Sweet Potato Casserole

Another Epicurious recipe which I pulled out for Mormon med student dinner when I needed to make a vegetable side. Not truly a casserole, this is more accurately described as just twice-baked mashed sweet potato. This was easy, straight-forward, and good as far as sweet potatoes go. I, like the author of the recipe, like the simplicity of the recipe. No mini marshmallows, just the potatoes and a little orange juice*.

Original recipe here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sweet-Potato-Casserole-350516

Ingredients:

3 cups firmly packed unseasoned mashed sweet potatoes (about 3 pounds)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Directions:

1. Pierce each sweet potato with a sharp-pronged kitchen fork, set on a baking sheet, then bake on the middle oven shelf for about 1 hour at 400° F. or until you can pierce a potato easily with a fork.

2. Cool the potatoes to room temperature, peel, then mash until light and fluffy.

3. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter a 2-quart casserole and set aside.

4. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, beating until smooth. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed.

5. Scoop into the casserole, spreading to the edge and roughing the surface. Bake uncovered on the middle oven shelf for about 45 minutes or until tipped with brown.

6. Serve hot as an accompaniment to roast turkey, chicken, or pork. Good, too, with pork chops.

We ate these with pork chops and Caeser salad and rice pilaf and had was a lovely meal.

*Unlike most recipes, I actually followed most of the instructions exactly as is with this recipe. Except.... I substituted orange-peach-mango juice for the OJ! Just for a little kick, you know. And because it's what I had on hand. And that little move got universally approved. So feel free to experiment yourself.

Potato-Apple Pancakes

From Epicurious. First the original recipe, then my modifications:

Ingredients:

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, peeled, quartered
1 2-inch cube peeled celery root (celeriac)
1 medium Granny Smith apple (unpeeled), quartered, cored
1 large egg
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour

Vegetable oil (for frying)

Garnish

1 8-ounce container crème fraîche or sour cream
2 tablespoons drained prepared white horseradish
8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
Chopped fresh chives

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place baking sheet in oven. Place colander in large bowl. Line colander with kitchen towel. Using processor fitted with shredding blade, coarsely grate potatoes, onion, celery root and apple at the same time. Transfer potato mixture to towel. Gather towel tightly around potato mixture and squeeze out as much liquid as possible into bowl; discard liquid. Place potato mixture, egg, green onion, marjoram, salt and pepper in same bowl; toss to blend. Mix in flour.

Pour enough vegetable oil into heavy large skillet to cover bottom. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, drop 1/4 cup pancake mixture into skillet for each pancake. Using bottom of metal spatula, flatten each mound to 3-inch round. Fry until cooked through and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer pancakes to baking sheet in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining pancake mixture, leaving behind any liquid that collects in bottom of bowl.

Mix crème fraîche and horseradish in small bowl. Arrange 2 pancakes on each plate. Garnish pancakes with dollop of horseradish cream and smoked salmon. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Potato-Apple-Pancakes-with-Smoked-Salmon-and-Horseradish-102616#ixzz0kH1q6Yqh

Hmmmm, let's see, I:

Used 3 large russet potatoes
1/2 one large onion
Omitted the celery root (like virtually all the reviewers)
1 large fuji apple
2 large eggs
Omitted the green onion and the marjoram
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Added some various spices

I also did not make the garnish. I served these with cherry salsa and sour cream at an Easter dinner and they were well received! Not my favorite ever, but a good exercise in using what I already had to make something new.

Note, I think these cook better with less oil in the pan than with more.