Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Yams, sweet potatoes... whatever you want to call them. I am NOT a fan. Never have been. The thought of a potato being sweet, eww. My Mom never made the Sweet Potato Casserole with brown sugar and spice topped with mini marshmallows. As a wee youngster I remember listening and watching Oaklahoma! wondering why in the heck would anyone make a pie out of potatoes and sweet ones? Ga-Ross!

In my previous post I made a tri tip roast in the crockpot with beer. It was one of the best crockpot meals I have had in a LONG time. Robby even truly enjoyed. Maybe because it cooked in Bud Light all day, and included Meat and Taters. Anyway, he said he did not want any of the yams on his plate. I certainly didn't either, until I tasted one little bit of it on a fork. The taste was amazing. The sweet potates were not sweet. Instead they were savory and garlicy and beefy. They were awesome. I was then inspired to mash them. And mash them I did and I actually enjoyed them tremendously!!!

If I were to make the Yams/Sweet Potatoes again, this is what I would do.

Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes
makes 6 servings

3 yams or sweet potatoes (each chopped in 3 or 4 pieces)
Water to cover potates
3 tbs beef base
1 tbs minced garlic
1 tsp italian seasonings
1/2 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt
a few good shakes ground red pepper
1 can Bud Light beer
1/4 cup butter in slabs

Boil potatoes in beef broth and Bud Light with Italian Seasonings and garlic, over high heat until potato chunks are fork tender. Remove potato pieces from pot. Place in your mixing bowl. Mix until blended adding a slab of butter and mixing a bit after each addition. Add a little of the broth to make the mashed consistancy to your liking. Sprinkle a little salt and red pepper over mashed taters and mix again. Enjoy!

You are Welcome!

Drunken Crockpot Tri Tip Roast

At Ralphs, I found a nice little tri tip. The price was right, I bought it. Tonight we will dine on a meal cooked in the Crockpot.

Drunken Crockpot Tri Tip Roast

One 1 1/2 pound Tri Tip
3 Red Potatoes
2 Butter White Potatoes
1 Yam cut in thirds or quartered
2 Carrots, cut into 2 inch chunks
Italian Seasoning
Lawrys Seasoning Salt
Ground Red Pepper
1/2 Cup Water
1 Tbs. Beef Base
1/2 tsp. Minced Garlic
1 12 oz. can Bud Light beer

Season the bottom of crockpot with the seasonings. Place Tri Tip on top of seasoned bottom. Sprinkle the top with seasonings. Place potatoes and yam pieces over meat. Place carrots around potatoes and over meat. Sprinkle the tops with Italian Seasonings. In a small bowl mix water, beef base and garlic. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir. Pour beer in the bowl, stir again. Pour Beef and Beer mixture over the contents of crockpot. Depending on when you are serving your meal, put the cover on the pot and set on high for 4-6 hours of low 6-8 hours.

Serve the Meat and Potatoes to your Man with Buttered Wheat toast and a Bud Light!

My List From Popper

Popper was Robby's Maternal Grandfather. What a guy! We think of him often and miss him dearly. He was one in a million. One of the most intelligent and wise men ever. He could have written the questions to at least 4 Trivial Pursuit games without having to do any research.

Memories of Popper often revolve around food. I found a special paper this week, on it a list, dictated to me by our beloved Popper from many years ago. The note paper has little angels on it and reads...

Some days, the only place to go is UP!
Until Heaven is ready, I'll just send a note.

This list has all of the things any good Italian Family would need in their refrigerator or home.

Bottles and Packages of things

Genoa Salami
Hot ham (has red pepper edges)
Proscuitini (has black pepper edges)
Sliced Provolone
Wedges of sharp cheese
Salamette (regular)
Pepperoni
black olives
greek olives
breads and rolls
regular italian provolone
Pecorino (sheep) Parmesan Cheese (at least 3 pounds)
wine

He also told me the best places to by these items.

Monte Carlo in Burbank on Magnolia
Romano's in the Valley

Crispy Faux Fried Chicken Nuggets Or Strips

A day ago, I took some chicken out of the freezer. I thawed it in the fridge a day. It was still frozen. So I bathed it in a bath of buttermilk and some spices and created something wonderful.

Crispy Faux Fried Chicken Nuggets or Strips

Chicken breast (boneless and skinless) cut into bite size pieces
buttermilk
Lawrys Seasoning salt
ground red pepper

Panko Bread crumbs or crushed crackers
salt and pepper

Put your chicken pieces in a bowl. Sprinkle chicken with the seasonings. Pour enough buttermilk to cover and stir until pieces are bathing in the milk. Cover and put bowl in the refrigerator overnight.

When ready to cook your Crispy Faux Fried Chicken Nuggets or Strips. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove chicken from the fridge. On a plate pour a mound of Panko Bread crumbs or crushed crackers. Use a fork and remove a piece of chicken from the buttermilk bath. Coat both sides of chicken in crumbs and place on a baking sheet. Do this to all of your chicken pieces, adding more crumbs as needed to the mound on the plate to coat pieces. Sprinkle the tops of crumbed chicken pieces with a little salt and pepper.

Pop the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes until pieces of chicken are cooked.

Serve with Seasoned corn and Mashed potatos or baked potatos. Enjoy.