Sweet potato croquettes and taking risks on Thanksgiving

It’s during this time of year that we all start to get a little high on the blood pressure when it comes to planning the Thanksgiving meal. I know of friends that plan weeks ahead of time and channel their inner Martha Stewart for hosting inspiration. Others will make things on-the-fly and decide the day before what the menu will be (yes, the day before!). And of course, some of those last-minute folks will present a show-stopping meal that puts those Martha Stewart groupies to shame.

Where do you lie on the scale of planning & hosting? We’re somewhere in the middle, with plenty of risk taking sprinkled on top.

Yes, we’ll have our stand-by favorites of potatoes-au-gratin, rib-eye steaks and roast turkey. Toss in the Vietnamese side of the family’s noodles with fish sauce with grilled pork and what you have is an un-conventional yet somewhat traditional Turkey day. It’s a feast for the open-minded and food loving eaters.

But it’s not to say that our menu is always filled with the same cast of characters. Every year we like to take some risks for the food show and throw in a few dishes that we’ll decide on-the-fly or something that is completely new and out of the ordinary. Thanksgiving is so much more fun when you take risks in the kitchen.

This year is going to be the year of the sweet potato. We rarely add a sweet potato dish to the spread because Todd’s creamy potatoes-au-gratin is such a hit, no one dares to take him on with a competing root dish. Besides, I don’t think anyone wants to eat any other potato than “Todd’s potatoes”. Or in my Mother’s way of saying it, “Tott’s dewicious potato”. She still can’t pronounce his name right after 17 years!

I’m taking a risk this year and throwing in a new potato to the ring. There won’t be a battle because my potato dish will be of sweet potatoes and it’ll be different. Yup, what ever it is, it’ll be different and “dewicious”.

Now that I know I want to have a sweet potato dish, what recipe is it going to be?

My inspiration and perfectly timed answer came from a lovely new cookbook from author Lorna Yee, The Everyday Wok Cookbook.

Now wait, I wasn’t expecting to find Thanksgiving inspiration in a wok cookbook. Not at all. What I was expecting was to find were some great tips on how to cook with a wok and to find some classic Asian dishes that often are made better in a wok. This book certainly taught me so much about how to choose and how to season a wok. Done.

But beyond the traditional Chinese recipes, Lorna teaches you how to make some popular American dishes such as buttermilk fried chicken, mac-and-cheese and messy po’ boy sandwiches. Again, all made in a wok. Wow. She makes cooking with the wok so much fun and even if you don’t have a wok, the recipes are easy to make in a skillet and are all are so useful throughout the year.

As I started flipping the pages, I found some incredible Thanksgiving and Holiday-perfect recipes such as creamed spinach with parmesan, marsala glazed mushrooms, roasted fingerling potatoes with bacon and greens, and slow cooked collard greens. I was not expecting all these recipes in the least bit. What a pleasant surprise.

And best of all, I found my prize dish to take my Thanksgiving-risk to the table—sweet potato croquettes! These are perfect for my turkey day contribution. It’s made from mashed sweet potato, salty pancetta, hints of fresh sage and then coated in panko bread crumbs and fried to a crisp. Say that ten times fast.

How can anyone NOT want to eat one of these sweet potato croquettes? I’m certain Todd will have to take me seriously now when it comes to contributing a dish to rival his potatoes-au-gratin. It’s all friendly, uh….. competition here.

Move over potatoes-au-gratin and make room for these perfectly crispy, slightly-savory, sweet potato croquettes. No fear here for Thanksgiving. So, take that.

I’m feeling a little dangerous and so should you.

hugs,

diane

Yield: Serves 6

Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes

Recipe from The Everyday Wok Cookbook by Lorna Yee and shared with permission from Sasquatch Books. The book and recipe chronicles the beautiful versatility of the wok, however don't let not having a wok keep you from making the recipes. They can easily be made in your favorite pans. Don't skip the chilling part after mixing the ingredients or else they will be difficult to handle. If you have to speed things up, use an ice cream scoop, and scoop out balls onto a plate and place in freezer for about 30 minutes or until firmer and easier to handle.

