Ital Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup for #SundaySupper

Feb 24, 2013 by

Winter is wonderful for many reasons. Sure it is cold, but you get to indulge just a little and have foods that you probably wouldn’t have in warmer weather. I love a good hearty thick soup with texture and things to chew on. But I’m not opposed to a rich flavourful broth filled with goodness. This our Souper #SundaySupper edition. You guessed it ~ its all about soups. We will be sharing soups that can be loved year round. Our lovely host this week is Pam from The Meltaways. Whatever your fancy, we will have a soup for your liking.

I am sharing a soup from a cookbook by Levi Roots called Caribbean Food Made Easy. I adore the soups in this book. The last one I made was Black Bean Soup with Hot Roast Pepper Cream and it was wonderfully delicious. This recipe, Ital Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup, is just as wonderful with a bright colour, rich in beta carotene, fibre and other nutrients. I chose to omit the scotch bonnet pepper this time though. I really wanted the kids to try it 🙂 A little heat will bring this soup to the next level.

 Ital Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup1

 

Oh, and for those who are unfamiliar with the term “Ital” it is a term mostly used by Rastafarians and means pure and natural (pertaining to food and lifestyle). Ital is a derivative of the word Vital.  Ital Food, is food that is produced from the earth. Ideally, this food is grown without pesticides or as we say in North America, Organic. But aside from that, it is basically a vegetarian way of life. Not all the ingredients in this recipe were organic, but I feel really good about it regardless 🙂

 

Ital2

Ital
Image created by Lyn of The Lovely Pantry

 

(I could totally live like this if only I didn’t like a little thing called bacon.)

 

Ital Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup for #SundaySupper

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 Cups Pure Carrot Juice
  • 2 Sweet Potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 540ml Can Salt Free Chickpeas, drained
  • 4 cm Chunk of creamed coconut (I used Grace brand Cream of Coconut)
  • 1 Inch Fresh Ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 Clove Garlic, finely minced
  • Leaves from 2 Springs Fresh Thyme (about a tsp)
  • 2 Cups Baby Spinach, washed and dried (cut into thin strips just before adding to the soup)
  • 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (optional)
  • A pinch of Black Pepper
  • Fat Free Sour Cream to serve (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a medium pot, bring carrot juice to a gentle boil. Remove any foam that develops with a spoon and discard.
  2. Add sweet potatoes, chickpeas, creamed coconut, ginger, garlic and thyme.
  3. Cover and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes
  4. Check to see that the sweet potato is soft enough to mash.
  5. Using an immersion blender (or potato masher) blend to your desired consistency
  6. Stir to combine. The soup will be thick. If it is too thick, adjust consistency to your liking by adding more carrot juice
  7. Cover and simmer for about 2 minutes
  8. Shred the spinach
  9. Stir the soup and add the spinach. Cover and simmer for about 5 more minutes.
  10. Add butter and stir before serving
  11. Season with black pepper
  12. Garnish with sour cream (optional)

Notes

Adapted from Caribbean Food Made Easy

https://lovelypantry.com/2013/02/ital-carrot-and-sweet-potato-soup-for-sundaysupper/

 

I used packaged cream of coconut, but if I were in the tropics I would (or perhaps get someone else to) crack open a coconut and get the milk from it!

 

Ital Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup-1

Ingredients to make Ital Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

 

Not often do you hear of a broth being replaced by the juice of a vegetable. I loved that the carrot juice was the base of this soup. Thankfully Organic Carrot Juice is available for purchase. This soup was ready in under an hour. Imagine adding juicing time to that plus clean-up. This way is much better. You may have noticed that salt was not added to this soup. I was tempted to add it but I found that the flavour was great without it! Truly Ital!

 

Ital Carrot & Sweet Potato Prep

Ital Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup
Puree using an immersion blender to your desired texture and consistency. Add spinach after blending.

