I recently had a to-die-for sweet potato salad at Maxine's a local lunch girl place in Heavensville. Their version had roasted sweet potatoes, walnuts, dried cranberries, in a sweet vinagrette, perhaps with honey and/or balsalmic vinegar. I couldn't find a similar recipe, but the chef's at Finer Kitchen's steered me on this one - it got great reviews. It's from Sara's Kitchen on Food TV.

Sweet Potato Salad:
4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup raw green pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped scallions (green and white)
1 cup julienned roasted red pepper

Dressing:
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup mango chutney
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup olive oil

Make the Salad: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a roasting pan, combine the potatoes, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, rosemary, salt, pepper, cumin and ginger. Stir to combine and bake until the potatoes are fork-tender and golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and cook, stirring, until toasted. Transfer the seeds to a plate and season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the cranberries, scallions, and red pepper and set aside.

Make the Dressing: Prepare the dressing by combining all the ingredients (except for the olive oil) in a small saucepan and heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the olive oil.
Assemble salad by gently tossing the roasted potatoes with the red pepper mixture. Add enough of the dressing to coat and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with extra dressing on the side.

4 irish potatoes, cut into quarters
1/2 head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
chopped green onion
1 c milk
4 T butter
salt & pepper

In a medium pot, boil the potatoes. Meanwhile, combine milk, cabbage, onion, half the butter, salt and pepper into a large pot and bring to a simmer. Cook until the cabbage is soft, about 15 minutes. When the potatoes are fork tender, drain well and add to the cabbage mixture. Mash with a potato masher, adding in remaining butter and more salt & pepper to taste.

This has been a family favorite for years. I like it with porkchops, but then I like anything with porkchops.

~ jan

Dear SOS: Whenever I get out to L.A., I have to stop at Auntie Em's Kitchen in Eagle Rock for a cupcake fix -- specifically, for a coconut cupcake with coconut cream cheese frosting. It's a miracle of a baked good. Do you think you could get the recipe for a Bostonite who's stuck on the East Coast dreaming of this confection?

-- Jenny Sawyer, Boston

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FOR THE RECORD:
Cupcake recipe: A recipe for Auntie Em's coconut cupcakes in Wednesday's Food section indicated that 1 3/4 cups shredded sweetened coconut should be divided. Instead, all of it should be used for the batter. —

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Dear Jenny: This billowy coconut cupcake is pretty irresistible. The cake has a hint of almond and a light buttermilk tang. There's tender, shredded coconut baked into the cake too. And the frosting -- it's a cream cheese frosting with butter mixed in, airy and creamy both, finished with a sprinkling of more shredded coconut on top. This one's for you, Bostonites.

Auntie Em's coconut cupcakes

Total time: 45 minutes, plus cooling time for the cupcakes

Servings: Makes 1 1/2 dozen cupcakes

Note: Adapted from Auntie Em's Kitchen in Eagle Rock.

2 1/3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

3 eggs

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided

2 teaspoons almond extract

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups shredded sweetened coconut, plus extra for decorating the frosted cupcakes

1/2 pound cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) butter, at room temperature

3 1/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. Separately, in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the oil, buttermilk, eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, the almond extract and sugar. Using a hand mixer or in a stand mixer, on low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until smooth, careful not to overmix. Gently fold in the coconut.

2. Place 18 paper muffin cups into muffin tins. Fill each cup with a generous one-fourth cup of batter, so that it comes three-fourths up the side of each cup. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes to a rack and allow to cool completely.

3. For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese on low speed until smooth; scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the butter and continue mixing on medium speed until smooth. Scrape down the bowl again. Add the powdered sugar in three additions at low speed, mixing each addition until just combined. Scrape down the bowl again. Add the remaining teaspoon vanilla and mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

4. Frost each cupcake with 3 tablespoons frosting and sprinkle with extra shredded coconut. The cupcakes will keep for 2 days.

Each serving: 475 calories; 4 grams protein; 55 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 27 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 66 mg. cholesterol; 288 mg. sodium.

Lemon-Poppyseed Pancakes

These pancakes are a nice change from the standard pancake. They are the perfect treat for a lazy Sunday morning.

Serves 4


1 cup buttermilk
4 eggs separated
1 cup flour
dash salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
zest and juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tablespoon poppyseeds

Beat together buttermilk and egg yolks until well-blended. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

Combine the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda into the milk-yolk mixture. Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, along with the lemon zest and juice, and the poppyseeds. The egg whites should be blended, but somewhat distinct from the rest of the batter.

On a nonstick griddle, or large pan, lightly greased with butter or oil if necessary and heated to medium, add the batter by 1/2 cup ladlefuls. Cook until lightly brown on the bottom, and bubbles begin to rise to the top, about 3 minutes. Turn over and cook until brown on the second side.

