Zigg Iggs It: The Sweet n' Healthy Blogger Recipe Contest-- Kid-Friendly Food

So last night I was perusing the internet, and I came across this recipe contest. It challenges bloggers to create and blog about recipes using, wait for it, sweet potatoes. I love sweet potatoes. I am obsessed with them. For the love of all things tuberous, I did my advanced independent study on sweet potatoes. Accordingly, I present, for your consideration and taste buddery, my first submission: a reply to the call for kid-friendly sweet potato recipes.

The Challenge:

How do you get your kids to eat sweet potatoes? Mash it up for a first-timer or make it fun for toddlers, just get them their vitamin A!

The Result:

Tater-Tamas

(Tama is Japanese for "ball" or "gem.")

An Exchange Student Smorgasbord: The "tater-tamas" are pictured between the makizushi and rice crackers. I first made these while studying abroad in Japan-- my dorm mates and I wanted a vegetarian homecooked meal using local ingredients.

Some kids may turn their noses up at sweet potatoes. For reasons unbeknownst to lovers of things both nutritious and sweet, many children find sweet potatoes (perhaps because they are suspiciously orange) “gross.” In this same vein, almost all kids will respond to edible seaweeds with a unanimous, “Yuck!” This is too bad, as edible seaweeds, like sweet potatoes, are densely loaded with nutrients. Accordingly, this recipe kills two birds with one stone-- mashed sweet potatoes are rolled in nori flakes and sesame seeds. The resulting product, colorful little balls that you can pop into your mouth, are hard for any kid to resist. Just make sure it doesn’t end in a food fight-- the ball shape is awfully tempting.

The Recipe:

Tater-Tamas

Ingredients

- 3 Large Sweet Potatoes, steamed or baked and cooled

- 2 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce

- 1/2 Tablespoon Sesame Oil

- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger Root, grated (powdered ginger can be substituted, but only use 1 teaspoon)

- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

- About 1 Cup Nori Flakes, for rolling

- ½ Cup Toasted Sesame Seeds, for rolling

1. In a mixing bowl, mash together the steamed sweet potatoes, soy sauce, sesame oil, fresh ginger, and lemon juice. Kids should love this-- a great excuse to get hands mushy while feeling all sorts of fun textures. The mashed sweet potatoes should be workable and not too wet, so make sure you add the liquid ingredients slowly. Once combined, stick the mashed potato mixture in the fridge until it has chilled (at least 10 minutes).

2. With your hands, shape the sweet potato mash into small balls, a little smaller than a golf ball. Kids can help with this part too-- it could be a fun project to roll the interesting shapes. If you find the sweet potato mix to stick to your hands, lightly grease your fingertips with sesame oil.

3. Onto two separate plates, pour the nori flakes and sesame seeds. Roll the sweet potato balls in the nori, sesame, or both. Have fun and mix it up! You can try other toppings too-- cinnamon, nutmeg, parmesan cheese, coconut flakes, or your favorite herb blend… the possibilities are endless!

4. Arrange the tater-tamas and serve cold-- kids of all ages will love the sweet-salty flavor, and the shape and texture are easy and fun for even the pickiest of eaters. A simple and healthy snack or side dish any time of the day!

Zig Iggs It: The Sweet n' Healthy Blogger Recipe Contest-- Vegetarian Food

So last night I was perusing the internet, and I came across this recipe contest. It challenges bloggers to create and blog about recipes using, wait for it, sweet potatoes. I love sweet potatoes. I am obsessed with them. For the love of all things tuberous, I did my advanced independent study on sweet potatoes. Accordingly, I present, for your consideration and taste buddery, my first submission: a reply to the call for vegetarian sweet potato recipes.

The Challenge:

Whether you're participating in Meatless Mondays or a vegetarian for life, create a dish that let's sweet potatoes take center stage.

The Result:

Sweet Potato Curry Pot Pie

Growing up in blustery Maine, I was no stranger to a winter chill that lasted well past April. However, growing up in Maine, I was also blessed with nearby farms that offered local fresh produce and meat. These products happily surrendered themselves to winter-time comfort foods. However, in the “comfort food” collection, I often feel as though vegetarians are left out. We omnivores talk about beef stews, clam chowders, roast chicken and gravy, shepherd’s pie, Bolognese over pasta-- meaty foods, to be sure.

However, vegetarians need not feel abandoned by the warming comfort food cliques. Vegetables, especially those in season during the colder months, work beautifully in a myriad of comfort food recipes. With that in mind, I created this Sweet Potato Curry Potpie. Chunks of fresh sweet potato are stewed in an aromatic Thai red curry. This rich curry is then baked under a golden and tender crust until bubbling. This riff on a potpie is what happens when the comfort of a New England classic meets zinging Southeast Asian spice.

