming these are roughly 3 inches thick.  If they are small or skinny go with 13).

Preheat oven to 375.

When the instant pot is done, carefully remove the potatoes and place them in the casserole dish.  Pour the water from the pot into the dish.  Bake in the oven for an hour.

After an hour the sweet potatoes should be lightly browned.  This is the delicious caramelized outside.  As you allow them to cool the liquid gels up slightly and makes a nice glaze for the potatoes.

Sweet Potato Caramel

You could use more like 2 cups of water, use 1 cup for the baking process and reserve the other cup to make a Sweet Potato Caramel.  Just pour it into a small pot and cook on low until thick.  You can use this on desserts or as a sweetner for a hot beverage.

Sweet Potato Cakes

When you have leftover sweet potatoes, the best way to reheat them is in the air fryer or oven.  Just mash it down into a patty and place it on parchment paper in the air fryer for 8 minutes on 370.  You can flip and toast the other side for a few minutes if you want but it's not necessary.  In the oven, it should take 20 minutes on 400.

Sesame Cauliflower

We love asian food so when I found this recipe by Chocolate Covered Katie (chocolatecoveredkatie.com) I had to try it!  We had it on brown rice and it was delish!

Incredible Health tip:
Why eat cauliflower?  For one, just one serving (1 c) has 100% of your vitamin C!  Also a quarter of your vitamin K, which could help prevent mineralization where minerals build up in the arteries - a major risk factor for heart disease.  Cauliflower has glucosinolates which may help prevent cancer by protecting cells from damage and has anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial effects.  All good things!

Sesame Cauliflower

Serves 3-4

1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari
1/4 c maple syrup, honey or agave
1/4 c rice vinegar
1 TB minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp roasted sesame ooil
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1 1/2 TB cornstarch or arrowroot
1/4 c water
sesame seeds and scallions, for garnish

Preheat oven to 450.  Line baking sheet with parchment or silpat mat.  Arrange cauliflower florets on pan and bake for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile whisk together the soy sauce, sweetener, vinegar, garlic, sesame oil and ginger in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  While waiting stir together the cornstarch and water until dissolved.  Slowly whisk this into the saucepan as soon as it boils.  Turn heat to medium and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently once it returns to a boil.  Cook until thick.  Flip cauliflower and bake an additional 10 minutes.  Add cauliflower to the sauce and stir until the cauliflower is covered.  Serve over brown rice or desired grain.

Crockpot Overnight Peach and Berry Oatmeal

I never liked oatmeal growing up.  It was slimy looking and soupy which gave me no desire to eat it.  It wasn't until I had Crockpot oatmeal that I discovered HOW to make oatmeal to taste like COBBLER!  The key is to cook it unto death.  With lots of fruit.  Even now, when I cook it in the microwave I add fruit and use less water so it all cooks into more like a cobbler, add some granola and a dash of creamer and it's like cobbler topping with ice cream.  FOR REALS!

Incredible Health tip:
Why should you eat oats?  Oats have high amounts of manganese, phosphorus, copper, B vitamins, iron, selenium, magnesium and zinc.  Why you should care about oats is because it's an excellent source of beta glucan which is a soluble fiber found to help lower cholesterol and blood sugar.  But it's a carb???  Not all carbs are created equal.  This is a carb you need.  It helps you stay full and satisfied.  It's already high in antioxidants but add some Boozer Farms peaches, blueberries or strawberries and you have a double whammy!

Crockpot Overnight Peach and Berry Oatmeal

*adapted from Fix it and Forget it Lightly cookbook
Makes 4 servings

2 c plant based milk (almond will give it a nutty flavor, soy is preferred in our home)
1/4 c brown sugar or maple sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 c old fashioned oats
1 c peaches, chopped
1/2 c blueberries
1/4 c chia seeds
1/4 c craisins, optional
1/4 c walnuts, optional
Granola for toppping
Sweet and Creamy Almond Creamer by Silk
                                                                                                                        (Similar to picture shown just in a crockpot and not quite as solidified)

I recommend using a crockpot liner for super fast cleanup.  Add all incredients to the pot except granola and creamer and combine.  Cover and cook on low overnight, ideally 6-8 hours.  Oatmeal is ready to eat in the morning!  Stir it up and have granola and creamer ready to add as toppings. 

Recipe Note:  Walnuts will do great in the oatmeal but other nuts tend to soften too much.  If you want to use any other nuts just have them out as a topping when you are ready to eat.  Blueberries tend to burst when cooked so, although it's still tasty, if you prefer to have it whole when you eat it, just have as a topping instead.  Strawberries hold up a little better.  This is also great with apples and pears in the fall with some pumpkin spices.

Lentil Bolognese over Spaghetti or Spaghetti Squash

This is a recipe I found in a magazine that used fennel.  I hadn't tried fennel before but was willing to try it for the delicious looking picture it offered.  Turns our fennel has a bit of a licorice flavor to it and I'm not a fan of licorice HOWEVER when added to lentls and a host of other seasonings it brings about a meaty flavor and when you are vegan trying to do a bolognese, this comes in handy!  So here you go - a meat free way to enjoy bolognese sauce AND use fennel.

Incredible Health tip:
Why would we want to use fennel??  For these awesome health benefits:  it's a great source of potassium, vitamin A, calcium, magnesium, vitamin K, manganese to name a few which all adds up to better bone health, heart health and lower blood pressure.  The selenium in fennel appears to stimulate killer T-cells which boosts immune function!  Who doesn't want that in the midst of a pandemic?

Lentil Bolognese over Spaghetti (or Spaghetti squash)

*adapted from recipe in People magazine 1/15/20
Serves 4

1 large (4 lb) spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
OR 1 lb spaghetti noodles cooked as directed
4 c vegetable broth
1 1/4 c dried black (beluga) lentils
1/3 c finely chopped fennel
1/3 c finely chopped carrot
1/3 c yellow onion
1/3 c red bell pepper
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper, optional

To prepare the squash:
If using the spaghetti squash, preheat oven to 350.  Place squash halves side down on a baking sheet and roast for 40-45 minutes.  Pierce the back of the squash to check to see if a knife can easily go through.  That is when it's done.  Remove from the oven and let cool cut side up for at least 15 minutes.  With a fork loosen the squash and scrape from the shell into a bowl.

To prepare the bolognese:
While squash or noodles are cooking prepare your sauce.  Bring vegetable broth and lentils to a boil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Reduce to medium low; stir once, simmer 25 minutes then drain.
In a large skillet over medium heat add fennel, carrot, onion, and bell pepper and cook until softened, around 8 minutes.  Add a little water or extra vegetable broth to keep the vegetables from sticking.  Add garlic and fennel seeds and cook stirring constantly for about 1 minute.  Stir in tomato sauce and salt and pepper.  Add the drained lentils, cover and cook over medium low until mixture thickens, about 45 minutes.  Remove lid and stir occassionally.

Ingredients note:  Black beluga lentils can be found easily on Amazon.  You may also find the Goya brand of black lentils in the mexican section of Walmart.