Sweet Potato Pie

So I don't have a picture for this but I wanted to post it before Thanksgiving. Just in case you were looking for that extra side. This is amazing! Like I can sit down and eat a whole pan to myself. And it is so simple. Win win!
5 stars
posted by: Jessica

• 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 stick melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 tsp salt

Mix above ingredients and place in a casserole dish. For topping, mix:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Mix together and sprinkle on top. Bake for 30 minutes at 350* I cooked mine a few minutes longer than this and I thought it was perfect.

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Pecan Streusel

It's hard to characterize this recipe--it's almost like a dessert rather than a side dish, but if you like sweet potatoes, you will love it!  I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because it is not very pretty, fairly time consuming, and it's probably not lo-cal : (    Next time I make it, I'd cut the amount of topping at least in half. 
submitted by chris
4 stars
Sweet Potatoes:
6 medium red-skinned sweet potatoes or yams
1 tbsp canola oil
5 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp chipotle chile powder
Pinch salt

Chipotle Pecans:
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups pecans
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp granulated sugar
3/4 tsp chipotle chile powder
Pinch salt

Streusel:
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter, slightly softened
2/3 cup chipotle pecans, chopped

Sweet potatoes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set one rack in the lowest position and the other in the middle of the oven. Place a foil-lined baking sheet on the lowest rack.

Rub sweet potatoes with canola oil. With a fork, pierce each potato 5 to 6 times in different places around the potato. Place the potatoes directly on the upper rack and bake until tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and place on a cutting board to cool slightly.

Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Gently scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch layer of potato. Place 8 of the potato shells on a large baking sheet and discard the remaining shells. Place the sweet potato flesh in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Using a whisk, mash and vigorously stir the sweet potato until slightly dry, about 5 minutes. Add butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, chipotle chile powder, and salt. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.

Evenly divide the sweet potato mixture between the shells.

Chipotle Pecans:
Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add pecans, chipotle chile powder, and sugar to the skillet and cook, stirring, until the sugar begins to caramelize and the pecans are coated with the sauce, 4 to 5 minutes. Make sure the pecans do not burn. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with salt, and cool.

Streusel:
In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, chopped pecans, butter, and salt. Using your fingers, mix the ingredients together until combined.

Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the mashed sweet potatoes. Bake until the streusel mixture is melted together and beginning to bubble, about 15 minutes. Serve.

Serves 8.

Salmon and Polenta

Submitted by Kelsey

4 stars

Polenta

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for grilling or sautéing if desired

* 3/4 cup finely chopped onion

* 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

* 4 cups chicken stock or broth

* 1 cup coarse ground cornmeal

* 3 tablespoons butter

* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

* ¼ cup Parmesan, grated

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Saute olive oil, onion, garlic, and salt over medium heat until onion is translucent, approximately 6 to 7 minutes.

Turn the heat up to high, add the chicken stock, bring to a boil. Gradually add the cornmeal while continually whisking. Once you have added all of the cornmeal, pour everything into a 2 inch deep square baking dish. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent lumps. Once the mixture is creamy, remove from the oven and add the butter, salt, and pepper to taste. Once they are incorporated, gradually add the Parmesan, stirring with whisk.

Serve as is, or put container in fridge until solid. Cut into triangles and freeze. You can pull out a chunk of polenta and put in the microwave to thaw out, then saute until browned with olive oil or butter.

Salmon Marinade

4 stars

Marinade 4 pieces of salmon in 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper for at least half an hour.  (You can marinade this for up to 24 hours but it needs a minimum of half an hour.)  Sear salmon in a pan on the stove top, then turn temperature down to cook to your liking.  Top with roasted tomatoes, sprinkled with olive oil, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, basil, and oregano.  Note - I have used this simple recipe on chicken, shrimp, and salmon.  It seems to be very versatile and keeps the meat very moist.