Making Tuesday Tasty-Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Kids love these. A nice contrast of salt and sweet and full of vitamins. Baking of course leaves this a way healthier option as a side dish for a great meal! If you want to make it a little fancier, add the herbs.

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 1/2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-wide slices, then again into 1/2-inch-wide strips

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1 garlic clove, minced

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Preparation

Preheat oven to 500°F. Spray large baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Toss sweet potatoes with oil in large bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread sweet potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake until sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning occasionally, about 30 minutes. Transfer sweet potatoes to platter.

Mix parsley, thyme and garlic in small bowl. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes.

*recipe courtesy of epicurious, photo credit recipetips.com*

Making Tuesday Tasty-Coconut Cream Pie

One of my favorites!! Here is a simple version of this from Emeril Lagasse. I don't like meringue nearly as much as whipped cream so that's what I put on mine. I love cream pies and coconut cream pie is just delicious. I really like the flavor of toasted coconut so I like it as a garnish on top.

Ingredients

Sweet Pie Crust, recipe follows
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups milk
4 eggs, separated
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/3 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter
Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish, optional
Toasted coconut, for garnish, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare Basic Sweet Pie Crust as directed. Roll the dough into a circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Place dough in a 9-inch pie plate, trimming and crimping the edges as the dough is gently pressed into the pan. Line the pastry with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake until golden brown around sides and edges, about 15 minutes. Remove parchment paper and return the crust to the oven and bake until bottom of crust is pale golden, about 5 minutes longer. Set aside on a wire rack to cool.

In a nonstick 1-quart saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar and 2 3/4 cups milk together. Bring the milk to boiling point and scald the milk. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the remaining milk, egg yolks, and cornstarch together. Whisk until smooth. Temper the egg yolk mixture into the scalded milk. Bring the mixture up to a boil and cook for about 3 minutes or until the mixture is thick, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the flaked coconut, vanilla and butter.

Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Chill the pie completely, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until stiff with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Spread the meringue evenly over the top of the pie. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/3 cup coconut. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and cool. Alternately, top with fresh sweetened whipped cream and more toasted coconut.

Basic Sweet Pie Crust:

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons bleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

4 to 5 tablespoons ice water, or as needed

Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and shortening. Rub the fats between your fingertips and thumbs, or use a pastry blender, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. One tablespoon at a time, work in enough ice water just until the dough comes together, being careful not to over mix.

Shape into a smooth ball of dough, flatten into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 days.

Yield: enough dough for 1 single-crust pie

*photo and recipe courtesy of foodnetwork.com*

Wordless Wednesday-Daddy's Love

My husband was playing with my daughter and the camera today while I was getting ready. This is seriously one of the most precious pics of them together. It gave me the little "sigh". You know the sigh. He has such a huge place in his heart for his little girl. He really wanted her to be a girl too! Not to mention what a love bug she is. She gives lots of hugs and smooches to us both.