 

I chose to serve this wonderful soup with some homemade bread. I toasted it and added butter while the bread was still hot. Pure bliss! I’ll be sharing the recipe for this very, very special bread soon.

 

Ital Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup-7a

Ital Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

 

Although the sour cream was optional, I enjoyed it so much with this soup!! It was perfect on its own, but the tangy flavour with the natural sweetness of the soup was a great combination. This soup is hubby approved! He loved it and also loved that it was Ital 🙂

 

Ital Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup-8a

Ital Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

 

The #SundaySupper team have some amazing soups to share with you. Please take your time and find inspiration from the recipe links below:

Chicken (or other poultry) Soups

 

Beef Soups

 

Pork (or Sausage) Soups

 

Seafood Soups

 

Vegetables Soups

 

Chilled Soups

 

***

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world.

Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun.

Follow the #SundaySupper hash tag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat.

Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Join us Around the Family Table this Sunday at 7pm Eastern Time and share your favorite healthy recipes with us!

 

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Hot Sweet Potato Wedges with Jerk Butter

Jan 4, 2013 by

Happy first Friday of 2013! I hope everyone is off to a great start and is recovering from the holiday festivities and food fest. I’m gearing up and getting ready for the routine which no doubt will kick in on Sunday. Sunday is cooking day. For years now, unless something comes up and I have to shuffle things around, Sunday is the day that I cook a few items for the first part of the week. I like that I can eat some now, and freeze the rest for later if necessary. This works best for things like meat and rice dishes. Another reason why I cook multiple dishes, is because I need a different item that my husband can take to lunch. It’s no fun eating the same thing for lunch as you did for dinner. So I make sure he has options.

The one thing I like doing, and really don’t do enough, is side dishes. This could be a salad, or a bread, or just something nice to compliment a meal. Let’s start doing more sides shall we? Today is as good as any. So why not. I will keep it as figure friendly as possible. After all, I’m sure I’m not the only one that has to do damage control after December 🙂

 

Hot Sweet Potato Wedges with Jerk Butter

Hot Sweet Potato Wedges with Jerk Butter

 

 
Ingredients
  • 2 large Sweet Potatoes (peeled, cut into wedges about 2 inches in length, ½ inch in width)
  • 5 Tbsp Sunflower Oil
  • 3 Tbsp Soft Brown Sugar
  • The juice from 2 limes
  • ***
  • Jerk Butter:
  • 4 Tbsp Butter, softened
  • 1½ Tsp Allspice
  • ½ Tsp Ginger
  • ½ Tsp Cayenne
  • 1½ Tsp Black Pepper
  • ½ Tsp Cinnamon
  • Leaves from 2 sprigs of Thyme
  • 2 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 Tsp Brown Sugar
  • A Pinch of Salt
  • Juice from ½ a lime
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F (Roast)
  2. In a small bowl, combine sunflower oil, brown sugar, and lime juice. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper (to taste).
  3. Add sweet potato, tossing to coat them in the mixture
  4. Place the sweet potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet, ensuring that the slices do not overlap
  5. Roast until tender about 20 minutes, turning them over half way through
  6. For the Jerk Butter:
  7. Combine all the ingredients. When the sweet potatoes are ready and warm, toss in a little of the jerk butter. Serve as a dip at room temperature

 

I thought this was going to be really spicy. But it wasn’t. It was quite pleasant. I loved how the sugar and lime complimented the sweetness of the potatoes. It was something quite delicious… I can see myself having this with a simple roast chicken and a salad. The chicken could even be, roasting along side the sweet potatoes. How easy is that for dinner in an hour?

 

Hot Sweet Potato Wedges with Jerk Butter

Hot Sweet Potato Wedges with Jerk Butter

 

As you can see, it’s not a lot of butter. So it can easily  be shared as a dip.

 

Hot Sweet Potato Wedges with Jerk Butter

Hot Sweet Potato Wedges with Jerk Butter

 

I’m thinking I’ll be doing some more sweet potato dishes since I love it so much.

