Cuisine Diva

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Molasses Pecan Butter

Above: Sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Side Dish

Instead of mashed, overly sweetened sweet potatoes, I decided to serve roasted sweet potatoes as part of our Thanksgiving Day meal this year. The sweet potatoes are peeled, tossed with olive oil and spices, then roasted in the oven. See the recipe I posted up in July of 2009 for Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes. For anyone that wants a sweeter tasting side dish, I serve the oven roasted sweet potatoes along with a side of molasses pecan butter.

Above: Ingredients to make molasses pecan butter for roasted sweet potatoes.

Molasses Pecan Butter Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter - room temperature
• 1/4 cup pecans - chopped and toasted
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Above: Add the butter, salt, spice and molasses to a small bowl.

Molasses Pecan Butter Directions

1. In a small, dry pan, toast the pecans over medium heat until light brown. Let cool to room temperature before adding to the butter.
2. In a small bowl, cream together the butter, salt, spice and molasses until smooth and creamy.
3. Stir in the cooled, toasted nuts.
4. Place the molasses pecan butter in a decorative serving dish, and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Above: Blend the ingredients together until smooth and creamy.

Spice Substitutions

Chinese five spice powder is a combination of star anise, fennel, cloves, white pepper and cinnamon. Here are a few suggestions on other spices that can be used. You can choose from one or more of these spices to add to the pecan butter:

• Nutmeg
• Allspice
• Cloves
• Ginger
• Cinnamon
• Star anise

Above: Stir in the toasted pecans.

 

Molasses Substitutions

If you don't like the taste of molasses, or don't have any on hand, other syrups may be used instead. Here are a few suggestions:

• Honey
• Real maple syrup
• Light agave syrup
• Dark agave syrup

Above: Dry toast the pecans in a small pan over medium heat.

 

Above: Completed molasses pecan butter, ready to serve with roasted sweet potatoes or baked winter squash.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

Buy a Stalk of Brussels Sprouts

Above: Whole stalk of Brussels sprouts.

Stalk of Brussels Sprouts

I am a huge fan of Brussels sprouts. They look like miniature cabbages, but if cooked correctly, have a nice, slightly sweet and nutty taste. Unfortunately, many people over cook Brussels sprouts, by boiling them to death, and then they take on a nasty, bitter cabbage flavor.

Above: Benders Farmer's Market is selling whole stalks of Brussels sprouts from Ocean Mist Farms.

Brussels Sprouts Recipes

I will post up recipes for cooking Brussels sprouts, on future Cuisine Diva posts. One of the recipes is for a Brussels sprouts and parsnips casserole, which was one of the side dishes I made as part of our Thanksgiving Day menu. Today's post is about my recent trip to Benders Farmer's Market in Boynton Beach, Florida. Benders is just a short drive from my house. My husband and I made a trip there two days after Thanksgiving.

Above: It's the Brussels sprouts queen, AKA the Cuisine Diva.

Fresh Brussels Sprouts

I was pleased to find a display showing a few full stalks of Brussels srpouts. I knew this was how they grew, but I've never actually seen an entire stalk of Brussels sprouts for sale. I added a stalk to our shopping cart and got a few stares and questions as we finished our shopping.

Above: Snap each individual sprout off of the stalk. No need to use a knife to cut them off. Give each sprout a brief twist, and it should snap right off the stalk.

Harvest and Store Your Brussels Sprouts

I took a few pictures of the Brussels sprouts, on the stalk, before removing the individual sprouts to store in the refridgerator. Brussels sprouts on the stalk are much fresher and juicier than buying a package of frozen Brussels sprouts. And when I purchase fresh Brussels sprouts in packages, they are always a bit dried out compared to the sprouts on the stalk. I'll be cooking up the Brussels sprouts in the next day or two, to use them while they are nice and fresh.

Above: I harvested 75 individual Brussels sprouts from the stalk. More than enough to make a couple of dishes featuring Brussels sprouts.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

 

Homemade Pecan Pie

Above: Homemade pecan pie.

Thanksgiving Desserts

A holiday meal at our house is not complete without one or more types of pie. I usually make a pumpkin and/or a pecan pie as part of our Thanksgiving Day meal. This year I decided to make 2 pecan pies. It's just as easy to make 2 pies, as it is to make 1 pie. I made the pies 2 days before Thanksgiving, so we had an extra pie to snack on. I wouldn't want anyone to starve to death in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

Above: A pair of pecan pies, cooling off and waiting to be served on Thanksgiving Day.

Recipe to Make a Single Pecan Pie

I used Pillsbury's ready to bake, pre-made pie crust when making my pecan pies. You could also use a defrosted, frozen, ready to bake pie crust if desired, or make a pie crust from scratch. I used a combination of chopped and whole pecans when making my pies. I added the chopped pecans to the bottom of the pie crust, poured in the filling, then garnished the top of the pie with whole pecans before baking. I couldn't find my pie pans yesterday, so I used two metal cake pans, made the pie kind of look like a deep dish pecan pie.

