Baking Day

it's actually quite funny that most of what i am contributing to the wasti thanksgiving feast requires baking. i always claim i am a cook not a baker. good thing i have made both of these things before and i know i can do it!

today i am baking sweet potato biscuits with maple butter and mrs. dec's apple pie. tomorrow i will also be making green beans with caramelized shallots and bringing prosecco and pinot gris.

so, about those biscuits . . .

these are so good especially with the maple butter. yum! plus the maple butter is good on lots of things (waffles, pancakes, toast, corn bread, etc.) i adapted the recipe from cooking light. i cleaned it up a little bit by switching to whole wheat pastry flour and using agave instead of the sugar. these are worth making and the perfect addition to the thanksgiving table.

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Sweet Potato Biscuits
(makes 20-25 biscuits)

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbs cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 c pureed sweet potato, cooled
1/3 c skim milk
1 tbs agave nectar

preheat oven to 400 degrees.

combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk together.

cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles a coarse meal and the butter is the size of peas. (do not over cut or biscuits will become tough)

in a separate bowl, mix together sweet potato, milk, and agave.

add sweet potato mixture and mix until just moist.

turn dough onto a floured surface and knead, gently 4-5 times. roll dough out to about an inch thickness. cut with a 2" biscuit cutter. re-roll scraps and continue to cut biscuits.

place biscuits on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake at 400 for approximately 15 minutes or until top just starts to turn golden brown.

serve warm with maple butter.

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Maple Butter
(24 - 1 tsp servings)

6 tbs unsalted butter, softened
3 tbs pure maple syrup
1/8 tsp salt

combine all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. cover and chill until use. can be served chilled or let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes to soften. enjoy!

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i'm off to the gym before i tackle the apple pie! 

Carne Asada

E and i just had an awesome steak! this was an incredibly flavorful carne asada marinated skirt steak. i marinated it overnight in a lime, cilantro, garlic mixture that gave so much flavor to the skirt steak. every bite was bursting with lime-garlic flavor.

as a side, i served sauteed green beans (with just some olive oil, salt, and pepper) and leftover risotto. let me tell you, this meal was darn near perfect.

sorry for the short posts but its been busy around here. i will be cooking and baking tomorrow. i'll keep you posted about what i will be making for thanksgiving dinner. K, E's sister, has quite the menu planned.

i wish safe travels to all those who will be traveling tomorrow, the busiest travel day of the year! stay safe, be thankful, and enjoy your time with your loved ones:)

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Carne Asada Marinade (adapted from simplyrecipes.com)

5 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
1 large handful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped (great flavor in the stems)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

stir together and combine with meat (i recommend skirt steak) in a ziploc bag. let marinate at least 4 hours (best overnight). remove from marinade and grill on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes a side. let stand, covered, for at least 5 minutes so the meat retains all its juices. slice and enjoy!

Lemongrass Chicken

this was a first for me tonight - lemongrass chicken. it was delicious! very fresh tasting with lots of flavor. i served it over brown jasmine rice. (brown jasmine was very hard to find but i did find it at the asian market.)

try it, i think you'll like it:)

Lemongrass Chicken (adapted from epicurious.com)
(serves 4-6)

8 ounces green beans, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 medium onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup minced lemongrass, remove outer layers
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon corn starch, dissolved into chicken stock
2 tablespoons spicy oyster sauce

1. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat.
2. Add chicken, onion and garlic; stir-fry until chicken is partially cooked, about 4 minutes.
3. Add lemongrass and next 4 ingredients; stir 2 minutes.
4. Add beans, stock and oyster sauce; reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.

step 2

step 3

step 4

yum!