The Recipe

For the Wholewheat Pot Pie Topping:

Ingredients

- 1.5 Cups Whole Wheat Flour (for a lighter consistency, you can use white flour-- also, if you are gluten free, use your preferred gluten-free baking flour)

- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

- 1 Teaspoon Salt

- 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider or Another Acidic Juice

- 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

- .5 Cups Buttermilk (you can use almond or rice milk as a substitute if you prefer a vegan alternative)

1. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

2. In a pastry blender or with a fork, mix in the apple cider and vegetable oil. The mix will be slightly lumpy. Slowly mix the buttermilk into the dough. It will be a slightly wet, almost batter-like dough. Set aside and make the filling for the pie.

For the filling:

Yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients

- 2 Cups Coconut Milk

- 2 Tablespoons Red Curry Paste (store-bought or homemade)

- 3 Cups Sweet Potato, cut into bite-size chunks

- 1 Cups Green Peas, shelled

- .5 Cups Thai Basil, shredded

- A Large Handful or 2 of Cashews

- Black Pepper and Salt to Taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

1. In a large saucepan, heat the coconut milk. Before the milk has boiled, stir in the red curry paste. Mix gently, but thoroughly. The sauce should take on an orangey-pink color.

2. Add the 3 cups of sweet potato to the coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cook until the sweet potatoes are al dente, but not mushy (about 10-15 minutes). Turn off the heat.

3. Stir in the green peas, thai basil, and cashews. Season with black pepper and salt. Mix well. Allow mixture to cool and thicken. If it needs to thicken more, turn on the heat, and very lightly stir in some sifted flour or cornstarch. The consistency should be a rich and hearty pot pie filling.

4. Lightly oil the bottom and sides of a deep oven-safe pan (I use a deep cast-iron skillet for pot pies). Spoon the sweet potato curry in the pan. (You might have leftovers-- stick it in the fridge! it only gets better with more time, and is great over steamed rice.)

5. Pour the potpie topping batter over the pie filling. Cover completely.

6. Cook the pie until the crust is golden-brown and the contents are bubbly. This is about 10-12 minutes at 450 degrees F.

Notes:

- More curry paste can be added for extra spiciness.

- Try tossing in raisins, almonds, peanuts, or pistachios for different textures and flavors.

- Some people opt to peel their sweet potatoes. I never do this-- the skin of a sweet potato is dense with nutrients. If you do leave the skin on, however, your cooking time may be slightly longer.

- As I noted in the recipe, some simple substitutions can be added to make this gluten free or vegan.

Zig Iggs It: Hearts with Japan

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_189518397753345

Please join to show your support.

Zig Iggs It: Bad Puns about Yokai

I'm bored. So what am I going to do with myself? Make bad puns about yokai. Huzzah.

What do you get when you cross a yokai with a weapon of mass destruction?

A Tanuki.

What do you call a faceless cow?

A Moojina.

What do you call the yokai fiscal situation?

The Akaname.

What do you call a woman who is constantly saying the wrong thing?

Foot-in-kuchi Onna.

What do giant fish say after pulling a prank?

"I so nade..."

What sort of hat does a turtle wear?

A kappa.

What do you call yokai ectoplasm?

Tengoo.

What did the demon say to his fiancée?

"You're the oni one for me."

Can a hannya achieve enlightenment?

Naga chance!

What did the unicorn say after reading these jokes?

"You're kirin me!"

Zig Iggs It: Urban Spoon

I'll be honest. I'm a little obsessed with Urban Spoon. My reasons are manifold:

1) Easy access to take-out menus. We are take-out junkies.

2) When you're traveling and tired, it is way easier and more fun to frequent the ramblings of the bitter and anonymous than it is to peruse the crappy hotel suggestions.

3) You can target your searches by price, location, cuisine, and food needs (vegetarian etc.)

3) A place to air my vanities. I'm a shitty restaurant reviewer, but I enjoy commending jobs well-done. Especially under-represented jobs well-done. Moreover, Urban Spoon is a fun place to flex your writerly intentions (however misguided they might be) with little to no commitment. I'm all about that shit-- hence the blog.

Anyways, if you also like to spoon, find me. I'm always lookin' for spooning buddies.

Zig Iggs It: Kongregate Game's High Tea

Ok, so I haven't beat this game yet. However, that doesn't mean I'm not madly addicted to it. Like... Destruct-o-Match addicted. Moreover, Kongregate games, like Neopets, has the "finish a game and earn [pointless] stuff" mechanism that keeps overachieving procrastinators-- like me-- truly hooked. But, "High Tea", the game in question, is particularly brilliant. It's a fast-paced game that is equal parts mindless and strategic. Perfect, right? Right. Moreover, it is just off-color enough to be a) a little problematic and b) hilarious. Opium trade for the win! Or not. Anyways, I urge you to go check it out. And, in the meantime, recommended to me some more good Kongregate games. Especially ones of a similar flavor... harharhar.

Zig Iggs It: New Blogs!

Come follow the OFFICIAL Cookie Monsters blog!

We bake! We decorate! We champion edible woodland creatures! We oppose the suppression of the Cookie Monster! We pun (badly)!