Happy Friday, friends!

 

~Lyn

 

 

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Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Squares for #SundaySupper

Dec 2, 2012 by

This weeks #SundaySupper theme is Favourite Celebrity Chef! Wow! How can a food blogger ever choose!!?? We are all so very excited about this weeks #SundaySupper. Our host for this week is Tammi from Mommas Meals. I am eager to see what everyone has made and also to see what celebrity chef has inspired them. I was a bit indecisive in the beginning because I adore so many Chefs on television. It is reasonable to say that I don’t have one specific chef as my favourite, since they each offer their own unique style and culinary flair.

For a long time, The Food Network is where I got most of my inspiration. It all started in 2007 when I was home for a year on maternity leave with my son. I was tired of just making sure the meat was merely cooked. I was especially tired of making cakes from a box. I really wanted to make a change in how I prepared meals for myself and my husband. I wanted to cook and I wanted to bake, and I wanted to do them well. This was something that was, and still is very important to me. For a while it was all about Paula Deen, Rachel Ray, Michael Smith, Giada De Laurentiis, Anna Olson, Laura Calder, Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver, and Ina Garten. I’ve made recipes from all of them. I watched their technique, learned about ingredients that were unfamiliar to me, and also I learned about dishes from other cultures. I still draw inspiration from them to this day. My appreciation for food, and for the culinary craft continues to grow. I don’t watch as much Food Network anymore, as my time is very limited. But when I do get the chance, I ask not to be disturbed. In time, I will acquire their cook books and continue to be inspired.

After the birth of my daughter, I decided to stay home with my little girl and her big brother. I discovered and watched Everyday Food which came on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). I don’t believe I missed an episode. In fact, you’ll find that many of my earlier recipes came from The Food Network or Everyday Food. Everyday Food is no longer a part of my cable programming for whatever reason, but their website is still a very good resource for me. Can you imagine being one of the chefs in that test kitchen?

I got to thinking… who offers a selection of recipes that really appeals to me? …Martha Stewart. I buy her books, I bake her cakes, I follow her on Pinterest, I trust her recipes! I also love that she introduces and collaborates with other awesome celebrity chefs like Emeril Lagasse. Aside from the fact that Martha is a MOGUL in her own right, she is also a teacher. She is the epitome of culinary excellence as well as classic home cooking and entertaining.

Today I’m sharing with you a recipe that I adapted, simply because I wanted to try it with other ingredients. This is a great cake for the season, and also it is my most recent recipe from Martha Stewart that I have made. I made the original recipe first ~ Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares, and it was amazing! Then I made it my way, and guess what? It was amazing!

 

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chips Squares

 

 

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Squares for #SundaySupper
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A delicious cake made with sweet potatoes and chocolate chips
Author:
Recipe type: Cake
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 2 Cups All Purpose Flour, Unbleached
  • 2 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • 1 Tsp Baking Soda
  • ¾ Tsp Salt
  • 1 Stick Unsalted Butter, Softened
  • ½ Cup Coconut Oil
  • ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
  • ½ Cup Coconut Sugar
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Cup Sweet Potato Puree
  • ¾ Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat Oven to 350F
  2. Line the bottom and sides of a 9X13 inch pan with foil or parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray.
  3. In a medium bowl, sift flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda. Add salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, cream butter, oil and sugar until combined.
  5. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.
  6. Beat in the sweet potato puree
  7. On a low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until combined.
  8. Fold in the chocolate chips
  9. Spread the batter evenly into the pan. Push the batter into the corners as best as possible.
  10. Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean
  11. Allow to cool completely in the pan
  12. Cut into squares, serve and enjoy.
Notes
This recipe is adapted from http://www.marthastewart.com/336431/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-squares

 

Well, of course the cake smells amazing. It was firm but moist to the touch. Cut into portions using a very sharp knife. I made 15 squares but you can cut them a lot smaller if you wish.

