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

 

 
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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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Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup for #SundaySupper

Oct 7, 2012 by

Its Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and my family and I are having a great time celebrating family, birthdays and friendships. We have so much to be thankful for!

Earlier this week while I was preparing for the weekend meals, I picked up some pumpkin…without knowing what I was going to make with it. I came across this recipe and I was sold! I don’t make soup very often but I surprised myself with this one. It was simple, awesome and perfect for #SundaySupper. This weeks #SundaySupper theme is All Things Orange, showcasing some wonderful Autumn recipes from some of our fabulous food bloggers. Look out for a wonderful selection of recipes using ingredients like pumpkin, sweet potatoes and butternut squash, to name a few. I’m so excited to see all the wonderful creations! This is my first season actually cooking with pumpkin so I know I’m going to be inspired. This is truly my favourite season!

This weeks host is Pam from The Meltaways! As always, please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day for #SundaySupper. We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 pm EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat where we’ll talk about our favourite recipes featuring our favourite fall colour. All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat. We’d also love to feature your recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers, too.

I hope my Mother is reading this post. She will be pleasantly surprised to know that I actually cut up and roasted pumpkin. *gasp* Ok so I didn’t do all the work. I bought a piece of pumpkin weighing about a kilogram. I removed the skin, chopped it into cubes, then roasted it. Originally, I was going to use the canned pumpkin puree but I really wanted to cook with the real thing. It may have taken me a few minutes longer to prepare, but I believe it was worth it. The flavour says it all!

 

Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup for #SundaySupper
 
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A healthy soup that's comforting, filling and dairy free. A perfect starter or main.
Author:
Recipe type: Soup, Starter, Main
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
  • 1 Medium Onion, diced
  • ½ Tsp Cinnamon
  • ½ Tsp chilli powder
  • ½ Tsp cumin
  • ½ Tsp nutmeg
  • ½ Tsp thyme
  • 3 Cups Low Sodium chicken Broth (or vegetable broth)
  • 3 Cups Pumpkin Puree (I chose to roast 1Kg/2LB of pumpkin)
  • 1 Cup coconut milk
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a rimmed baking sheet, add diced pumpkin and sprinkle with olive oil
  2. Roast for 40 minutes in a 375F oven
  3. In a medium saucepan, heat oil on medium high heat
  4. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes
  5. Add spices and cook for about a minute, stirring until combined
  6. Add broth and pumpkin, combine using an immersion blender until a smooth consistency is achieved (about a minute)
  7. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 10-15 minutes
  8. Stir in coconut milk and season with salt and pepper
  9. Remove from heat. Serve with warm, buttered crusty bread
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Best Of Clean Eating 2, Page 93

 

I picked up this piece of pumpkin at the Asian supermarket. It happened to be labelled “Jamaican Pumpkin” so that I would pick it up. I prefer buying pumpkin pre-cut anyway. Less chance of me wasting it. This portion was just right for what I needed it for.

Jamaican Pumpkin

 

I liked the simplicity of this recipe. I loved the use of coconut oil as well as coconut milk. This soup is just bursting with goodness. I really missed the presence of chicken or even yellow yams and dumplings in my soup. Perhaps that addition will be made after my next visit to the Asian supermarket.

 

Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup

 

This could be the perfect appetizer for an Autumn dinner, and a great choice for entertaining.

 

Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup

 

A warm crusty bread, like Ciabatta is a lovely compliment to this soup.

 

Roasted Pumpkin & Coconut Soup with Ciabatta Bread

 

 

Here’s the lineup for this weeks #SundaySupper:

 

Sunrise  (Breakfast and Brunch)

 

High Noon (Soups, Salads and Sandwiches)

 

Sunset (Dinner and Main Dishes)

 

By The Bonfire (Sweets, Snacks and Sips)

 

 

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Cristina Ferrare’s Fall Off The Bone Chicken for #SundaySupper

May 20, 2012 by

I’m very pleased to participate in this weeks #SundaySupper. Our very special guest is Cristina Ferrare and we are preparing  recipes from her latest book titled “Big Bowl of Love”. The list of bloggers and links can be found at the end of my post. I have not yet purchased the book but Cristina’s website had a nice selection to choose from. At first, I couldn’t decide on what recipe to make. I thought about a traditional dinner and chose “Sunday Supper Fall Off The Bone Chicken Thighs”. I had all the ingredients! Perfect! I can’t wait to see everyone’s posts! I think I’ll be making a few more recipes from Big Bowl of Love.

