Pecan, Cranberry, Apple, & Goat Cheese Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

I have been so totally geeked out lately!  Think a hummingbird on the crack rock.

That’s because Thanksgiving is nearing and I cannot  help but get pumped up.  Blasting around, making lists, time schedules, and menus.  Thanksgiving and Christmas, well they are, kind of my jam.

I’ve taken it upon myself recently to bring to you some lovely Thanksgiving inspired ideas.  Outside the usual fixings on Turkey Day.  Some traditional, some tweaked in small little ways, and just some Adriennetastic recipes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue Cheese Potato Wedges

I’ve been doling out the man food once again.  We need to have a serious meeting.  Possibly a Man Food  Anonymous meeting?  I’m sorry sometimes I just reek of geek and cannot help it.  Don’t you see, I CANNOT stop.

Now before you go and try to give me an Indian burn on my thigh know this: I love you.  Each and every one of you.  This is why I baked the potatoes and and drizzled them with blue cheese, and topped them with more blue cheese.

They are completely sinful and delicious.  But not so sinful.  I mixed Greek yogurt with blue cheese dressing to cut some of the fat and calorie factor down a wee bit.

Loaded Sweet Potato Fries

This is real life.  Happening.

This is the product of a dinner minus a certain sometimes and somewhat surly man.  I can eat like a vegetarian and love every second of it.  I can shovel all the sweet potato, corn, squash, and other beta carotene loaded veggies into my gullet.  We’re talking endless possibilities here.

 

Scalloped Baked Spuds

When I first muddled across a potato recipe similar to this I was temporarily memorized by the beauty of this tuber.  I sat there, a woman under a spell of whimsy, eyes agleam with delight.

It’s the wee things in life that make my little heart go pitter patter.  Perfectly fresh tomatoes out of the garden, clean sheets, chopping celery, and the indescribable beauty of baked cheese.

Roasted Corn Salsa

Ding Dong!  I know.  Corn.

A recipe I’ve concocted that contains corn.  But this happens to be a story with a truly happy ending.  Corn and salsa meet, fall in love, and live happily ever after.  For realzies.

 

Parmesan Cannellini Bean Cakes Over Roasted Veggies

So I just bit into this amazing plumb and it was SOOO fresh, and ripe, and puplely-biddiby-boppidy-booski that it just juiced down my leg bone.

Has this ever happened to you?  Mental note: thank your Mother-in-law for the delicious juicy fresh picked plums.

Aside from the dankness rolling down my outer thigh things are picture perfect.

I had a path I was meandering down, I swear!  I’m sorry sometimes I’ve got the attention span of a weasel on meth…

Hmmmm-ba-dum.  Oh, right.  So since we are still in the end of summer growing season this is a great time to use all those odds and ends of fresh veggies for dinner.  Roast them up, and throw down some Parmesan cannellini bean cakes to top them off.  Really light and satisfying, I promise.

I know I make lots of promises, promises but have I steered you wrong yet?  Suck down those last freshly picked goodies from your garden or farmer’s market.

Parmesan Cannellini Bean Cakes Over Roasted Veggies

Serves 4

Ingredients

• FOR THE CANNELLINI BEAN CAKES
• 1 can Cannellini Beans (14 Oz) Drained And Rinsed
• 1 whole Carrot Diced
• ¼ cups Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs (or Cornmeal)
• ¼ cups Parmesan Cheese, Grated
• ½ teaspoons Sea Salt
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 Tablespoon Milk
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, Shredded
• FOR THE ROASTED VEGGIES
• 1 pound Broccolini
• 1 cup Green Beans
• 1 whole Zucchini, Sliced
• 1 whole Purple Onion, Quartered
• 1 whole Squash Sliced
• 5 whole Radishes
• 1 ear Corn, Cut Off The Cob
• ½ cups Feta Cheese
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 loaf Crusty Bread

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

On a large baking sheet toss all the veggies & garlic with olive oil. Place in over and start to roasted while preparing bean cakes.

Meanwhile in a large bowl mash beans, carrot, bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and 2 cloves garlic together. Add milk if needed.

Form into 2 inch patties. Place on baking sheet and sprinkle tops with shredded Parmesan. Bake about 10 minutes per side until crispy. Flip over top with shredded Parmesan and bake another 10 minutes.

Place veggies on plates, lay bean cakes over veggies and sprinkle with feta cheese. Serve with crusty bread. Enjoy.

Grilled Artichokes With Sea Salt

 

 

Am I shirking on my culinary responsibilities?

Just because I literally could eat these for dinner 2,561 times and be a happy girl does not mean I have strayed from cooking completely.  I have a meat eater to feed who’s eyes would glaze over and turn red while steam shot out of his ears if this was his complete meal.

 

Kale Salad With Apples, Feta, & Dried Cherries

Well, look at that, summer has just dropped anchor in your mouth.

Welcome back to the normal world.  A world completely void of massive fireworks and explosions, drippy ice cream hands, and massive American flags whipping around in the beds of trucks.  Actually, I redact my last statement; the whole flags in the back of pick up trucks is still going to happen, whether we like it or not.  As is the same for Gary Busey.

Simple Homemade Coleslaw

Nothing goes better with BBQ than good old fashioned coleslaw.  We aren’t talking about the kind in a bag and a dressing that comes out of a jar either.  This is strictly business and it is going to get professional.  With July 4th right around the bend and approaching fast I thought it would be a good idea to make a nice little coleslaw, to show my American roots.  I get caught up in the moment of Independence Day.  I always have to stop myself this time of year from driving around in my husband’s truck with two full size American flags strapped to the bedside, whipping in the wind.  Toby Keith blaring from the speakers with the windows rolled down, rocking cut off jean shorts, aviator shades, and drinking an RC Cola.

I take this holiday very seriously.  I feel like it is one of the only ones that is not over done through the consumer industry.  It is all about the food and the fireworks.  Give me a burger with a side of S’mores and a sparkler and we are talking.   You will not hear a peep out of me the rest of the evening, scouts honor.  I will slip gently into a food comma and ogle my sparkler and the world will drift away.

Simple Salsa

In Lieu of Father’s Day I felt it was my duty to make my Father proud.  It needs to have a little “kick” to it.  Whenever my Father mentioned anything that had, “a kick to it” you were garenteed to get your face scorched off.

Now that we’ve been courting for quite some time I feel that you know me well enough.  Enough to know that I am a sucker for spicy, I think this all stems from Daddy.  I also get weak in the knees for dessert, but my love for dessert comes from Mama.  But if it has a little kick to it, I’m all in.  Yes sir I’ll have another.   Yes, I’d slurp that salsa out of a dirty piggy trough.  And yes, I’d do it over and over again without feeling bad about it.