Sweet Potato Salad

For the salad:

4 medium-large or 6 small sweet potatoes

1 small red onion

1/3 c. dried cranberries

1/4 c. feta crumbles

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

olive oil, cinnamon, salt, and pepper to taste

For the dressing:

3 TBS olive oil

1 TBS apple cider vinegar

1 TBS dijon mustard

1 TBS honey

1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp. cumin [could substitute curry?]

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450.  Peel and dice sweet potatoes.  Add to lightly oiled baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper (optional cinnamon) to taste.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Cool.

Meanwhile, make the dressing by mixing all of the dressing ingredients together.  Dice red onion.

When sweet potatoes are cooled, add onion, cranberries, feta, parsley, and dressing.  Mix well.  Serve cold.

Marinated Vegetables

Marinated Vegetables 

3/4 cup vinegar (I used white) 

1 T water 

1 cup of sugar, maybe less 

½ cup of vegetable oil 

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp pepper 

1 16 oz can shoepeg corn, drained 

1 16 oz can green beans, drained 

1 16 oz can English peas, drained 

1 cup onions, chopped (I used red onion) 

1 cup green bell pepper, chopped 

1 2 oz. jar chopped pimento, drained. 

 Place marinade ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a boil - let cool. Place remaining ingredients in a large bowl, pour sauce over vegetables when cooled, stir gently to mix. Cover and chill for several hours before serving. (I drained much of the sauce off before serving. Save the drained portion because you can add more vegetables and the sauce again to make more salad. It keeps for quite a while.)

Perfectly Baked Sweet Potatoes

1. Wash sweet potatoes and prick skin with fork.
2. Line bottom rack of cold oven with aluminum foil to catch any drips.
3. Place sweet potatoes on top rack.
4. Set temperature at 425 degrees.  If potatoes are 2"-3" thick, set a timer for 45 minutes.  If they are larger, set a timer for 1 hour.
5. When the timer goes off, do not open the door but turn off the oven.  Let potatoes continue to cook for another 30 minutes and then remove from the oven.

The potato skin will peel off easily with this method!  Either serve immediately or cool, peel, and store in the fridge.

Zucchini-Tomato Bake

Zucchini Tomato Bake

2 lg zucchini, cut into slices or wedges
10 lg grape tomatoes, halved or diced
7 cloves garlic, crushed
½ C shredded cheese (whatever is in the fridge)
1 tsp each: basil, thyme, oregano
½ t pepper

 Preheat oven 350̊. Mix all ingredients in bowl. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Bake at 350̊  for 25-35 minutes, until desired doneness. Garnish after baked if desired: parsley, or basil

Balsamic Roasted Vegetables

1 small head broccoli, chopped
1 small head cauliflower, chopped
one yellow squash, halved and cut into 1/3" pieces
one zucchini, halved and cut into 1/3" pieces
3 med. carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2" pieces
8 oz. whole mushrooms, cleaned and halved or quartered depending on size
one red onion, peeled and quartered
1 tsp. Paula Deen's house seasoning
2-3 T olive oil
2-3 T balsamic vinegar
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Add the veggies to a large bowl, sprinkle with seasoning, pour on the oil and vinegar and stir to combine.  Spray a baking sheet.  Place veggies on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.

*They are especially delicious with Baked Balsamic Chicken.

Grilled Asparagus

1 lb asparagus
 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
Sea salt

 Preheat your grill for high, direct heat. Prepare the asparagus by breaking or cutting off any tough bottom ends. Place the asparagus in a pan (to contain the spears while you put them on and take them off the grill). Coat them with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt over them. Grill the asparagus spears for 5-10 minutes, until nicely charred and just fork tender, turning them every few minutes so that they brown relatively evenly. Remove from grill and serve.

Sweet Potato Casserole

12-15 servings

2 L cans yams, drained
½ - 3/4 c packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ c milk
1-2 Tbs vanilla
4-6 Tbs butter, softened
Optional: orange flavoring
Topping*

In mixer, mash up the yams till all lumps are gone, adding more milk if needed. Place in 9x13 pan, sprayed with Pam. Add topping, and bake at 325̊ for 30 minutes.

*Topping:
½ c butter, melted
1 c chopped pecans
8 oz box frosted flakes cereal, coarsely crushed

Mix all together and place on top of yams.

Marinated Brussel Sprouts

2 10 oz packages frozen Brussel sprouts (or cook fresh)
1 ½ C sugar
1 C cider vinegar
5 Tbsp horseradish
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp dry mustard

Cook sprouts until tender, then drain. Heat vinegar, add sugar to dissolve. Add remaining ingredients, and pour over sprouts (sprouts can be cut in half before marinating, if desired). Refrigerate at least 6 hours, or overnight. Drain, and put in bowl, reserving some of the liquid in case any are left over. Enjoy! Diana Miller

Crockpot Sweet Potatoes

6-8 medium sweet potatoes
½ tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
20 oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
1/4 cup brown sugar (we were a little more generous)
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon

Cook sweet potatoes until soft (we boiled). Peel, slice, and place in crock pot.
Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over sweet potatoes. We gave it a bit of a stir.
Cover. Cook on high for 4 hours.

Judy Clarke