Tuesday, I came home from work after a drive by Trader Joe's. I scored organic carrots, pomegranate juice, and of course, the macaroni and cheese. I may or may not have picked up a bag of Druid Circles. That's for me to know and nobody else to find out. I was going to finish my charting and make the Pomegranate Glazed Carrots from the Thanksgiving issue of Fine Cooking. I'm trying to pound out my turkey day menu and try out new things ahead of time. On Saturday, I made some mashed sweet potatoes with fresh ginger. I liked the dish, but I was the only one who ate them. About a week or so ago, in fact, it was the day of the pedicure, I was talking of boycotting Thanksgiving. I wanted to go serve in a soup kitchen and make reservations for myself for dinner out. Well, it seems every place has the volunteers they need for that day, so it's back to the original plan of slaving in the kitchen on the holiday.
Back to the glazed carrots...well, let's just say they weren't as pretty as the picture in the magazine and the carrots had no tooth, but they were sweet, tart and very tasty. Next time, I'll use the right ingredients and cook the them in smaller batches so they brown before turning too soft. The honey, balsamic and pomegranate juice cooked down to a sort of muddy looking glaze though. I'll admit it here, I didn't have any chicken broth, so I cannibalized a package of Ramen noodles, stole the broth packet and used that. I didn't have fresh mint, either, and used dried. I think if you want a dish to turn out right, you should start with the correct ingredients.
Back to my personal ad title: In Search of Patty's Perfectly Glazed Sweet Potato Recipe.
My mother in law made three things perfectly that I can't figure out. The first was her chicken and dumplings. Not the poofie dumplings, the perfectly flat, wanna be a noodle type of dumpling. Her pot roast was the best I ever tasted and the carrots she served with the roast were perfectly seasoned and caramelized. And that woman, God rest her soul, made the best baked sweet potatoes that were swimming in a glaze that tasted of brown sugar and butter. I've tried and tried, but can't duplicate it to save my life. The glaze was perfect, and the sauce never broke like it does when I make it. Which one of you can duplicate that for me or at least come close? I'm willing to try any marshmallow free recipe that you send my way.
So, do you have a recipe that sounds close? Can you help a girl out?
16 comments:
I have been toying with the pre-plan of the Thanksgiving Feast also. Saw a couple of recipes I may try. My crowd is going to be very small this year, so I won't be doing the week long cooking for 20-25 people, as in the past few years. One year I tried a sweet potatoes recipe that was on the healthy side, for my Dad and he loved it. I will send it to you and see if it sounds good to you.
Sorry - don't have the glaze recipe but I can duplicate the chicken and dumplings [with the flat dumplings] which we call chicken pot pie as it was made with a chicken, in a pot on top of the stove and the dumplings were basically my grandmother's pie crust cut in strips.
I love making this. Yum.
No help other than to suggest checking out the online directories. My former MIL put almonds and pineapple in hers and that was always a nice change from what I grew up with.
I don't have a recipe but with carrots and sweet potatoes I first just cook them almost done. Drain all liquids, put a little butter, sprinkle generously with brown sugar and keep stirring, gently so not to mash the veggies, until it is carmelized.
How's that? A dash of this, some of that, I always love those types of recipes because no one knows exactly how to repeat it...sorry.
I don't have a recipe either. My daughter and family will be here from Ohio, and one of my sons will be here, and a couple of friends will join us and we're all going out to eat to a fabulous place where someone else does the slaving. Yay! But we will cook a turkey and some healthy veggies Friday, the day after, to munch on that day. We did that last year, and it was nice. Sorry I am not helpful Rudee.
Brenda, that sounds good. I'll try the healthy version.
Skippy, Pie crust? Really I guess it's not that far off from a noodle recipe, is it?
Rose, that does sound tasty.
Gail, I've not tried them on the stove top like that...just in the oven. I'll test this way out.
Renie, our original plan was to go out. One day I'll try that. It sounds liberating.
Can't help either, I'm a pretty miserable cook. Our Thanksgiving was last month and being away didn't cook turkey. I like the pouffy dumplings...ciao
We're still eating our Thanksgiving turkey. Freezers make it last! Not sure if that's a good thing or not. I like my sweet potatoes plain with butter - no sweet stuff - so I'll not be much help to you.
I didn't know that dumplings came any other way than pouffy. I must try the pastry thing.
We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Mexico, but we are already planning Xmas dinner... I want to see how your carrots turn out!
Wow that dish looks de-lish. Do you realize you said I am almost 100 years old? That check on my blog was written the same year I was born. Well I am not one to be unrealistic, yes I am almost 100 years old. I think I am doing pretty good for pushing toward 100. Think you will make it? I use the pie crust strips too for the dumplings.
QMM
Ooh, I wish I could--sounds delicious! Nobody knows how she did it?
QMM, that's probably because I hadn't yet had my coffee. It's actually several decades away from that point. Sorry <3
Miss T--haven't a clue.
Sounds yummy. Several people have mentioned Thanksgiving to me today and I really can't get my head around it yet. Hoping we'll have a lot to be thankful for by then! ;-)
My favorite way of eating sweet potatoes is to
boil them with the peel.
Then take the peel off, cut in slices and ADD TO:
a medium onion (sliced) and 3 Granny Smith apples sliced up (cored and seeded as well), sauteed together in butter,
simmer for 10-15 min. in 1/2 cup of water and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt, pepper, dash of nutmeg.
Healthy! Hope that helps you!
The recipe is on my post of Nov/Dec 2008
Wow, your mother in law could cook!
I'm hoping for the first time ever in my whole life, to actually be out of town and go up to my sis'. I figure all my guys can do whatever the girls' families are doing. I hope my plan works. If it does I'll be up at the coast.
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