Not Your Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole - Sweet Potatoes, Pineapple, Coconut, and Pecans

Someday I may learn how to take a "food" picture that looks as good as the food tastes.  It would be so nice if there was a way to take a picture on your kitchen counter or table that looks like one from a magazine.  Unfortunately, it doesn't because I took this casserole right out of the oven ready to put on the table for dinner.  Do you know how hard it is to set up a shot in a hurry while people are waiting to eat?  It is not easy at all, especially when it is in a casserole dish or some sort of pan and you are looking down at it.  This one kind of looks like a pizza, but it's not.  It is a truly amazing sweet potato casserole with pineapple and coconut.  To that mix, I also add pecans.  Why?  Because I like them of course.

I then tried to take a picture of it served on a plate and I won't tell you what it looked like, so I nixed that picture.  Sorry.  The words dog and food come to mind.  It just did not look appetizing in any way so use your imagination and think about how wonderful it tastes because it does.

Do you like sweet potatoes?    We sure do, especially baked with some butter and a little cinnamon on them.  Yummmm.  Or, there is the standard sweet potato casserole with the marshmallows on top and it is really, really delicious I am not denying.  It's the one every mom made for Christmas and Easter when we were growing up.  But, there are more casseroles and recipes out there, and this is one of my favorites.  It is out of my Saint Louis Days, Saint Louis Nights Cookbook and I have been making it for years.

Do you know the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?  You know how some people call them yams?  I looked it up (of course) and it seems that they are two totally different plants botanically.  Yams come from Africa - sweet potatoes are grown here.  There are two varieties of sweet potatoes and one remains hard when cooked and the other is soft.  The canned ones in the grocery that say yams are actually the soft variety of sweet potatoes.  The soft sweet potatoes were called yams by African slaves because it reminded them of the ones they knew and that is how we came to call them yams.  Now, does that clear that mystery up?  Did for me.

Sweet potatoes are very nutritious!  Here is some information I found on the web that might actually shock you.  I knew they were nutritious, but not THAT nutritious.  Check it out.

According to nutritionists at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the single most important dietary change for most people, including children, would be to replace fatty foods with foods rich in complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes.

CSPI ranked the sweet potato number one in nutrition of all vegetables. With a score of 184, the sweet potato outscored the next highest vegetable by more than 100 points. Points were given for content of dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars and complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. Points were deducted for fat content (especially saturated fat), sodium, cholesterol, added refined sugars and caffeine. The higher the score, the more nutritious the food.

Sweet potato baked 184  next highest vegetable
Potato, baked 83

Now, are you shocked?  It is the MOST nutritious vegetable that you can eat.  The next vegetable to it is a plain potato.  Who knew?  Now we all know and that is amazing because they are versatile, delicious and nutritious.  Yay for the sweet potato!  At least it's not something like Brussel's sprouts and only a select few of us seem to like those.  

We were having company for dinner last night and I decided to bake a ham.  There is something about spring that says it's time to eat ham.  Maybe it's because so many people serve ham for Easter, I really don't know.  So, I needed some sides and when I bake ham, I think sweet potatoes - they just seem to go with ham.  That meant pulling out one of my favorite recipes - sweet potato souffle with pineapple and coconut.  Don't panic, it's not like a traditional souffle.  Not really sure why it's called that, maybe because of the eggs in it.  I will tell you this, it is fantastic and easy.  Here is what you need.

8 medium sweet potatoes (or 2 32 oz cans, drained)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup  brown sugar

2 well beaten eggs

2 tsps baking powder

1 cup drained, crushed pineapple

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Wash sweet potatoes and bake, covered with foil at 400 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes until fork completely penetrates potato.

Cool, peel and put potatoes in a large mixing bowl.  Mash potatoes until smooth.  Stir in butter and both sugars.  Add the eggs and baking powder, pineapple, and salt.  Mix well.  Transfer ingredients into well-greased 2 quart casserole.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and cover with coconut and pecans.  Bake an additional 10 minutes.

(Because yesterday was volunteer day for us, I used canned yams drained.  They worked fine.  I do think fresh sweet potatoes are a little better, just depends on how much time you have.)

Ooooooooooooh my, this is good.  Our daughter said it's like eating dessert for dinner and it is.  Even her 2 year old gobbled it down.  Now that is an endorsement!  

This is an excellent side dish to serve when you are looking for something different and it makes a lot - great for a crowd.  Also, keep in mind just how nutritious sweet potatoes are (just don't tell your children).   Let's all eat more sweet potatoes.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Sweet potatoes are not just for holiday meals!  Enjoy them anytime.  They are good for you and taste good too.

Make A Pretty Pineapple Fruit Platter

Fresh, sweet, juicy, delicious pineapple.  My research said pineapple is second only to the banana as America's favorite tropical fruit.  For me, it would be the most favorite fruit!  Oh, pineapple is so good.  Years and years ago, I found an article in some magazine or the other that showed how to make a "pretty pineapple" as I call it and I have been serving them this way ever since.  I have cut them up for many people, including our daughters, but it's really not difficult.