• 1 ready to bake, pre-made pie crust
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chopped or whole pecans

Above: Use a ready to bake, pre-made pie crust to save time when making pie.

Directions to Make a Single Pecan Pie

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Let the ready to bake pie crust come to room temperature.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir in the corn syrup, brown sugar and granulated sugar.
4. Whisk the eggs into the sugar mixture.
5. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla extract.
6. Spray a metal pie pan or cake pan with non stick cooking spray.
7. Place the pie crust in the bottom of the pan.
8. Spread the chopped or whole pecans evenly over the bottom of the pie crust.
9. Pour the pie batter into the pan.
10. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 60 to 70 minutes, until golden brown on top.
11. Let cool slightly before serving. Fresh baked pecan pie comes out of the oven resembling molten lava, please let it cool down before trying to eat a piece, or you could end up burning yourself!

Above: A single serving of homemade pecan pie. Where's the vanilla ice cream?

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

 

Homemade Cranberry Pear Sauce

Above: Homemade cranberry pear sauce

Delicious Holiday Side Dish

Here is a recipe for an easy to prepare cranberry sauce, which can be made in a slow cooker. It will keep in the refrigerator, for up to one week, and can be prepared a day or two before Thanksgiving Day.

I got the idea for this recipe in the Slow Cooker Ready & Waiting Cookbook, written by Rick Rodgers. On page 185 of that cookbook, there is a recipe for a Cranberry Pear Walnut Sauce. I've modified the recipe slightly.

Above: Use the slow cooker to make cranberry pear sauce.

Cuisine Diva's Cranberry Pear Sauce

Bosc pears have brown skins. When I went to the store to purchase pears, there were 3 varieties to choose from. I was going to buy the green skin variety, then saw the sign on the brown skin variety that said Bosc pears. Bosc pears cook up a bit like an apple, and retain their shape/texture in this recipe. The orange, dried apricot and cranberries all cook down into a delightful sweet and tangy sauce.

The original recipe called for 1 cup of dark raisins. I am not a fan of raisins, so decided to substitute 3/4 cup chopped, dried apricots. The original recipe also called for only the zest of 1 orange, but I added the juice along with the zest. The original recipe also called for 1 cup of toasted, chopped walnuts but I decided to omit the nuts.

Above: Serve cranberry pear sauce as part of your Thanksgiving meal.

Ingredients for Cranberry Sauce

• One 12 ounce bag cranberries - rinsed
• 3 Bosc pears - peel, core and chopped
• Zest from 1 orange
• Flesh and/or juice from 1 orange
• 3/4 cup dried apricots - chopped
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Directions for Cranberry Sauce

Place all the ingredients into a crock pot, or slow cooker. Cook on high heat for 2 hours, or until most of the cranberries have popped. Add the sauce to a storage container and let cool slightly. Place the lid on the storage container and let the sauce cool over night in the refrigerator.

The hot, freshly made sauce would taste great on top of vanilla bean ice cream. Serve the cool sauce, in a decorative serving dish on Thanksgiving Day, to accompany the rest of your holiday meal. Leftover cranberry sauce can be served as a type of homemade jam, along with freshly baked muffins, the day after Thanksgiving.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

 

Healthier Alternative to Nutella

Above: Nutella hazel nut spread and Mara Natural all natural dark chocolate almond spread.

Yesterday, my daughter and I made a trip to our local Super Walmart. While she was picking out art supplies, I decided to pick up a few groceries. I was looking for a jar of Mara Natha's all natural, no stir almond butter but I could only find the crunchy variety, not the smooth. Much to my delight, I spotted a jar of their all natural dark chocolate almond spread. OMG alert!

It looked like it might be similar to Nutella, so I scooped up a jar and added it to my shopping cart. Nutella is a hazelnut spread mixed with skim milk and cocoa powder. We had a jar of Nutella in the pantry, for our daughter, and I tried a bit to see what it tasted like. It was WAY too sweet for my taste, too much sugar and not enough hazelnut flavor.

The Mara Natha spread on the other hand, had a rich almond butter taste enhanced by dark chocolate. I decided to read the nutritional labels to see why they are so different. Dry roasted almonds are the first ingredient listed in the dark chocolate almond spread whereas sugar is the first ingredient listed in Nutella. That would explain why Nutella has a much sweeter taste, than the almond spread, which had a much richer, nuttier taste.

Above: Jar of Nutella

Nutella Nutritional Facts

Nutella is a very creamy, smooth and very sweet tasting spread. It has the consistency of soft frosting, and is almost runny enough to be used as a dessert topping.

• serving size - 2 tablespoons
• calories per serving - 200
• fat calories per serving - 100
• total fat - 11 g
• saturated fat - 3.5 g
• sodium - 15 mg
• carbs - 22 g
• fiber - 1 g
• sugars - 21 g
• protein - 3 g

 

Nutella Ingredients

• sugar
• palm oil
• hazelnuts
• cocoa
• skim milk
• reduced minerals whey
• lecithin
• vanillin

Above: Mara Natha all natural dark chocolate almond spread.