4 oz. (114g) Pancetta or Bacon, cut into 1/4" pieces3 cups (600g) cooked & mashed Yam or Sweet Potato2 Tablespoons (28g) Dark Brown Sugar2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh SageKosher Salt & fresh ground Black Pepper to taste1 Egg

For the Breading

2 Eggs2 1/2 cups (160g) PankoVegetable Oil for deep fryingFry the pancetta in a wok over medium heat until crisp and golden. Scoop out the pancetta with a slotted spoon and drain in a sieve over a mixing bowl. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of the drippings and discard the rest.To the drippings, add the yam, pancetta, brown sugar, sage, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the egg. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 4 hours before proceeding.After the mixture has chilled, scoop out heaping tablespoonfuls and roll them between your hands to form 1-inch balls. Place the balls on a lined baking sheet.To make the breading, in a shallow dish, beat the eggs until thoroughly liquid. Place the panko in a separate dish.Roll each ball first in the panko, then in the egg wash, then again in the panko, shaking off the excess panko and letting the excess egg wash drip off. Repeat until all the croquettes are coated.In a wok, heat 2 inches of oil over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium, or until the oil just maintains a simmer. Fry the croquettes in batches until golden brown, 1 or 2 minutes per side. Remove the croquettes with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

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Turkey and Mushroom Dumplings

Thanksgiving kind of snuck up on us this year, didn’t it? It seemed like only yesterday that we were carving pumpkins and planning Halloween costumes. Now it’s time to prepare oneself for a massive turkey-centric feast.

Earlier this week, to get into the Thanksgiving mood, I decided to make a big batch of turkey and mushroom dumplings. And when I make dumplings, I like to make a good number. I use up an entire back of 50-or-so dumpling wrappers and a pound of meat. While I wrap them, I put on a good podcast or catch up on a week’s worth of The Daily Show, and kind of zone out. The whole process is all very Zen.

While pork is often the default meat for Chinese dumplings, I find that turkey is a great option for somewhat lighter but still meaty dumplings. (They’re also great if you’re cooking for family or friends who don’t eat pork.) I also throw in a healthy amount of chopped shiitake mushrooms, which has a great umami-ness that pairs well with the flavor of the turkey.

You can serve these dumplings as a non-traditional Thanksgiving appetizer. Or if you’re trying to use up leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, substitute the ground turkey with an equal amount of juicy well-shredded dark turkey meat (which won’t dry up when you cook the dumplings like white turkey meat will.)

I ended up having these turkey dumplings for four consecutive meals. And I’m still looking forward to the big juicy bird for dinner next Thursday night. Which goes to show how much these dumplings, as non-traditional as they are, can get you in the mood for Thanksgiving.

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Turkey and Mushroom Dumplings

Makes 40 to 50 dumplings

10 to 12 dried shiitake mushrooms1 pound ground turkey (preferable not too lean), or finely shredded leftover cooked dark meat turkey2 tablespoons soy sauce1 pack store-bought round dumpling wrappers2 teaspoons sesame oil2 tablespoons vegetable oilSoak the shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes, until softened. Drain the shiitakes and squeeze out the excess water. Finely chop.In a large bowl, mix together the chopped shittake mushrooms, turkey, soy sauce, and sesame oil. The turkey filling should be a bit moist but not too wet.If you’re just starting out with dumpling folding, follow this step-by-step guide that shows a basic method with 3 pleats per dumpling. If you’d like to work your way up to 5 pleats, start in the middle and do 3 pleats towards the middle from one direction and and 2 pleats toward the middle from the other. (See these photos for reference.)Pan-frying*: Have about 1/3 cup water, a large skillet, and a lid for the skillet handy. Heat the skillet with the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over high heat and swirl the oil around the pan. Wait about 1 minute for the oil to heat up. (You can also use a small piece of extra dumpling wrapper or piece of bread to test whether the pan is hot enough; it should sizzle immediately upon being placed in the pan.)  Once the pan is hot, place the number of dumplings you want to cook smooth side down in the pan. Allow them to sear for about 1 minute, until the bottoms turn golden brown.Add the water, cover immediately with a lid, and let the dumplings steam for another 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover the lid to allow any extra water to evaporate before turning off the heat.  Loosen the dumplings with a spatula and transfer them to a plate. (Whatever you don’t cook can be frozen for later. Dumplings can be put on the pan frozen, no defrosting required. Just add one extra minute of steaming.)Transfer to serving plates, and serve with alone or with soy sauce.

*Note: To boil the dumplings instead, bring a pot of water to boil. Add dumplings and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain well.

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Tagged as: Appetizers, Chinese, Dumplings, Recipes, Turkey

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Almost there....

I’ve been receiving several emails from you wondering when, or even if, I’m ever going to come back to Just Hungry.

I just wanted to reassure you that I am. I am finally feeling well enough to start cooking again - something that is pretty critical for a food blog.