Pineapple is what I would call an awkward fruit.  It's hard and prickly and rolls around and  how do you cut one up?  Since it comes in cans and is usually cut in rings, we tend to think of serving it that way.  You can also cut it in chunks or you can cheat and buy it at the grocery already cut up.   Don't do that.  Try making your own "pretty pineapple."

Native to southern Brazil and Paraguay (perhaps especially the Parana-Paraguay River) area where wild relatives occur, the pineapple was apparently domesticated by the Indians and carried by them up through South and Central America to Mexico and the West Indies long before the arrival of Europeans. Christopher Columbus and his shipmates saw the pineapple for the first time on the island of Guadeloupe in 1493 and then again in Panama in 1502. Caribbean Indians placed pineapples or pineapple crowns outside the entrances to their dwellings as symbols of friendship and hospitality. Europeans adopted the motif and the fruit was represented in carvings over doorways in Spain, England, and later in New England for many years.  Wikipedia


No, pineapple didn't come from Hawaii.  Just thought you might like that little bit of history.  Can you tell I have been married to a history teacher for 42 years?


How do you choose a "good" pineapple at the market?   They never get more ripe than they were at the time of harvest, so it's not you picking the wrong pineapple, it's the pineapple.  Everything I have read says try to get a heavy pineapple - that indicates a lot of flesh and juice.  Smell the bottom of the pineapple - you want a sweet pineapple scent.  Also, pull one of the inner leaves from the crown.  If it comes away easily, the pineapple is ripe.  A pineapple can be left on the counter for 1-2 days before using.  If you don't use it within that time, put it in a plastic bag and keep it in the refrigerator.  It will be good for another 3 days.

Now, how exactly do you cut up a pineapple?  Here is how I do it.  Twist or cut the leafy top off and discard.  Sit the pineapple on a cutting board upright, and using a long serrated knife, cut it in half and then in half again so that you have 4 quarters.  Now, to make a "pretty pineapple."

Take the same knife and remove the core from each quarter.  Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of that process, but you can see and "feel" where that hard core is.  After you remove the core from each quarter, your pineapple will look like this.

See how you have a nice flat top where the core used to be?  That's what you want.  Next, take your long serrated knife and start at one end of the yellow fruit (inside the area that is kind of hard) and cut the fruit in about 3/4 inch segments all the way down to the the other end.  Cut all the way down to the bottom of the soft fruit until you hit the hard outer part of the pineapple.

Next, take your long serrated knife, and starting at one end where you made your first cut, cut underneath all the segments you made, cutting from one end to the other.  Then, slide the segments in opposite directions all the way down, making your fruit look like this.

See?  It's a pretty pineapple.  Repeat this process with all four quarters.  It is not hard, just take your time.  It really doesn't take that long to do.  Now, use  a large platter or tray and arrange your pineapple.  I have some big round glass plates that I use, and I also have a silver tray that I use from time to time.    I place the pineapple quarters at north, south, east and west and then fill in between with other fresh fruit.  You can decide how you want to arrange yours.

Fill in with fruit that you like.  For Superbowl Sunday, I used strawberries, grapes and kiwi as you can see in the picture above.  If you are using fruit that will brown, like apples or bananas, squeeze some lemon juice over them to keep them from browning.  You could also put a bowl of fruit dip in the middle if you wanted.

I always try to have a fruit platter for those who don't eat dessert or have dietary restrictions.  Not only is fruit healthy, it is delicious.   The grandsons love it!

Next time you have a party or company coming over, make a "pretty pineapple" and fill in with additional fruit of your choosing.  You are going to get some oohs and aahs and questions about how you made such a lovely dish.  Just tell 'em Everyday Donna told you how.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand.   Mother Teresa

As I sit here eating one of these heavenly cupcakes, I thought about all the things I have baked in my life.  They would be too numerous to even count or name.   I will tell you though, this recipe is in my top five favorites.  It is a carrot cake recipe from my St. Louis Days-St. Louis Nights cookbook and I highly recommend that you try this recipe.  Normally, I bake it as a 3 layer cake but, we had family coming for dinner last night and opted for cupcakes instead because they are just easier to make, eat and store.  And, you can keep going back for another one without a plate and fork.  Yes, they are that good.  My son in love said they were 10 carat.  (get it?  haha)  The thing that is so different and really good about this particular recipe is it is made with pineapple instead of raisins.  I know lots of people who do not like raisins, so here is a great option for you.

They are also iced with - wait for it - cream cheese icing.  Yes!  What can be better than that?  Also, make note of the fact that the baking temperature for this recipe is 325 instead of the usual 350.  So, here we go.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (I reduce it from 1 1/2 cups because it is so gooey otherwise)

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 cups grated carrots (I use the blender to get them very fine and it's easier)

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple with juice

Icing:

1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

1 16 ounce box powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

some milk

add these ingredients to the icing if you want - 1/2 cup chopped pecans and 1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple drained

I usually make plain icing.  I have made it with the pineapple and pecans for the layer cake and it is really delicious, just personal choice.

