Beyond Thanksgiving

Like I have mentioned before, there are so many foods out there packed with nutrition that just aren't even talked about or used. Today's little lesson in food is the seldom-used sweet potato. I am not quite sure why, but this little nutritional powerhouse is usually only featured during Thanksgiving. I , myself, am new to the sweet potato world as I was ruined as a child, only believing that these were used in that hideous casserole with brown sugar and little marshmallows baked on top, usually having the consistency of baby food. Well, my dear friends, this isn't just for Thanksgiving anymore! Check out these stats: In one half cup of sweet potatoes, roughly 4 oz, you are supplied with 2 g protein, 3.4 g fiber, 24.6 mg of C, 28 mg Calcium, 22.6 mcg folic acid, 20 mg magnesium, 348 mg potassium and tons of Vitamin A! Why are we not using these! For me, knowing how to use them was the key! They are simply delicious and I cannot get enough of them. You can cook them just like a potato and even eat them raw. There are usually two types out there in the stores, the oranger one and the yellow one. Contrary to U.S. beliefs, one is not a yam, they are both sweet potatoes. The U.S. doesn't have yams. I like the orange one for eating raw and the yellow ones to cook with. You can shred them in salads for a little color and sweet crunch. I made some roasted sweet potatoes last night in a delicious little seasoning. Try these out. Your kids will never know they are anything but regular potatoes. This marinade is delicious on plain potatoes also and you can use these potatoes in breakfast burritos and even enchiladas with black beans! It is so easy to make:

Roasted Southwest Sweet Potatoes

2 Large Yellow Sweet Potatoes

2 T. Ketchup

2 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Chili Powder

2 tsp. Cumin

Mix sauce together, peel and cut Sweet potatoes in 1/2 inch cubes. Toss sweet potato in sauce. Spread some oil on bottom of cookie sheet, just enough to cover and spread out potatoes. Bake at 4oo for about 20 min or until tender, turning once at half time. Then, put oven on broil at 500 and cook potatoes until a bit crispy. This won't take too long. Enjoy! Don't let them get mushy! These have so much flavor and are a huge crowd pleaser.

Featured Food of the Week

As resident family chefs, it is very easy for us homemakers to get stuck using the same ingredients over and over, not venturing out to try new things. I am hoping that with this weekly section, I will help introduce you to a new food that is nutritious and tasty for your family. I will tell you a bit about it then tell you how to cook it and give you a recipe. I hope that this will help broaden your recipe portfolio and help give you a little education about what foods there are out there.

This is my first week and I thought I would start with the PERUANO BEAN since I just listed a Mexican recipe. We all know that beans are high in protein and a great food source for us all. When beans are combined with corn, such as a corn tortilla, it becomes a complete protein.Most kids will eat them which also makes this a plus. I was introduced to this bean by my mother-in-law about a year ago and it quickly became my substitute for the regular pinto. It is a yellowish bean on the outside but cooks up to a lighter version of the pinto. It is very creamy and even a little sweet. It is great to use in any form just like the pinto. It absorbs flavors very easily so it is great in Mexican food. It comes from Mexico and has been there most popular bean since 2005.
Now, if you are not a "bean cooker", you need to get on it. Beans are so good for you and so easy to cook with. I cook beans regularly and use my pressure cooker as I can finish them in about 45 minutes unsoaked or about 20 mn presoaked. If you don't own a pressure cooker (Which you really need to consider), you can cook them just like a pinto:

SOAKED METHOD

Rinse beans, cover with twice as much water and

soak overnight. Dump water, rinse and cover again

with twice as much water. Bring to boil then simmer

until soft. About an hour. This just depends oh how

long they have soaked. Salt and pepper after you

cook them. Salting before will increase cooking time.

If you do not soak them, Rinse and cover then cook

as above but cooking time will be around 3 hours.