Griff's Kitchen

Handy guide showing fresh peppers/chiles and the names for the dried version.

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice

Procedure

1. Cut sweet potatoes into 1 inch thick coins or cubes

2. Boil the potatoes until tender, but not too soft

3. In a shallow  pan, melt the butter and stir in the brown sugar until homogenous

4. Stir the orange juice into the butter/sugar mixture until homogenous

5. Place the potatoes into the bubbling mixture and cook slowly

6. Turn the potatoes occasionally until caremelized

Note: If syrup is too thin, add brown sugar to thicken

Source: Food.com

 

Ingredients

2 Butternut Squash [medium sized] [cubed]

6-8 tbsp Unsalted Butter [melted + re-cooled]

1/4 cup light brown sugar [packed]

1.5 tsp Kosher Salt

.5 – 1 tsp Black Pepper

Procedure

1. Cut Squash into 1 – 1.5 inch cubes

2. Stir in  butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper until all of the cubes are coated evenly

3. Place cubes on a baking sheet – space evenly

4. Bake for 45 – 55 minutes – until squash is tender and glaze begins to caramelize

5. Turn Squash periodically to facilitate caramelization

6. Serve  Hot

 

Source: Mario Napolitano (Owner of Creative Shears Salon – Wake Forest, NC)

Ingredients

Eggplant

Bread Crumbs

Egg

Olive Oil

Prosciutto

Mozzarella Cheese

Basil

Parmigiano-Reggiano

Procedure

1. Beat egg and set aside in a small bowl

2. Brush the strips of eggplant with the egg

3. Coat eggplant with breadcrumbs

4. Heat oil in a skillet and lightly fry eggplant on both sides

5. Drain the eggplant on paper towels and allow to cool for a few minutes

6. Place Prosciutto and mozzarella on each strip of eggplant and roll up gently

7. Top the rolls with grated parmigiano-reggiano and fresh basil

8. Bake at 350 just until cheese is melted

9. Serve hot

Options: Pesto

 

I recently had the idea to arrange these on a plate in a herringbone pattern.  Below is the picture that inspired me (although the fries look like crap, it resembles a herringbone pattern).

Ingredients

3 Chicken Breasts – boneless / skinless  [ cut into 1-inch cubes ]

2 Sweet Onions  [ cut into chunks ]

4  Sweet Potatoes  [ peeled and cut into 1 inch coins ]

2 tbsp Water

¼ cup Olive Oil

2 tbsp Lemon Juice

2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

2 Garlic Cloves  [ minced ]

1/2 tsp Pepper

1/4 tsp Salt

Procedure

1. Place the sweet potato coins in a dish and cover with water – microwave on high until they become soft (~ 20 minutes)

2. Remove any visible fat from the chicken breasts and cut into strips

3. Quarter the onion and separate into individual pieces

4. To create the marinade combine the water, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic cloves, pepper, and salt and whisk well

5. Place the onions and potatoes in a large zip-top bag and add half of the marinade – add the chicken and the other half of the marinade to a seperate zip-top bag (place both bags in the refrigerator for an hour or overnight, if desired)

6. Grill the chicken, onions, and sweet potatoes on a charcoal or gas grill until chicken reaches 180°F – (the sweet potatoes should be soft and the onions caramelized)

Source: Taste of Home

Ingredients

Spring Roll Wrappers

Green Cabbage

Carrot

Soy Sauce

Black Pepper

Vegetable Oil

1 Egg White

Procedure

1. Remove the core from the bottom of the cabbage

2. Cut cabbage in half and place it on the flat side

3. Shave the cabbage into thin strips using a very sharp knife

4. Julienne the carrot

5. In a bowl combine the cabbage and carrots with a small amount of oil – (just enough to coat the veggies lightly)

6. Sauté the cabbage and carrots in a large pan until cabbage is translucent – (Soy Sauce and Black Pepper to taste)

7. Seperate the desired amount of Spring Roll wrapper sheets and lightly flour an adequate workspace for rolling

8. Place wrapper with one of the points facing you – (should look like a diamond…not a square)

9. Place a liberal amount of cabbage and carrots on the sheet a few inches above the point closest to your body

10. Roll, tightly until you reach the midpoint of the sheet and then fold the right and left points inward

11. Finish by brushing the top point with egg white and then rolling until tightly closed

12. Cook by brushing with vegetable oil and baking at 425ºF or deep fry in vegetable oil

Source: I used my Ninja skills to get this recipe from one of my favourite Asian restaurants…That is all I can say

This is a restaurant recipe and will make 30-40 Spring Rolls with a large Cabbage, so feel free to scale it down.