In a Caribbean household, Sunday supper is very important and brings families together to catch up on the past week and have spirited discussions about current events and life in general. Traditionally, Sunday supper is served between 1pm – 4pm (after church) so that you can rest and enjoy each others company for the rest of the evening. A Sunday supper may involve one or two meats – Chicken (for sure) and perhaps beef. Jamaican Rice and Peas is a given on a Sunday, and of course a salad, a side dish and then dessert. Clearly, Sunday is the best day to visit a Jamaican household. I decided to pair Cristine’s Fall Off The Bone Chicken with Jamaican style Rice and Peas and a Tomato Salad. This recipe is filled with fresh herbs and the oven does all the work.

 

Fall Off The Bone Chicken Thighs, Rice and Peas, Tomatoes.

 

The original recipe called for 12 pieces of chicken however, I used 8 pieces. I made very small adjustments to accommodate this slight change – specifically with the quantity of broth that I used. I reduced it. Mainly because the dish wasn’t large enough to hold more than the 3/4 Cup of broth that I used. It worked out very well!

 

5.0 from 5 reviews
Fall Off The Bone Chicken for #SundaySupper
 
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A roasted chicken recipe using fresh herbs, perfect for a Sunday Supper. Recipe slightly adapted from the book Big Bowl Of Love by Cristine Ferrare
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 8 Chicken Thighs (skin on), washed and patted dry
  • ⅓ Cup Honey Dijon Mustard
  • Juice of one small lemon
  • ⅓ Cup Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbsp Fine Herbs
  • 1 Tsp Fennel Seeds (Anise Seeds)
  • 3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
  • 1 Sprig Rosemary
  • Kosher Salt
  • Freshly ground Black Pepper
  • ¾ Cup Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F (Roast)
  2. In a medium measuring cup, add mustard, lemon juice, soy sauce and olive oil. stir/whisk to combine.
  3. In an oven proof baking dish, pour a little of the mixture and spread with a spoon.
  4. Add all 8 pieces of chicken to the dish, skin side up
  5. Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper
  6. Pour the remaining mixture over the chicken
  7. Over the chicken, sprinkle fine herbs, fennel seeds, kosher salt and pepper.
  8. Place the Thyme and Rosemary over the chicken
  9. Cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes
  10. Uncover and baste with the liquid. Add chicken broth. Roast for another 60 minutes, basting every 15-20 minutes
  11. Watch closely as you do not want the skin to burn. Cover with foil if needed to achieve a nicely browned colour
Notes
The original recipe called for 12 pieces of chicken. I used 8 pieces so I reduced the liquid from 3 cups to ¾ cup. Cooking with the skin on the chicken increases the oil left in the dish. Remove as much of the oil/fat as possible before serving the gravy

 

The mixture of mustard (I used Honey Dijon instead of plain), lemon juice, soy sauce and olive oil smelled great! I was so curious at this point because this was the first time that I would be using this combination of ingredients.

 

Coating the chicken

 

It was nice to use these fresh herbs. I got the chance to open my bottle of Fine Herbs. It consists of (but not limited to) a mixture of dried Oregano, Marjoram, Parsley, Basil and Chervil.

 

Chicken covered in herbs, ready for the oven

 

The chicken was beautifully browned and seriously moist. The skin was certainly holding the meat together. I considered using skinless thighs but I’m glad I didn’t. The pieces would have fallen apart! There was quite a bit of liquid left in the dish. I simply skimmed the oil (as best as possible) from the surface, then strained about 1/2 cup or so for the gravy.

