Sweet Potato Pie

 

     Truth in labeling. This is, in fact, a pie. A sweet potato pie, a southern staple that I grew up with. My mom has been making this pie for as long as I can remember. (And that's a pretty long time.)

   

     My mom is amazing. She still cooks a huge Sunday dinner every week. I'm there most Sundays, as are my sister and brother and any of our kids (and spouses and grandkids) that happen to be around. She's been doing this forever. And she always has dessert. Sometimes it's her famous cold oven pound cake, or even yellow cake with chocolate frosting. But quite often, it's sweet potato pie.

      A true Southern sweet potato pie is not a pumpkin pie wannabe. You'll not find cloves, nutmeg, or even cinnamon here. Just a little sugar, butter and vanilla added to the custard so the delicate sweet potato really shines through. My mom says "When I want a pumpkin pie, I'll make a pumpkin pie!" It's also an all season pie, too good to relegate to the fall and winter.

     This recipe makes two pies. My mom always bakes one plain and one with flaked coconut on top. There are those who prefer one or the other, but I am equal opportunity when it comes to pie.

    Sweet potatoes are readily available year round, and full of fiber and other things that are good for you. So sweet potato pie is like having dessert with benefits, right? I like to think so. And I hope you do too.

My Mom's Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Printable recipe here

Ingredients

3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potato (you can either bake or boil your potatoes until tender)

Use a potato masher or a fork- not a food processor

2 eggs, beaten

Scant cup of sugar (My mom says a full cup is just too sweet for her.)

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 of a 12 oz. can of evaporated milk- (about 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons) Save the rest to brush on the crust before baking

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

dash of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix  all ingredients together and pour into two regular (not deep dish) unbaked pie shells.

Sprinkle top with sweetened, flaked coconut if desired. Brush crust with reserved milk.

Bake about an hour, or until filling is puffed and crust is nicely browned. (The amount of moisture in your sweet potatoes will determine the exact time.) If your crust browns too quickly, cover crust with foil. Cool and serve.

Sweet Potato Chili

  
 It's soup season here in my neck of the woods! We didn't have nearly as much snow as some areas did over the holidays, but we certainly had enough by my standards. With the cold, windy weather and the over-indulgences of holiday fare, I felt that a good healthful soup was in order. I found a recipe in Simple Vegetarian Pleasures that fit the bill nicely- It didn't hurt either that I had all of the ingredients! 

 I halved the recipe because I wasn't too sure how hubby would like meatless chili, but he gave it a "thumbs up!" The potatoes gave it a subtle sweetness that was perfectly tempered by the savory peppers, onions and spices. Loaded with heart healthy ingredients and beta carotene, it's a dish I'll definitely make again.

 This recipe as written is what I would classify as a mild chili. If you're more a fan of hot and spicy, you may want to add more chili powder or even some cayenne to "kick it up" a notch. That's between you and your taste buds though. :)

Sweet Potato Chili
adapted from Simple Vegetarian Pleasures, by Jeanne Lemlin
Ingredients (recipe is halved from the original)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 small garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1scant Tablespoon chili powder (or to taste)
1 scant teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups water (1/2 cup more can be added to cover if needed)
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with their juice
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 med-large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
chopped cilantro and avocado for garnish if desired
Directions

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent. Stir in the pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often.
• Sprinkle the chili powder and cumin over the pepper and onion and cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring often.
• Add all of the remaining ingredients (except for the cilantro and avocado) and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and cook until sweet potatoes are tender. (mine took about 25-30 minutes) 
• Serve with cilantro and avocado if desired.
• Note: The original recipe called for a scant 1/2 teaspoon of salt, but I didn't add it. I also used "no salt added" beans, making the recipe even more heart healthy.
• Variation: (I'm going to try this next time.) Add 1/4 cup of quick cooking barley in with the rest of the ingredients.

Come join SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by KitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset

This post is linked to Cookbook Sundays on Brenda's Canadian Kitchen and Seasonal Sunday at Real Sustenance.

Sweet Potato Pound Cake

I love sweet potatoes. I love them baked the best, either plain or with a little bit of butter. Good sweet potatoes don't need much help in the sweetness department. (Unless you're talking sweet potato pie. My mama makes the best sweet potato pie in the universe. She leaves out all of those spices that make it a pumpkin pie "wannabe." But I digress.) This cake...sugar,spices and all... has me smitten. The orange juice glaze perfectly complements the spicy goodness of the sweet potatoes, and just makes me want another slice. Evil cake. Someone gave my mama the recipe and she shared it with me. It has sweet potatoes in it doesn't it? It just has to be good for you.

Guess who took this picture? It's from a 4 year old's eye view!

Sweet Potato Pound Cake
(printable recipe)

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
4 eggs from happy hens
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. lemon extract

• Cream butter and sugar.
• Add potatoes and beat until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs, one at a time: beat well after adding each egg.
• Add dry ingredients, then vanilla and lemon.
• Beat well and pour into greased and floured tube pan.
• Bake at 325 degrees or 1 hr. 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Glaze with a mixture of 1 cup confectioners sugar and 2-3 tblsp. orange juice.