Turmeric and Ginger Sweet Potatoes

I love potatoes. Who doesn’t love potatoes? And what I really love are sweet potatoes. The bright orange delicious ones.I was inspired by Gina of So…Let’s Hang Out and these Turmeric Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Parsley Tahini Sauce. Sadly, when I was meal planning I did NOT check the weather, and it was way too hot to turn on the oven the day I decided to make these.  So, I improvised and went with big slices of potato that could be cooked on the grill. Also, I only have whole cloves in my pantry and was feeling a bit too lazy to grind them up (on a Tuesday, forgive me!). So I tossed slices of yams with coconut oil, ginger, turmeric, salt and pepper, and threw them on the grill with some asparagus and fish. So delicious! Honestly might be my new favorite way to cook potatoes. Such a great combination of sweet, salty and earthy. Thanks Gina for the inspiration! One note: if your potatoes are cold out of the fridge, the coconut oil will harden as you toss it with the cold potatoes. Nothing wrong with this, but it does make it harder to evenly distribute the oil and spices.Of course, if it is not 80 degrees at 8 pm at your house, feel free to cube the potatoes and roast them in a 400 degree oven.I did make the Parsley Tahini Sauce, but honestly I didn’t think the potatoes needed it. They were just so good on their own. However, it was a nice addition to the salmon and asparagus, so all in all a good endeavor.

Grilled Turmeric and Ginger Sweet Potatoes

• Servings: 2
• Time: 20 min
• Difficulty: Easy
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INGREDIENTS

• Approximately 3 sweet potatoes or yams sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 3 Tbs. coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Toss all of the ingredients together, and lay out on a perforated pan for your grill. Cook the potatoes for approximately 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

The message that I hope to convey to you with this post is to be inspired, and never feel held back by the circumstances of your kitchen. Don’t have a spice or an herb? Substitute another! Too hot to cook something you were dying to try? Take it outside! Don’t have a grill? See if you can pan sear or broil whatever it is that inspires you.

I’d love to hear about how you make substitutions in a pinch.

A hot soup for a cold day

I knew it was going to be rainy this week, so I have had soup on the brain.  Randy and I biked to the farmer’s market yesterday where I saw lovely bunches of kale and leeks. I was reminded of this soup we made in a cooking class with The Opera Singing Chef that used kale and potatoes.   I also have a freezer full of turkey stock from Thanksgiving that I thought could give an additional layer of flavor to the soup taking place in my mind. I grabbed the kale and leeks, and told Randy we needed to get some sausage and potatoes at Henry’s on the way home. I was planning on getting spicy Italian turkey sausage, but was in a hurry to beat the rain and they only had an andouille sausage.

Turned out to be the perfect night to cook up a big pot of soup.  With the pouring rain and roaring wind outside, it was nice to steam up the windows with a spicy, comforting soup.

The andouille sausage worked perfectly, and gave a nice bite to the soup. Next time I think I will take out about half of the potato and broth and blend it to make the soup a bit thicker.

Recipe: Potato Soup with Spicy Sausage, Leeks and Kale

• Olive oil
• 3 Andouille Sausage links, sliced
• 1 large leek, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 c turkey broth
• 6 c water
• 3 large potatoes
• 2 c chopped kale, washed and center rib removed

Swirl oil in the bottom of a stockpot over medium heat. Toss in sliced sausage and brown. Add shallot and saute 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and saute an additional minute.  Add water and broth and bring to a boil.  Toss in potatoes and simmer until tender.  Add the chopped kale and simmer about 15 minutes more.

Tastes really good with a piece of garlic bread for dipping.

Enjoy!