 

Fall Off The Bone Chicken Thighs. Recipe by Cristina Ferrare  for #SundaySupper

 

The Sunday Supper spread! Chicken, Rice & Peas, Tomatoes!

 

 

I found another way to add Tomatoes into my meal. Keep it as colourful and interesting as possible. Hence, the Yellow Tomatoes.

 

Red and Yellow Tomatoes

 

I enjoyed the process of making this recipe. I see why Cristina gave this dish the title of Fall Off The Bone Chicken Thighs.

 

Fall Off The Bone Chicken Thighs with Jamaican Rice and Peas, Tomato Salad on the side for Sunday Supper. Chicken recipe by Cristina Ferrare from the book “Big Bowl of Love”

 

Here are the bloggers along with their selection of recipes from Big Bowl of Love by Cristina Ferarre. Please visit them and show some love! We are so proud to be sharing such awesome recipes!  Please join us on Twitter every Sunday from 3pm EST where we will share tips and inspiration as well as meet some great new people. Follow along using the hashtag #SundaySupper using www.tweetchat.com (or similar for Twitter chats).

 

Our recipes will be perfectly paired with wine chosen by Wine Every Day.

 

 

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Tarragon Chicken #SundaySupper

May 6, 2012 by

I’m very happy to be able to participate in this weeks #SundaySupper! Todays theme is “May Flowers, Veggies and Herbs.” I didn’t  hesitate to prepare this as a wonderful spring dish. I think I may have tweeted my joy when I saw that Tarragon was available again ~ a true indication that spring has arrived! For those that are not familiar with Tarragon, it is an herb that is quite popular in French cuisine and pairs very well with chicken and fish. It is very aromatic and reminds me of liquorice! When I made this dish almost 2 years ago for the first time, I enjoyed it immensely. I decided to serve the chicken with Fennel (a vegetable with a very similar aroma to Tarragon) as well as Zucchini and Jasmine Rice.

 

Tarragon Chicken with Pan Seared Fennel and Zucchini, Jasmine Rice

 

 

5.0 from 2 reviews
Tarragon Chicken
 
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A French dish, perfect for a comforting family dinner
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil
  • 8 Drumsticks, Skinless (any part of the chicken is good)
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • ½ Cup Half & Half
  • ½ cup fresh tarragon and a few extra for garnish
Instructions
  1. Season chicken with salt and pepper
  2. In a large dutch oven, warm oil and butter over a medium-high heat
  3. Brown chicken in batches and set aside
  4. Add all the chicken pieces back to the pot
  5. Add broth, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes
  6. Take the chicken from the pot and set aside.
  7. Add shallot to the pot and soften, about 5 minutes
  8. Add wine, allow to reduce about 7 minutes
  9. Add half and half, stir to combine
  10. Add chopped Tarragon, stir and cover for about 5 minutes
  11. Add chicken back to the pot, cover and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes
  12. Serve and garnish with fresh Tarragon
Notes
Served with pan seared Fennel, pan seared Zucchini Slices and aromatic Jasmine Rice Recipe adapted from Laura Calder's version: http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Herbs/recipe.html?dishid=9128

 

Such a lovely herb. I love the scent and flavour!

 

Fresh Tarragon

 

Brown the chicken pieces in batches. If you used chicken pieces with the skin on, you may want to skim some of the fat left over in the pot. Not too much – since that’s where the base flavour is.

 

Chicken in Olive Oil and Butter

 

After you’ve browned all pieces of chicken, and cooked them down in the broth, set them aside while you build the Tarragon sauce.

 

Chicken, resting

 

Soften the shallots in the broth.

 

Softening the Shallot

 

Add the fresh Tarragon into the Broth and cream mixture. Simmer.

 

Fresh Tarragon in wine and cream sauce

 

The sauce should have a rich, thick consistency. Taste at this point, to see if you need salt and/or pepper. Add the chicken back to the pot to incorporate the flavour.

 

Tarragon Chicken Sauce

 

The sauce is terrific. The texture is great and the flavour is awesome.

