Spiced Sweet Potatoes with Apples

In the south, where I'm from, sweet potatoes show up one way during the holidays: beneath a layer of bruleed marshmallows and swimming in butter. It's a wonderful tradition, but sometimes it's nice to take a fresher approach to sweet potatoes.

In this recipe we combine them with another fruit of the fall harvest: apples. Pick your favorite seasonal apples to go in this side dish. Sweet Gala apples work just as well as tart Granny Smiths, though their attributes do change the dish. Feel free to follow you bliss on this easy side dish that takes care of itself in the oven.

Notice I leave the peels on the sweet potatoes and apples. Keeps the nutrients in the dish and adds some fiber.

Both honey and agave nectar have a lower glycemic index rating than sugar, so the touch of sweetness that is added is safe for most people, including diabetics.

Turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and cayenne pepper all have wonderful health benefits for people battling diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer. Learn more at the World's Healthiest Foods Website.

Spiced Sweet Potatoes with Apples

4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed and diced
4 apples, scrubbed and diced
1/2 curried pecan pieces (pecans toasted with curry powder)
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2" piece ginger, peeled and grated
2 Tbsp. unbleached sugar, honey or agave nectar
salt and pepper
(Butter is optional in this dish. It adds richness, but it also adds fat and calories.)

Combine all of the ingredient is a roasting pan or large baking dish.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn the pan.

Cook for another 10 minutes and test for doneness by piercing a piece of sweet potato. It should give easily and not be crunchy, however, you do not want to cook this dish to mush. The sweet potatoes and apples should retain their textures and flavors.

Spice Rubbed Turkey Breast

During the holidays it's easy to got leftover overkill. One solution I've found is to cook turkey breast instead of the entire bird. With this delicous spice rub, which I've used in the past for grilling and on pork, turkey packs a lot of flavor that is still complimented by traditional holiday dishes such as cranberry sauce, sage dressing and green bean casserole. I've used the spice rub on boneless/skinless turkey breast (done in less than 20 minutes) and here on a split breast, bone in, skin on. Cooking meat on the bone helps to keep is juicy and the skin gets crispy and yummy, like turkey cracklin'! MMMMMM.

Spice Rubbed Turkey Breast

1 turkey breast, split, bone-in, skin on
1 tsp. Garam Masala
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Turmeric
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp. Grround Garlic
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp. Ground Ginger
1 tsp. fresh Thyme
Salt and Black Pepper

Rinse and pat dry the turkey and set on a rack in a roasting pan.

Combine all of the spices except salt and pepper. Sprinkle liberally on all sides of the turkey, reserve any leftover rub for a future use. Season the turkey on all sides with salt and pepper.

Roast turken in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and continue cooking until the turkey is done (juices will run clear - or if you're lucky you'll have a pop up timer in one of the breast lobes!). Depending on the size of the turkey breast that could be another 10-20 minutes.

Remove from oven, cover with a foil tent and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing so that the meat stays juicy.

Hearty Whole Grain Stuffing/Dressing

Some people call it stuffing, some people call it dressing. I call it yummy, especially when loaded with gravy! This dressing is made with the heartiest whole grain bread you can find, and what I call "real" corn bread made from simple ingredients: corn meal, water, eggs, honey, touch of vegetable oil. From these two seemingly dry and hostile bread sources comes a wonderful dressing that is loaded with contrasting nutty, sweet, spicy flavors and fiber and heart-healthy whole grains. Can't beat that during the holidays!

Hearty Whole Grain Stuffing/Dressing

1 loaf of all natural hearty whole grain or multi-grain bread
1 loaf of cornbread
2 cups of chicken stock, water or vegetable stock
1/2 cup dried figs, sliced and reconstituted in 1 cup of hot water
3 apples diced (peeling is optional but you lose some nutritiants when you peel them)
1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon (or more to taste)
1 tsp. all spice (or more to taste)
1 medium onion, diced
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
Spiced Nuts (1/2 cup pecans or almonds, sliced or pieces, toasted with garam masala, cayenne pepper, cumin and salt)

In a large bowl, break up the breads (or cut into 1-2" cubes), season with salt and pepper and add onion, thyme and cayenne pepper.

In a separate medium sized bowl, combine figs, appples, cinnamon and all spice. Add the apple mixture to the bread mixture and gently stir ingredients together because you don't want to break up the bread too much.

Add stock or water until the bread is thoroughly moistened. There shouldn't really be excess liquid that the bread hasn't absorbed.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Check about 10 minutes in to see if you need to add more liquid. The center of the dressing should be moist but not gooey when done. Top with toasted Spiced Nuts and serve.

You can add butter to the dressing as well for added richness.

Lamb Stew with Smoked Paprika and Lemon

I finally got a hold of some Spanish smoked paprika. It’s been on my list for a while and either I’d forget to look for it when I went to the market, or it wasn’t there when I did remember to look for it. It’s the secret ingredient lending depth and character to this yummy lamb stew.

1.5-2 lbs lamb meat for stewing
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup tomato sauce
3/4 cup red wine
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced

In a pot heat 2 Tbsp oil over medium high heat. Season lamb with salt and pepper and brown on all sides in the pot. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.

Drain off all but 2 Tbsp of fat in the pot and return the pot to the heat. Add the onions and carrots and sauté a few minutes until the onions start to become tender. Add the garlic and thyme and continue cooking until the garlic begins to brown.

Add the tomato sauce, wine and chicken stock, and stir in the paprika, more black pepper and chick peas.

Return the lamb to the pot being sure that the meat is covered by the broth. Add rosemary, cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 45 minutes or until the meat is tender and begins to fall off of the bones.

NOTE: The cooking time will be determined by the thickness of the meat, and whether or not you use mean on or off the bone.

Taste to correct seasoning before serving. Spoon stew into individual bowls, and op each bowl with a sprinkling of grated lemon zest. Serve with crusty bread.