Baked Sweet Potato Fries

A few years ago, my husband took me to a burger restaurant in California called Ruby's.  It's a restaurant that my sister-in-law Rachelle LOVES.  I ordered a burger, and on the side they offer all you can eat fries.   I picked sweet potato fries, and oh my goodness I was hooked from then on.  A good friend of mine, that I grew up with, Mese has a sandwich shop in California in my family's home town. He has my favorite sandwich, The Black Friday, and it is served with sweet potato fries too, SO YUMMY!  These  are not fried like those at the two restaurants.  I added a lot of spices and flavor and baked mine, so they aren't like the simple down home fried variety.  You can leave out the chili if you want.

 Sweet and spicy, a wonderful combination.

Preheat oven to 450 Fahrenheit

 Ingredients for this recipe are: 4 sweet potatoes, 4 garlic cloves, 1 dried Costeño Chili (chili
powder will also work, or omit it if you don't want spicy at all), 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons
whole peppercorns, 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, 1/3 cup olive oil, and 2 teaspoons whole cumin.

 Peel sweet potatoes, and cut into french fry sticks, 1/2 inch.

 Soak sweet potatoes in ice water for 30 minutes.

 Toast cumin and peppercorns in dry pan over medium burner.

 Soak chili in hot water for 10 minutes.

Grind pepper, salt, paprika, and cumin in spice/coffee grinder.

 Press garlic through garlic press into pan with ground spice mixture, sliced chili pepper

 and olive oil.

 Cook spice paste over medium flame for 1 minute, or until it bubbles and boils.

 Dry the sweet potatoes on paper towels.

 Toss potatoes and spice mixture in a large bowl.

 Look at the spices and glossy potatoes, so pretty.

 Bakes potatoes on parchment paper lined cookie sheets for 20-25 minutes.

Remove fries from oven.

Enjoy!

White Bean Vegetable Soup

Today it has been really cold and my fridge/freezer is still broken so I need to use a lot of vegetables all at once.  What better way than to make my own vegetable broth and soup.  Good news I'm going to explain the quick brining method for beans too.

Soup and flaky layered biscuits (recipe found here), what else could you possibly want to
eat on a cold day?

 Ingredients for brining small white beans are: 4 quarts boiling water, 3 tablespoons coarse salt
(Kosher Salt will also work), 1 lb. white beans.

 Add salt to boiling hot water in a large lidded container, stir to dissolve.  Add beans and let
sit for 1 hour, VOILA.  You now have brined and soaked beans.  Remove half the beans and
save for a later day.  I'm trying to not make soup for an army today.

 Ingredients for vegetable broth are: Dried onion (or 1 whole fresh onion if you have one),
2 tablespoons whole peppercorns, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 pint of Baby Bella mushrooms,
3 stalks of celery, 2 bunches of green onions, 1 1/2 cups baby carrots or (4 regular sized carrots),
and 8 cups water.

 Cut mushrooms into quarters.   Cut celery into 4 inch pieces.   Cut roots off green onions and
cut into 4 inch pieces.  Add all ingredients to the pot of a pressure cooker or a large 6-8 quart
stock pot with lid.  Set pressure cooker to high for 15 minutes, or cook on stove in pot for 1 hour.  Allow vegetables to steep in broth if you have the time for at least 2 hours.

 Drain beans and put back into lidded container.  Place colander lined with cheesecloth or
coffee filter.  Pour vegetable broth onto beans, press vegetables with back of spoon to release all the broth you can.  Now place beans and vegetable broth in pressure cooker and set to high for 20
minutes, or on stove top in 6-8 quart stock pot with lid and cook till beans are

 tender (about 1- 1 1/2 hours).

 Vegetables for our soup include, but are not limited too: 1 zucchini, 2 ears of corn, 2 potatoes,
1 cup baby carrots (2 large carrots), 2 stalks of celery, and 2 cups whole tomatoes in puree.

 Cut corn off cob, dice carrots and celery, peel and dice potatoes, and using scissors or a knife
dice the tomatoes.

 Add vegetables to cooked beans and broth in pressure cooker pot or 6-8 quart stock pot.
Cook soup on high for 1 minute, or on stove top till vegetables are tender.

Again I ask you, (if you happen to be experiencing a cold day) doesn't this meal look delicious?

Enjoy!