It has been a very long haul, and there were times when I thought I would never be able to come back to food blogging, especially during and after my radiation therapy, which completely zapped my energy and my appetite. I have to admit that I got very depressed at times at the prospect of never regaining the urge to cook something interesting, or come up with a new recipe, ever again.

But I do feel that my cooking mojo is coming back now. It helps a lot that I finally have a working kitchen, which I may show you on these pages later.

I may have some issues to deal with. For instance, due to my lack of updates I may lose some of the advertising that helps to fund this site as well as Just Bento If that happens I’ll have to rethink my hosting situation and so on. I do hope my advertisers do not leave me, but - well, we shall see.

I’ve also been trying to update the software that runs this site, but I have decided that that has to wait until I’ve reached a higher level of energy so to speak. (Fiddling with software is tough.) The writing is what ‘s most important after all.

So, please stay tuned and I’ll be back very, very soon. ^_^

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Turkey Avocado Spring Rolls w/ Hoisin Peanut Dip

Hope you all had fulfilling Thanksgiving. The food coming out of your kitchens must have been incredible. And for those to didn’t cook, hopefully your gathering was wonderful. Because that’s what it’s all about, the little things, the gathering and the celebration of togetherness.

We’re really grateful to everyone here, each and every one of you. We truly mean every word.

Weather down here is much warmer than normal. While many of you were experiencing snow and cold, we had sunny day with plenty of sunshine. There’s times when we wish we had a sprinkling of snow to kick start the Holiday season, but when we realize that we don’t have to shovel our cars out of the driveway, it seems pretty lucky to be down here.

Snow weather might not be the best for the pups either, particularly Lexi. She’s a warm weather gal and being able to romp around in the garden during her first Thanksgiving has probably ruined her for life. If it were to snow and bury all her outside toys, she’s probably cry for days. Without a doubt, she’s a spoiled puppy in more ways then we can count.

The garden is really starting to welcome Autumn. Leaves are starting to drift off the branches in big batches of yellow and red colors. Our garden is a true Southern California garden when you can see the green lawn dusted with orange pomegranate leaves. Our patches of green space aren’t exactly the perfect green suburban lawns. They’re more like a mesh of wild weeds and dichondra all mowed down to their lowest point. But it’s the perfect play area for two rambunctious dogs to tackle one another.

Now that the big eating eating day is over, many of you are probably just waking out of a food coma. Join the club. Next thing on our agenda is to hit our juicer up for some green kale/apple/carrot juice for the next few days. For us, post-Thanksgiving meals are always about eating lighter and greener. That’s why our newest kitchen toy helps us make the days after Turkey day more guilt free. But more on the juicer later!

A favorite meal we often make from all the leftover turkey is fresh spring rolls. It’s one of those left over meals that’s light, super fresh and spiritually uplifting for those who totally crashed the carbs on Thanksgiving. Raise your hand if you totally carb-butter-sugar loaded. Again, join the club!

The joy in eating these spring rolls is that the recipe is adaptable to everyone’s taste. If you prefer to have different vegetables such as red bell pepper or sliced celery, then you can certainly mix up the inside trimmings. And believe it or not, there are people in this world who do not like avocado (shame on you!) so by all means, eliminate the creamy green beast.

Honestly, even without the avocado, these spring rolls have enough flavor and texture in them to please a crowed. What’s even more flexible is the hoisin dip. Though we used peanut butter, you can certainly use almond butter or cashew butter. Each of the nut butters brings out a unique flavor and texture. So don’t feel like you have to commit to the same dip every single time.

Enjoy the rest of your week and if you’re one of those crazy folks who dares all the Black Friday sales, please be careful. Shop safe!

hugs,

diane and todd

-Complete list of spring roll recipes here.

-Here’s the latest photo tutorial on on how to roll spring rolls.

This is my standby spring roll that I eat year round, not just after Thanksgiving. I'll buy some nice deli carved turkey breast and make these rolls when the craving calls. For the dip, you can certainly be flexible and use peanut butter, almond butter or even cashew butter. The variety of nut flavors makes the dips really exciting when you want a change.

Here's the latest photo tutorial on on how to roll spring rolls.

Fresh carved Turkey meat, torn in small this strips1 large ripe avocado, cut into small slices1 large carrot, thin julienne cuts ( like match sticks)Strips of cucumber, red bell pepper, jicama (optional)fresh basil, mint or other herbsfresh lettuce, chopped or torn in small piecesrice paper for rolling1/4 cup of hoisin (each brand has a different thickness consistency. So add water if needed to make the dip texture to taste)2 heaping tablespoons of peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter.1 teaspoon of rice vinegar1/2 teaspoon sesame oilFor the hoisin peanut dip: In medium bowl, combine all dip ingredients together. Use a fork to help blend well.For the rolls, gather all the ingredients together and get your rolling surface ready.

