Pear and Sweet Potato Latkes

Let me just say that this recipe is delicious! I figured it would be good, considering I love potatoes, but it was better than I thought! I saw a photo of the completed dish from one of my twitter followers and asked for the recipe. I'm happy to say I was given the recipe and made it this week. I'd like to try it again but bake the latkes instead of frying them. I paired my latkes with sour cream and a homemade spicy berry compote. I ate the leftovers for breakfast with fried eggs.  Enjoy! 

Pear and Sweet Potato Latkes

1 1/2 pound (about 2 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled and grated
1 large firm pear, grated
2 tablespoons grated onion
2 large eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour or matzo meal
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Canola oil, for frying
Greek yogurt or sour cream, for serving
Method:

Place potatoes in the center of a kitchen towel, gather up the edges, and twist the towel to remove excess moisture. In a large bowl, stir together potatoes, pear, onion and eggs. Sprinkle with flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and toss again.

Pour oil to a depth of about 1/8 inch into a large skillet and set over medium heat until hot. Working in batches and not overcrowding the pan, drop potato mixture by rounded tablespoons into the skillet and press down very gently to form small pancakes. Cook until browned on the bottom and potato begins to firm, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook until the other side is browned and potatoes are cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer with a slotted spatula to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Serve warm with yogurt on the side.

Click Here To See The Original Recipe!

Pumpkin Cranberry Soup

I was recently invited to a pumpkin recipe showdown party. Each guest had to make a dish where pumpkin was the main ingredient. It didn't matter if the dish was sweet or savory. All that mattered was that pumpkin was the star. Now, pumpkin is one of my favorite flavors- no matter what time of year it is. I knew what I wanted to put in the soup so I got to work creating my own recipe. I made a starter batch of soup the week before the event and taste tested various topping combinations. From sage to whisky mushroom and finally a cranberry rosemary sauce, I found my soup! I even went home the winner as most of the guests proclaimed my recipe their favorite!

Pumpkin Cranberry Soup

1 Large Yellow Onion
1 Large Sweet Potato ( about 2-3 cups) peeled and diced small
1-2 Red potatoes- peeled and diced small
5 Cups Chicken Stock
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt with an extra pinch if needed.
Pepper to taste
1 28oz Can of Pumpkin
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
2 Teaspoons Nutmeg
1-2 Garlic Cloves
2/3 Cup Homemade Cranberry Rosemary Sauce- recipe below
1/2 Tablespoon, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
Chili Oil for garnish
1 Package Prosciutto, cooked and crumbled. 

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large dutch oven. Saute onion and potatoes until potatoes start to soften. Add in salt, pepper, spices, garlic and herbs. Stir to incorporate. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and cook until potatoes are completely cooked. Use an immersion to puree this mixture. Add in Pumpkin and stir to blend. Add in the remainder of the chicken stock- stirring to incorporate it. (I just used my immersion blender) Taste- add any additional spices if necessary. Be careful when the soup starts to boil it will create a mess. Stir in 2/3 cups Cranberry Sauce. Stir to incorporate. Add in ½ cup heavy cream. Heat through and serve. Top each bowl of soup with a little chili oil, cranberry sauce, crispy prosciutto and fresh thyme. Enjoy!

Cranberry Rosemary Sauce
1 Bag of Cranberries
1 Cup Water
½ Cup Sugar- maybe more is the sauce is too tart.
2 large Sprigs of fresh rosemary finely chopped

Combine water, cranberry, rosemary and sugar in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Allow to cook until all of the cranberries begin to burst. Mixture will naturally thicken.

Chili Oil
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1/3 Cup Dried Chili Flakes

Heat the oils in a saucepan over medium heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 225-250° F (about 5 minutes). Stir in the chili flakes, remove from the heat and set aside for 2-8 hours.

Strain through a fine mesh strainer and store, covered, in the refrigerator. Keeps for several weeks.

Here are all of the other dishes that my friends made for the pumpkin recipe showdown party. Enjoy!

Shrimp Old Bay Stir Fry

When I'm looking for a quick and easy dinner/lunch a favorite go-to for me is my Old Bay Stir Fry. I created this recipe as a play on a dish I had at a work event. It's quick, easy and very adaptable. I've only made mine with onion, zucchini and carrots but any vegetable will work nicely. I LOVE shrimp so it's my favorite protein in this dish. I have used chicken and it was good but I still prefer using shrimp.

Shrimp Old Bay Stir Fry
Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, Diced
1 Large Zucchini, Diced
3 Large Carrots, Diced
1 Lb Shrimp, Peeled.
Old Bay, to taste
Juice of Half a Lemon

Start by heating olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute carrots, zucchini and onions until vegetables are starting to soften- about 5 minutes.  Add peeled shrimp to the skillet and cook through. Add Old Bay to taste. I'm from Baltimore so there is no such thing as too much Old Bay. Stir to combine. Add juice of half a lemon and cook until the juice is evaporated. Make sure to scrap any bits from the bottom of the pan. Serve and Enjoy!

I usually get 2-4 servings out of this. It depends on how hungry I am and if I pair this with anything else.