My Week of Sweet Potatoes

The two recipes I made on Monday night and Wednesday night both yielded leftovers, so I've had sweet potatoes in some shape or form each day this week so far.  Not a bad way to live!

Sweet Potato and White Bean Soup

Nice and easy.  I had a lot of stuff to do on Monday night but figured I'd make this so I wouldn't have to rely on snackage for dinner or a frozen dinner for Tuesday's lunch.  I nearly used this recipe, since I had everything except the chipotles (chipotle Tabasco sauce does nicely in its place), but I didn't feel like dirtying a lot of dishes or futzing with the Cuisinart.  Instead, I used this recipe, sorta kinda, and got just enough out of it to feed Steve and myself and have leftovers for today.

Obviously, because of the vegetarian thing (one month, 3 days and holding!), I left out the chicken.  I also didn't have any chili powder, so I substituted about two teaspoons of chipotle Tabasco sauce.  At the end, I added a generous amount of finely chopped cilantro as suggested.  Yum!  Like a cassoulet with a kick.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Wraps with Chimichurri

I was inspired by this recipe to combine sweet potatoes and black beans in a wrap, but I didn't care to use all these ingredients when so many of the flavor additions seemed to be for the chicken.  So, I kept it simple by cooking the sweet potatoes and then mashing them with some Smart Balance, cinnamon and nutmeg.  To make the chimichurri, I used something like one cup of Italian parsley, half a cup of cilantro, two tablespoons each of lime juice and olive oil, and maybe half a teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  (I eyeballed everything.)  Then I just heated the tortillas and assembled the wraps. 

This was so good that I dug in before taking the picture!  I also discovered that using Italian parsley makes a world of difference with chimichurri, since it imparts a more distinctive flavor than the curly kind that I grow in the backyard.  Not that the curly kind's so bad, but it doesn't stand up to other strong flavors and is just kind of...there.

Tonight was a replay of the Chinese hot pots that used up nearly all of the remaining cilantro.  Tomorrow I'll be enjoying some Arts and Draughts at the Columbia Museum of Art, but I'll be back in the kitchen in a couple of days.  Good night!

Chimichurri shrimp 'n grits

Saturday's lunch. Steve did a bunch of yardwork while I stayed inside, so I figured I'd make something since I wasn't tired or hot. I made the chimichurri ahead of time, so all I really had to do on Saturday was chop the bell pepper, thaw and cook the shrimp and make the grits.

1 cup packed fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt and crushed red pepper to taste
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp Smart Balance
1 red bell pepper, diced
12 oz. frozen shrimp, thawed in cold water
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup yellow grits
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a blender and set aside. (Can be used as a condiment in other dishes.)

Heat Smart Balance in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add bell pepper and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add thawed shrimp and cook until heated through, another 3-5 minutes. (Cook less if using pre-cooked shrimp.)

Meanwhile, bring 2 cups of chicken broth to a boil and slowly stir in grits, stirring constantly to avoid clumping. Cook according to package directions (should be ready in about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in grated Parmesan. If grits are very thick, drain and stir any juices from the shrimp and pepper mixture into the pot containing the grits.

Spoon the grits onto a plate in either a shallow layer or with a well at the center. Add the chimichurri sauce next, then top with shrimp and peppers.

I made Steve a slightly smaller portion, since he tends not to be hungry for lunch until 2 p.m. or later (this was ready at 1:00) and he also had a very shaky hand from using the weed trimmer. This was a rare dish that turned out to be just the right amount for the two of us with no leftovers. If I make the chimichurri sauce again, I may substitute lemon for the vinegar, because I used slightly less than what the recipe called for but still found it a bit much. Maybe by substituting lemon the result will be more like shrimp scampi 'n grits?

Stay tuned for my next experiment!