Spicy Sweet Potato Soup

Lori sent this to me from a chef she used to work with. Thanks, Lori! Spicy Sweet Potato Soup Mineral rich Grade B Maple syrup is cheaper than Grade A because it is not as refined; thus there is more flavor. Canned coconut milk works well in this soup because it is richer, however any dairy or non-dairy milk can be substituted with equally great results. If you don't care for spice but want to retain the smoky flavor of the chipotle chili, remove the stem and all the seeds and add only the skin of the chili. Preparation Time: 30 minutes Difficulty: Easy Yield: 5 Cups 2 Medium Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces (large chunks), about 4 cups 1/2 Medium Spanish (yellow) Onion, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces (large chunks) 2 Cloves Garlic, peeled 1 ½ cups of water plus more to adjust consistency if necessary 1/4 Cup plus 1 Tbsp of Grade B Maple Syrup or ¼ Cup Agave Nectar (I used less and it was still sweet) ½ Chipotle Chili in Adobo (found in Hispanic section of Grocery Store) (I used dried chipotle chili powder) 2 Tbsp Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice or Apple Cider Vinegar 1 Cup Canned Coconut Milk 1 tsp Sea Salt and 1 tsp Black Pepper to taste plus more if desired Green Onions, thinly sliced, to garnish Place Sweet Potatoes, onion and garlic in 4-quart plus-size tightly lidded pot and add the water. Bring to boil and reduce heat to medium. Cook until Potatoes are tender–about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly to make handling easier. Transfer to blender and add maple syrup, chipotle chili and coconut milk  and puree until smooth. Return mixture to heat and bring up to almost a boiling point. Turn off heat and add lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with sliced green onions. NOTE: Using 1/2 of a chili (as directed) is perfect if you don't like spicy food (gives it a 'kick' but not too much).

Chocolate Chip Cookies, Take 2

This is my new favorite chocolate chip cookie. I haven't been able to try the pistachios yet although the friend who sent me this says they are amazing, and I haven't sprinkled them with smoked sea salt. But the chewy texture of this cookie is just wonderful. http://joythebaker.com/2012/08/dark-chocolate-pistachio-smoked-sea-salt-cookies/ I used 1 tbsp. ground flax + 3 tbsp. water instead of egg, kosher salt in the actual dough, and I baked these at 375 for 8-10 minutes, although the 300 degree technique works well, too. (But I can't wait 18 minutes for cookies....) I also had GREAT success making these gluten-free! I substituted the wheat flour for the same amount of Pamela's Gluten-Free Bread Mix and they were perfect! Today's mission is to substitute coconut oil for the butter, for my gluten-free dairy-free friends.

Easy Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Cream Puffs

I found this recipe for easy cream puffs in my Our Best Bites cookbook and substituted coconut oil for butter and tapioca flour for wheat flour, but they were too flat, so I added in some almond flour which perked them up and made them delicious. And they look exactly like regular cream puffs. I think they were still a little on the greasy side so next time I will use a little less coconut oil and a little more flour. http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/04/tutorial-cream-puffs/ The cream filling is coconut cream from the top of a can of Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk, chilled, and whipped with a fork with a little organic honey and some Trader Joe's Pure Bourbon Vanilla Extract. I got the idea from this blog: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/01/16/chocolate-frosting-shots/ The ganache is organic honey (not much) and equal parts cocoa powder and coconut oil, microwaved to melt everything together, then chilled to harden it.

Felicity's Chocolate Chip Cookies

This was a great article about CC cookies. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/apr/25/how-to-cook-perfect-chocolate-chip-cookies 120g salted butter, at room temperature 75g light brown sugar 75g granulated sugar ½ tsp vanilla extract 1 egg 240g plain flour ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 170g dark chocolate, roughly chopped Sea salt flakes (optional) 1. Using a wooden spoon, or (even better) a food mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until just combined. Add the vanilla extract, then the egg, and beat in well. 2. Sift together the flour and bicarbonate of soda, then use a spoon to add to the mixture, stirring until it just comes together into a dough. Fold in the chocolate pieces, then chill overnight, or for up to 72 hours. 3. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper, and divide the mixture into golf-ball sized rounds, spacing them well apart. Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden, but not browned. 4. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt if using, and allow to cool on the tray for a couple of minutes, before moving to a wire rack to cool completely – or scoffing immediately.