Sweet potato cakes

Well, hi there.

I can't believe it's been a month since my last post. And while that recipe was for a summer crisp, today - with a chilly, constant rain pounding against our windows - my thoughts are veering to the autumnal.

These Sweet Potato Cakes are the kind of recipe that make you glad for the cooler weather. They're hearty and full of flavour, and pack up beautifully to take to lunch the next day. A little of the accompanying sauce goes a long way, and I thought these savoury cakes were great even on their own.

Happy fall!

Sweet Potato Cakes

(from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi)

1 pound sweet potatoes

1 1/2 Tbsp Greek yogurt

1 1/2 Tbsp sour cream

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp chopped cilantro

salt and black pepper

1 tsp soy sauce

scant 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp chopped green onion

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

butter for frying

Steam the sweet potatoes until completely soft, then let drain in a colander for at least an hour. Mash and set aside.

To make the sauce, whisk together Greek yogurt, sour cream, olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Place the sweet potatoes in a bowl and add soy sauce, flour, salt, sugar, green onion, and crushed red peppers. Mix thoroughly by hand to prevent overmixing (otherwise the mixture will become gummy).

Melt some butter in a non-stick frying pan. Form sweet potato mixture into 6 - 8 disks. Fry on medium heat until golden, then flip and repeat. Place between two paper towels to blot the excess butter. Serve with sauce on the side.

The Sword in the Stone

I have to admit I’d never cooked with rutabagas – never even eaten them, to my recollection – before I tried this recipe. But when I opened Yotam Ottolenghi’s new cookbook, Plenty More, I kept flipping back to this page. I had to try it.

The recipe is pretty straightforward, but cutting rutabaga isn’t easy. At one point, as I was slicing through the thickest part, my knife actually got stuck. I tried sawing it forward and yanking it backward. Still it wouldn’t move. I felt like the young King Arthur trying to remove his fabled sword from its resting place. But like young Arthur, I persevered, certain it was my destiny to do so. And like him, I was eventually successful.

Though I can’t claim this recipe is the holy grail, I can tell you it was mythically delicious. And its magical powers were such that even my 17 year old – who doesn’t like anything – ate it, and admitted she liked it. Even Merlin hath no greater power.

Stuffed Peppers with Rutabagas and Goat Cheese

(adapted from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi)

2/3 cup unsalted butter (yikes! But don’t worry, you’ll drain off most of it)

1 large rutabaga, peeled and cut into 3/4" (1 cm) dice

1/2 cup thyme leaves

1 cup finely grated Parmesan

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 small yellow bell peppers

3 small red bell peppers

2 tsp olive oil

6 ounces (180 gram) goat cheese log, broken into 3/4" (1 cm) pieces

salt and black pepper

Melt the butter in a large saute pan or frying pan over medium heat. Add the rutabaga, thyme, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and a grind of pepper. Turn down the heat to low and cook, uncovered, for about 50 minutes, spooning the butter over the rutabaga from time to time, until the rutabaga is completely soft and caramelized. Use a slotted spoon to remove the rutabaga from the butter and add it to a large bowl along with the Parmesan and garlic. Set aside until needed. (The leftover butter can be used for cooking carrots or zucchini, if you like.)

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Cut the peppers in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and white flesh and place, cut side up, on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle the oil over the top, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and place in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the peppers are slightly charred and the flesh is completely soft. Remove the peppers from the oven and turn down the temperature to 425 degrees F.

Spoon the rutabaga mixture into each pepper and dot the goat cheese on top. Return to the oven for a further 10 to 15 minutes, so the cheese gets some colour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving warm, or serve at room temperature.