Here's the latest photo tutorial on how to roll spring rolls.

Click on the link above for a helpful tutorial with photographs showing the step by step method. Lay your lettuce first on the soft spring roll wrapper, then add the strips of turkey, herbs, avocado and vegetables. Roll and serve with hoisin dip. Enjoy!

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Gabrielle’s Winter Tomato and Corn Soup

Last week in writing about my confessions of coffee snobbery got me thinking about food snobbery in general. You know what I mean; “If it’s not seasonal, local, and organic then it’s not going on my table”,  or the “fast food… forget about it” crowd,  (unless it is from a fast food chain that has a cult following and then it is ok).

Then there is the tamed down version of a food snob, a foodie. Another title which not long ago many wore as a badge of honor yet over the last couple years has sullied into a term most of us would prefer not be labeled. It doesn’t carry the same “holier than thou” connotation as a food snob, but its minions have managed to tarnish the usage in the general public’s eye.

Check out urban dictionary for foodie and the first entry you get sounds kind of appealing: “A person that spends a keen amount of attention and energy on knowing the ingredients of food, the proper preparation of food, and finds great enjoyment in top-notch ingredients and exemplary preparation.” But that entry was from back in 2006, nearly a century ago in today’s digital age. Think about it, Myspace was THE Thing back then.

Second entry for foodie in urban dictionary is a bit more modern, “A douchebag who likes food.” Ouch.

However all of this focus on food and its qualities in our recent history has been a great thing. Farmers markets are thriving, the populace in general has an increased awareness in their food, where it comes from, and in its quality. American restaurants and cuisine is no longer the laughing stock of the rest of the world. Things of the past which were feared nearly lost; home gardens, canning, curing meats are now not only no longer at risk of being forgotten, they are cool to do. Nothing like buying a slab of pork belly and making your own bacon for a little bad-ass recognition around the water cooler.

We all are a part if it, one way or another. From those who are embarrassingly fanatical to the impassive home gardener. Together we influence the food culture surrounding us, from our home kitchens, to our markets, to the farmers’ fields. Where do you stand in the food cycle?

For Diane and me, it seems hard to define in words. We’re massive garden geeks, building our garden around most things edible. We’d rather spend a Friday night making puff pastry or doing a roast than hitting the clubs (God we are getting old-although we did that in our 20's so go figure). We can appreciate the artistry behind a 3 star restaurant but more often hit up a well-ran gastropub, and we are more than happy with the occasional Shake Shack or other burger run.

Even with us growing so much of our own food and having amazing farmers’ markets surrounding us nearly all week long, we still have a pantry stocked with a few nice canned goods to supplement our own summertime canning. There are times when you come home and want something quick and uncomplicated. And fixing up a meal from canned ingredients doesn’t automatically make you a Sandra Lee.

Anytime I think about the subject of canned foods, a particular friend comes to mind.

Her name was Gabrielle. An amazing artist, world traveler, and a kind soul. She was living on a houseboat and when Diane and I were in her area, she invited us over for an afternoon chat. We settled into the cozy cushions in the “living room” while she effortlessly made a quick soup using canned tomatoes and creamed corn. Served with a crust loaf of bread while the salty, cool ocean air wrapped around our senses and it was one of those perfect meals you never forget.

This incredible soup was humble, deeply satisfying and truly made from the heart. That’s what good food is about, nurturing what you have on hand, made with love and from the heart.

Even though is has probably been over a decade since we’ve seen Gabrielle, there isn’t a time when we have the soup in which we don’t think of her. And for us, a meal from a can will never automatically carry a negative connotation.

-todd

Yield: Serves 4-6

Total Time: 15 min

Serve with your favorite bread or crackers. This makes a great cool weather, quick hearty meal.

1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes, if you use salt-free then add salt to taste1 (10 oz) can creamed corn1 cup skim or low fat milk1/2 medium onion, minced3 cloves garlic, minced2 Tablespoons olive oilabout 3-4 green onion stalks, choppedadditional salt and pepper to tasteHeat medium pot, add olive oil. Once oil is hot, add onion and garlic and cook until transluscent.Add canned tomatoes. Cook for about 3 minutes until combined well with onion/garlic mixture.Add canned creamed corn and milk. Stir to combine evenly, then slowly bring to boil.Reduce heat, add green onions and salt/pepper to taste.Cook for about 5 minutes until soup is combined well.Serve warm with your favorite bread or crackers.

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