 

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cake – fresh out the oven!

 

One thing for sure – the colour and texture of this cake is awesome. Moist and chewy. Certainly something to consider for gatherings over the holiday season. It’s so easy to make and also very easy to transport.

 

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chips Square

 

How about this tasty little treat for your friends and family?

 

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chips Squares

 

Please enjoy the recipe selections from the #SundaySupper bloggers:

 

Starters or Snacks :

Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog – Oyster and Brie Soup and Wine Pairings for Celebrity Chef #SundaySupper

Linda at The Urban Mrs. – Inspired by Bobby Flay, Lobster Chowder with Roasted Corn Salsa

Erin from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts – Rachael Ray’s Cinnamon Popcorn

Cindy over at Cindy’s Recipes and Writings – Jamie Oliver’s Bread and Tomato Soup

Jeff at The Catholic Foodie – Drop Biscuits – Breakfast with Chef John Besh

Renee over at Kudos Kitchen By Renee – Giada De Laurentiis’ Garlic Toasts With Red Pepper Aioli

 

The Main Dish:

Sheila at Cooking Underwriter – Paula Deen’s  Chicken in a Crock Pot w/ Sauerkraut and Apples

Laura over at Small Wallet Big Appetite – Martin Yan’s Beef Chow Fun

Sarah over at Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends – Michael Symon’s Lola burger with crab tater tots

Susan at The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen – Ina Garten’s Baked Shrimp Scampi

Tammi at Momma’s Meals – Lee Drummond’s Sloppy Joe’s

Lane over at Supper for a Steal – Bobby Flay’s Rosemary Bricked Chicken

Tara from Noshing with the Nolands – Michael Symon’s Pork and Apple Scallopini

Shannon at Country Girl in the Village – Simple Red Sauce over Rigatoni. Inspired by,  Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos

Kris over at In the Kitchen with Audrey and Maurene – Rachael Ray’s Muffin Tin Meatloaf

Nicole from The Daily Dish Recipes – Paula Deen’s Slow Cooker Pulled Pickled Pork Sandwiches

Becca from It’s Yummilicious – Ina Garten’s Grown Up Bacon Mac & Cheese

Alice at  Hip Foodie Mom – Sunday Pot Roast with Risotto Cakes from Kelsey Nixon

Jen over at  Juanita’s Cocina – The Neely’s White Turkey Chili

Brianne from Cupcakes & Kale Chips – Crockpot Beef Pot Roast with Mushrooms inspired by Giada DeLaurentiis

Isabel at Family Foodie – Polenta with Garlicky Shrimp inspired by Chef Todd English

Wendy from The Weekend Gourmet – Shrimp Penne in Pesto Cream Sauce, From Emeril Lagasse

Bobbi over at Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen – Cheesy Poblano Chicken

Patti at Comfy Cuisine – Tyler Florence’s Chicken Francese

Roxanne over at The Roxx Box – Jambalaya Pasta with Penne, Chicken, Shrimp and Andouille

Sue from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz – Rachael Ray’s Spicy Corn Chowdah Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Jamie at Mama Mommy Mom – Penne with Asparagus, Smoked Gouda and Prosciutto. Adapted from, Giada De Laurentiis’

Tora over at Tora’s Real Food – Pork and beans with Alton Brown’s pickled pork

Elisabeth over at The Hand That Rocks The Ladle – Emeril’s New Orleans Style Red Beans & Rice

 

Amazing Sides:

Megan from I Run For Wine – Curtis Stone’s Acorn Squash Roasted with Thyme

Sandi over at Midlife Road Trip –  Gabriele Corcos’s Gnocchi di Patate

Shelby at  Diabetic Foodie – Orange Pecan Black Rice, adapted from Ina Garten

Katie from She likes Ruffles, He likes Truffles – Chef Fabio Viviani’s Spinach and Artichoke Risotto