 

Creamy Tarragon Chicken Sauce

 

Dinner is served!

 

Tarragon Chicken, Jasmine Rice, Fennel and Zucchini

 

 

Here are some wonderful spring inspired meal ideas for #SundaySupper using Herbs and Vegetables. These recipes will  inspire you to spend more time Around the Family Table!

Cocktails and Wine Pairings: 

Appetizers:

Entrees:

Side Dishes:

Dessert:

 

Happy Sunday! Enjoy quality time with your loved ones this evening.

~Lyn

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Happy New Year 2012!

Jan 3, 2012 by

I just wanted to start the year off by thanking everyone for all their support and encouragement since I created The Lovely Pantry. I have so many ideas for recipes and concepts for photographs. I’ve grown so much and met so many wonderful people along my journey so far. I’m excited and grateful to be able to continue my passion through this medium. The holiday season has been quite busy for me, to say the least. But it was wonderful to be around friends and relatives and to share meals and watch the children play together. I miss my own family immensely (parents, brother, cousins etc) but hopefully I will get to see them later this year. There’s nothing like having your own family with you during the holidays! I’m still very thankful and blessed for those that I have around me that make me feel “at home”.

Now that things are slowing down a little bit, I have a lot of posts to catch up on! I have a few goals for myself which includes posting more often, improving my photography, meeting more foodies and making bread! Those are just a few things I have on my list. Below are some photographs of a meal I prepared for an informal gathering at my home during the holidays. No recipes today. 🙂 I still have to show you what I cooked for my own family after Christmas. I found a new love for cookies! My husband says he thinks he’s found his new favourite cookie – this may mean trouble for me! 🙂

The menu is as follows, served with Jamaican style Rice and Peas:

Lemon Herbed Salmon. I’ve made this before – here’s the recipe. Underneath that herbed crispy topping, is moist salmon. It was lovely.

 

Lemon Herbed Salmon with steamed veggies

 

Veal Pastitsio – a definite crowd pleaser. I really love it, especially because my children enjoy it.

 

Veal Pastitsio

 

My guests specifically requested Oxtail! I aim to please! I don’t have oxtail very often but I definitely indulge the few times for the year that I actually make it. It brings back memories of Jamaica.

 

Oxtails & White Kidney Beans

 

Perhaps I went a little overboard, but you have to know that I enjoy feeding people. I also love getting feedback from my experiments! So basically I used the Ginger Carrot Bread recipe and modified it. I split the batter in 2 and used smaller loaf pans to bake them in. I made a plain Ginger Carrot Bread, and another with raisins. I modified the same recipe and used Vanilla Chai Soy beverage instead of carrot juice. I made it before so I knew what it would taste like however, this time (again, I split the batter) I made one with dark chocolate chips and the other with dried cherries. Then of course I made a cake that I had not tried before – Orange cake made with orange rind and freshly squeezed orange juice. Heavenly! I will be posting that recipe very soon!

 

Orange Cake, Vanilla Chai Bread x2, Ginger Carrot Bread x2

 

After a night of entertaining, I decided to make cookies. I don’t usually make cookies but I realized if I’m going to be a kitchen Goddess, I need to be able to make everything! 🙂 They turned out to be a success and I was even able to give them as gifts during the holiday season. Well, not the one’s my hubby loved the most.

 

Ginger Molasses Cookies

 

And finally, this is the reason my husband adores me. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. No flour required. I was even able to use low-fat peanut butter, clearly for my own satisfaction. I plan to use organic peanut butter next time to see if there’s any major difference in the taste. That’s our secret though. He doesn’t have to know.

 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed ringing in the New Year. I wish everyone the utmost success in everything they hope to achieve and accomplish this year and beyond. 2012 is going to be an awesome year filled with personal growth and wonderful friendships! I believe this, so I know it will become reality!

Join me on Facebook as I will be sharing some more photographs there too. I share my own recipes and photographs, as well as beautiful recipes by culinary artists all over the world on Twitter. Follow me!

Say hello to me anytime.

Take care.

 

Lyn

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