Directions:

Sift all dry ingredients together and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, mix oil, sugar, and eggs, beating after each egg is added.  Add dry ingredients to mixture.  Mix well.  Add carrots, pineapple (with juice) and nuts.  

For 3 layer cake:

Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.  Fill equally.   Bake at 325 for 40 minutes.  Ice.

For cupcakes:

Line 2 dozen (24) muffin tin cups with paper liners.  Fill almost to top of paper cup.  (you may have a little batter left, I just dump it).  Bake at 325 for 26 minutes  or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Icing:

Beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar, a little at a time and beat until all sugar is incorporated.  Add milk a few drops at a time until icing is of spreading consistency.  Add vanilla.  Ice cupcakes.

Dan considers himself quite a connoisseur of all confections and he LOVES these cupcakes.  He just said he could probably eat 6 at a time.  That is just another endorsement for how good this cake is.  It is such a treat to have for these lovely fall days, especially with your favorite hot drink.  

Give this recipe a try.  You will make it again!  Yes, our guests took some home to enjoy later.  Now, I shall enjoy the rest of this delectable morsel.  Wish you were here to have one too!

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Everything in your life is there as a vehicle for your transformation. Use it!

 Ram Dass

If You Can't Go To Capri Make Caprese Salad

The tomatoes are here! The tomatoes are here!  Yes, it's early August and tomatoes are more than plentiful.  There are so many of them right now it's hard to think of things to make with all of them.  Okay, you have put them on sandwiches and in salads, and stuffed them and baked them and made tomato pie and enjoyed them sliced with a little salt and pepper.  My grandmother ate hers with a little sugar on them.  Then, there is canning and freezing them and there are still mountains of tomatoes.  What to do, what to do?  You surely don't want to waste any of that heavenly summertime goodness.

One of my favorite salads to make is a Caprese salad. (Insalata Caprese (salad in the style of Capri) is a simple salad from the Italian region of Campania - Wikipedia) What is a Caprese (cuhPRAYzay) salad you ask?  It is one of the easiest and tastiest salads you can make, especially with heirloom tomatoes which are plentiful and inexpensive right now.  You can also use your favorite red tomatoes like beefsteak or better boy if you prefer.

"Heirloom Tomatoes have flavors, colors and textures that are quite different than regular store bought tomatoes. These are the varieties that our grandparents and great grandparents grew many years ago that are full of anti-oxidants, vitamins and cancer preventing agents. The colors normally determine the amount of acidity, darker colors are more acidic and lighter colors are less acidic."  www.tastefulgarden.com

For the salad in the picture, I used a Cherokee Purple heirloom tomato, a Pineapple heirloom and a Green Zebra heirloom.  They are not the red tomatoes we have all become accustomed to, but are what tomatoes originally were before hybrid varieties became popular.  The Cherokee Purple is probably my favorite tomato.  It is a heavy, meaty tomato that is sweet and juicy - absolutely delicious and is so dark that it is almost purple.    The Green Zebra is a smaller tomato that is a little bit tart, but so amazing that I cannot say enough good things about it.  The Pineapple is also delicious - big, yellow,  meaty,  and super sweet like the Cherokee Purple.  We have these tomatoes growing in our garden, but they can also be purchased at local farmer's markets.

To make the Caprese salad, you will need whole fresh tomatoes, a package of fresh mozzarella cheese (I get mine at Aldi's because it's inexpensive and good), fresh basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.   Slice your tomatoes and mozzarella, putting a piece of fresh mozzarella cheese between each tomato slice.  I used 3 tomatoes and 1 package of fresh mozzarella to make the salad in the picture.  You can stack the tomatoes and mozzarella like a sandwich using 2 tomato slices with a slice of mozzarella wedged between them and a piece on top, or layer them around a serving platter like the picture above.   Take a handful of fresh basil leaves and tear them into pieces.  Sprinkle the basil over all the tomatoes then salt and pepper.  (You can leave the basil leaves whole if you prefer, just make sure each tomato slice has a basil leaf.)   Drizzle some good extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes and you have one of the best and easiest salads you will ever make or consume!  I also like a little balsamic vinegar drizzled over mine, but I do that on my plate since Dan is not a fan.

This is a salad you can eat for your main course or you can serve it as a side dish.  My understanding is Caprese salad is traditionally eaten before a meal like an anti-pasti.  It is beautiful to look at and even better to eat!  The sweet, heavenly smell of the basil and olive oil combined with the juicy tomatoes and soft, mild mozzarella is one of the finest summertime treats I can think of.  Nature blesses us with amazing things to enjoy and this is certainly among the best.  Oh summer, how you delight us with your wondrous bounty.    Give yourself and your family a real summertime treat.  Make them a wonderful Caprese salad.  Simple, easy, made with love.  There is nothing better.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis Grizzard