 

Sweet Endings:

Renee over at Magnolia Days – Brownie Tart

Conni at The Foodie Army Wife – Inspired by Ree Drummond – Scrumptious Apple Coffee Cake

Paula over at Vintage Kitchen Notes – Bill Granger´s Cherry Tart

Pam from The Meltaways – Savannah Sheet Cake

Katy over at Happy Baking Days – Mary Berry’s Treacle Tart

Jaime over at Mom’s Test Kitchen – Southern Tea Cakes

Amy over at Kimchi MOM – Crack Pie, I Can’t Quit You

Lyn from The Lovely Pantry – Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Squares

Melanie at From Fast Food to Fresh Food – Sand Tarts

 

Wine Pairings: 

Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

 

 

Please join on us via Twitter for #SundaySupper on December 2, 2012, throughout the day. In the evening, we will meet at 7 PM EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat
All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.
We invite you to visit our our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

 

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Roasted Chicken & Potatoes

Aug 30, 2011 by

 

Have you ever had company over and didn’t have a clue what you were making for dinner? This happened to me recently. I did not plan for company that night, but thankfully had some drumsticks ready to be cooked. I reached in my cupboard and found a cookbook called Easy Chicken 🙂 It had the recipe I needed based on the ingredients I had available. There is though, that nervousness when you try something for the first time and share with friends. Essentially you’re winging it. If you like taking chances and trying recipes for the first time with visitors, well here’s a safe bet. Of course, this is my own version of the recipe.

Roasted Chicken & Potatoes
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A tasty meal that the whole family will enjoy
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 8 Pieces of chicken (Drumsticks, Thighs, or both)
  • 1 Tsp Salt, 1 Tsp Black Pepper
  • 1 Onion, finely minced
  • 8 Tblsp Organic Ketchup
  • 2 Tblsp Maple Syrup
  • 1 Tblsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 Tblsp Mustard
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 3 Tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 Sweet Potatoes (2 medium or 1 large)
  • 2 White Potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F
  2. Score each piece of chicken 2 - 3 times
  3. Mix together all the ingredients, except the sweet potatoes, in a large bowl.
  4. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
  5. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
  6. In a large oven proof dish, empty the chicken and sweet potatoes and arrange them so that nothing is overlapping.
  7. Roast for 40-50 minutes until well browned and chicken cooked through. The chicken should be tender and the juices run clear when the thickest part of the meat is pierced.
  8. Serve with rice and a salad of your choice.

 

I had no idea how this meal was going to turn out, but based on the ingredients alone and my track record for selecting tasty meals –  I knew it would be good. And it was. I’d prepare this again in a heartbeat.

Enjoy!

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Herbed Salmon, Sweet Potato & Asparagus

May 14, 2011 by

I was glad to try this recipe since at the time, salmon was still fairly new to me. The thought of breading a salmon fillet excited me  –  perhaps because I don’t see many recipes like this. I was pleasantly surprised about how this salmon came out. I’d make it again and again. Its perfect for entertaining. People will admire the attractiveness and simplicity. The awesome thing is that I had excess of the combined herbs. I had separated the mixture into 2 portions and stored the unused portion in the freezer for future use.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 Cups Fresh Breadcrumbs

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley, Chopped

2 Tblsp Fresh Thyme, Chopped

3 Tblsp Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Tsp Grated Lemon Zest

1/4 Tsp Salt

3 Tblsp Butter, Melted, Divided

1/2 Salmon Fillet (4 Slices)

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F Degrees.

In a shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, parmesan cheese, thyme, lemon zest and salt. Combine well. Add 2 Tblsp butter and toss lightly to coat. Set aside.

Pat salmon dry. Place skin side down (you can get slices with the skin already removed) in a greased baking dish. Brush with remaining butter. Cover with crumb mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Serve with mashed sweet potato and steamed asparagus. Enjoy.

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