Dark Chocolate Almond Spread Nutritional Facts

The dark chocolate almond spread has a rich nutty flavor, with a hint of chocolate. It has the consistency of a very thick peanut butter, or very thick frosting. It is not as smooth as the Nutella, due to it's higher nut content.

• serving size - 2 tablespoons
• calories per serving - 180
• fat calories per serving - 130
• total fat - 14 g
• saturated fat - 3 g
• sodium - 15 mg
• carbohydrate - 12 g
• dietary fiber - 2 g
• sugars - 9 g
• protein - 4 g

Dark Chocolate Almond Spread Ingredients

• dry roasted almonds
• evaporated cane juice
• palm oil
• cocoa powder
• non-fat dry milk
• canola oil
• soy lecithin
• natural vanilla flavor
• salt

Above: dark chocolate almond spread on the left, Nutella on the right.

Cuisine Diva Conclusion

I prefer richer tasting food over sweet food any day of the week. So my vote goes for Mara Natha All Natural Dark Chocolate Almond Spread.The almond spread has a bit more fiber and protein per serving compared to Nutella. And the almond spread has only 9 grams of sugar per serving compared to Nutella's 21 grams of sugar per serving. Yes, I think I got a sugar shocker headache eating the Nutella, kind of like getting a brain freeze when you eat something too cold, but in this case it was from eating something too sweet.

The Nutella has almost double the amount of carbohydrates per serving compared to the almond spread. Nutella also has higher total calories than the almond spread. But due to it's higher nut content, the almond spread has a slightly higher fat content. But nut butters are a healthy type of fat, and can be part of a balanced diet that contains up to 30% of it's calories from good fats.

See my Sports Nutrition Diva blog post on good vs bad fats: Fat is Not Your Enemy.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

 

Thanksgiving Menu Plan & Meal Preparation

I looked through a couple of my cookbooks to find some unique dishes to serve at our house on Thanksgiving Day. I found 2 recipes from my slow cooker cookbook, and 4 recipes from The Culinary Institute of America cookbook, that I will prepare as part of our Thanksgiving meal. I also will add a couple of family favorites, which I have made so many times, I no longer need an exact recipe to follow.

Smythe Family Thanksgiving Menu

Here's what I plan to serve on Thanksgiving Day. I will provide recipes and photos for some of these menu items next week.

• Chicken saltimbocca with sage, prosciutto and provolone
• Brown onion gravy
• Sauteed mushrooms
• Roasted sweet potatoes with pecan molasses butter
• Potato gratin
• Sauteed Brussels sprouts
• Cornbread stuffing with carrots, onions and celery
• Baby glazed carrots
• Cranberry pear sauce
• Cheddar thyme muffins
• Pecan pie

Menu Preparation Game Plan

Slow cooker

1. cranberry pear sauce - prepare the day before Thanksgiving
2. baby glazed carrots - Thanksgiving day

Oven

Most of these items will be prepared and cooked on Thanksgiving Day. The stuffing could be prepared the day before, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to heat through in the oven at 350 degrees Farenheit for 30 minutes. I will probably make the pecan pie the day before Thanksgiving, to free up the oven for the rest of the meal. This will also allow ample time for the pie to cool off before serving, pecan pie hot out of the oven usually has the consistency of moletn lava - HOT!

1. Roasted sweet potatoes
2. Potato gratin
3. Cornbread stuffing
4. Cheddar thyme muffins
5. Pecan pie

Stove top

1. Chicken saltimbocca
2. Brown onion gravy
3. Sauteed Brussels sprouts
4. Sauteed mushrooms

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva

 

Jazzed Up Instant Spanish Rice

Above: Jazzed up Spanish rice.

 

Jazzed Up Instant Spanish Rice

I was looking for a quick and easy to prepare meal last night. I found a package of Knorr Spanish Rice in the pantry. It looked rather bland on its own, so I looked in the refridgerator to see what I could add to the rice to make it a bit more interesting.

 

Above: Spanish Rice flavor of Knorr Fiesta Sides.

Gourmet Ingredients

I found a jar of capers, a container of sun dried tomatoes and some kalamata olives in the refrigerator. I prepared the rice according to package directions, and once the water came to a boil, I stirred in about 1 tablespoon of capers, 4 chopped sun dried tomatoes and 6 chopped olives. I also had a left over grilled chicken breast, so I chopped that up and added it to the rice.

Above: Choose a few gourmet ingredients; such as capers, sun dried tomatoes and kalamata olives, to jazz up the Spanish style rice side dish.

Delicious Side Dish

My jazzed up Spanish style rice came out quite tasty. I would definitely make this dish again. And I love how easy it was to prepare. My husband wrinkled up his nose at the rice, but he is not a fan of olives, capers or sun dried tomatoes. BORING!

Above: Completed jazzed up Spanish rice. I added a chopped up, left over, cooked chicken breast to my rice, but you could omit the meat to make a vegetarian friendly side dish.

 

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Cuisine Diva