Yam "Toast", Stuffed Buttercup, Rutabaga Fries, Veggie Sandwich

Yam Toast
Yam, or Sweet Potato Toast is all the rage these days on social media.  Sally wanted something 'lite vegan' for dinner Sunday night, so this was a good chance to experiment.  She's doing about a month long 'totally plant-based diet' to see how it affects her ability to lose weight while staying healthy.  So no dairy, no cheese, no yogurt, no eggs, no fish even.

First of all "Yam Toast" is not "toast" even if you char it in the toaster -- it's not dry and crunchy.  Tasty, it's true, but not toast, in my cookbook.   The advantage of using the toaster, here is SW Florida is not having to heat up the oven (and thus the kitchen) and straining the AC in summertime 90F plus temps.

The six slices you see came from 1 large-ish yam about 8" long and 2-3" diameter.  I used a serrated knife to slice a flat.  Then set the flat down, and sliced 1/4" thick slices.

Stand the slices in your toaster -- I got 2 slices per slot.  Crank the dial all the way to max.  Trust me on this...  Now toast, and toast again, and again -- as needed.  It will take 3-4 or more toast cycles (depending on your toaster's max heat) to start charring.  After each cycle flip the slices end for end, so the whole thing gets cook.

During the toasting cycles, assemble your toppings.  Both sweet and savory toppings can be good.  The six we tried all worked really well, although the honey-blueberry could have used large fresh berries rather than small thawed-frozen berries.  Here are the ones we tried, from the nominally 12 o'clock position around:

Honey-Blueberries
Mango Jam, the Indian recipe with a bit of black pepper in it
Basil Pesto
Cashew Butter
Avocado slices
Branston Pickle -- a tangy-sweet English pickled vegetable spread similar to a chutney (which would also be good here).

Other topping could include, chutneys, other jams/jellies/marmalades, "sauercado" -- chopped sauterkraut and avocado spread, slices of daikon/radish cooked or raw, caramelized onions with balsamic, slices of other fruits like pineapple, chopped or sliced pickles, tomato slices & basil leaves, and more

If you're not being vegan or vegetarian, you have a lot more options -- crispy bacon slices, cream cheese, sour cream, feta and/or goat cheeses and more, yogurt, spicy sausage coins, smoked fish spread, or ham & Swiss. 

One yam made Sally a good 'lite' dinner.  I would want two for myself, I suspect.  These would make interesting appetizers, certainly.  I think I would use the oven to 'toast' the yam slices though, otherwise you'd spend a lot of time in front of your toster!


Stuffed Buttercup Squash
Last week I used half of a Butternut Squash and roasted it with apples, this week I'm using the other half of the squash, and stuffing it.

1 cup dry Quinoa
3/4 cup chopped Crimini mushrooms
1/2 a Sweet Onion, chopped
1/2 cup dried Cranberries
3/4 cup frozen chopped cooked Kale
1/2 cup rough chopped Almonds
Salt & Pepper to taste

Start roasting the squash at 400F, cut side down.  It should take about an hour to get the flesh tender.  You can also use the microwave -- it takes a lot less time!

Cook the quinoa according to package instructions.

In another larger pot or skillet, saute the onion and mushrooms until the onion is translucent, then add the other ingredients and cook for 15 minutes or so to marry the flavors.  Spice as desired.    Fold the sauted veggies into about 3/4 of the quinoa to make the stuffing.  Reserve the rest of the quinoa for another dish...

When the squash is mostly done, turn it open side up and fill with the stuffing.  

Roast for another 15 minutes, then slice and serve.  You can also do this stage in the microwave, if desired.

Eggplant, Spinach, Tomato & Garbanzo Curry
Something a little different for dinner.

4 large handfuls fresh Spinach, stemmed
1 medium Eggplant, diced 1/2"
2 medium Tomatoes, Chopped
1 sweet Onion, sliced
2-3 cloves Garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp Honey Mustard with whole mustard seeds
1-2 Tbsp Baingan Bharta Indian spice blend
1 can Garbanzos, drained and rinsed

Saute the eggplant in a mixture of butter and oil, until turning golden.  Remove to a bowl and toss with the honey mustard.

In the same large skillet, saute the onion until translucent and beginning to color. Add the garlic and cook for just  minute.  Now add the tomatoes, the Baingan Bharta, and a cup of water.   Simmer for a few minutes to marry the flavors.  Adjust the spice level as desired.

Last, add the eggplant and spinach, cover and cook just long enough for the eggplant to warm through and the spinach to wilt.  Stir to mix before serving.

Veggie Sandwich
We made our annual trip to Fort Myers Beach Saturday -- on "free beach parking day".  Really sad.  We walked about a mile of beach covered with dead fish from the red tide which has been blooming off the coast for several weeks.  Respiratory issue of coughing and sneezing, not to mention the smell.  Couldn't believe how many tourists were not only on the beach but in the water!  We only stayed about an hour and a half, and came home to each our lunch.

The good thing was the vegetable sandwich I made for Sally that we took to the beach and then brought home.  Check this out -  Basil pesto, slices of avocado, daikon (radish), and yellow tomato.

When we sat down to lunch, it disappeared in moments!


Rutabaga Fries
I made these as a side dish last week, as part of an effort to add more variety to Sally's vegan experiment.  Rutabagas are not turnips, although they taste some what alike and a rutabaga looks like a giant dark turnip.  Rutabagas are also called Swedes in some parts of the US and Great Britain.

Pre-heat the oven to 425F.

Peel off the wax coating and skin with a knife.  Slice into fries.  Toss with a splash of oil and dust with your favorite spices.  Lay out on a non-stick papered baking sheet, and bake for about 30 minutes.  Depending on the size of your fry cut, cooking can take more or less time.  Check every 10 or 15 minutes until you start to get some browning.

I promise to get back to some meaty recipes soon; even if it's just for you and me!