Pancakes can remain in a warm oven until ready to serve, but then should be eaten immediately. Sprinkle pancakes with additional poppyseeds if you like, and serve with pure maple syrup.

I've never eaten a Jicama, but Nisha is a big fan of them, and she was really interested in this recipe I saw Sandra Lee making on FoodTV.

I must admit, I'm really intrigued with it, also, so I'm going to give it a try. Mandarin oranges, mayo, sounds good to me -

If you, too, are unfamiliar with Jicama, it supposedly has a flavor similar to some varieties of apples.

~ jan

1 medium jicama, shredded on your box grater
2 cups (1 bag) prepackaged angel hair cole slaw
1 (11-ounce) can Mandarin orange segments, drained, 1/4 cup juice reserved
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 red onion, minced into small dice

Add cole slaw, onion and Mandarin orange segments to grated Jicama; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together reserved Mandarin juice, mayonnaise, vinegar, and salt and pepper.

Pour dressing over jicama mixture. Toss to mix thoroughly.

Serve immediately.

I was watching Paula Deen on QVC this evening, and she was selling her Ooey Gooey Butter Cake for $29 - it's the original cake that she started baking when she started her restaurant. So I Googled it for all of you, found it right away - here it is, with all variations - a great Easter dessert.

~ jan


Note:  A lot of you find this this page thru Google.  If you click here, it will take you to my home page, lots and lots of yummy recipes to browse.  Pinky swear, it's worth the click. ~ jan

• Cake
• 1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• Filling
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 (16-ounce) box confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well. Pat into the bottom of prepared pan and set aside.
3. Still using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth; add eggs and vanilla. Dump in confectioners' sugar and beat well. Reduce speed of mixer and slowly pour in butter. Mix well.
4. Pour filling onto cake mixture and spread evenly. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Don't be afraid to make a judgment call on the cooking time, because oven temperatures can vary. You want the center to be a little gooey, so don't bake it past that point!
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares. Just remember that these wonderful little cakes are very, very rich, and a little will go a long way-even for piggies like me!

Pumpkin Gooey: This variation has to be at the top of my list, especially around Thanksgiving. For the cake part, I sometimes use a spice cake mix. I have even used a chocolate cake mix, but I think my favorite is the basic yellow cake mix. Follow the original recipe, adding a 15-ounce can of pumpkin pie filling and an extra egg to the cream cheese filling. Bake as usual, remove from oven, and allow to cool. Cut into squares and top each square with a pecan half. Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. I promise you'll never want pumpkin pie again!

Pineapple Gooey: Add a 20-ounce can of drained crushed pineapple and an extra egg to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.

Lemon Gooey: Use a lemon cake mix in place of the yellow cake. Add the juice (approximately 1/4 cup) and zest of 2 lemons to the cream cheese filling. Proceed: as directed above.

Carrot Cake Gooey: Use a spice cake mix, and add 1 cup chopped nuts and 1 1/2 cup finely grated carrots to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.

Peanut Butter Gooey: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter and an extra egg to cream cheese filling. You can sprinkle the top of batter with 1 cup chopped peanuts if you like. Proceed as directed above.

Chocolate Chip Gooey: Use either yellow or chocolate cake mix. Sprinkle 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup chopped nuts on top of filling. Proceed as directed above.

Banana Gooey: Use a yellow cake mix. Prepare cream cheese filling as directed, beating in 2 ripe bananas and an extra egg. Proceed as directed above.

Nutty Gooey: Use a yellow cake mix, and add 1 cup chopped nuts to the cake mixture. Proceed as directed above.

Chippy Gooey: Stir 1 cup white chocolate chips, peanut butter chocolate chips, butterscotch morsels, Heath Almond Toffee Bits or Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits into filling. Proceed as directed above.

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I sell wonderful aprons, I especially like the cobbler style shown below.  It covers a multitude of sins, and comes in great colors, too.  I also have bistro aprons, bar and bib aprons, Chef’s clothes and accessories.  You can view the entire collection by clicking here.

~ jan

This recipe was one of L.A. Food Times 10 Best Recipes for 2007 - sounds good to me, I'm a lemon FREAK.... I love anything lemon.

AND, since I'm pretty lazy these days when it comes to cooking and take all the shortcuts I can, I probably would just use a lemon cake mix and add a teaspoon of lemon extract to the batter, then proceed with the topping.

That's what I do with pineapple-upside-down cake - I use a pineapple cake mix, the juice from the can of pineapple and add the teaspoon of pineapple extract - then all I have to do is add the butter/brown sugar and pineapple to the bottom of the pan. It works great, just ask Hooterville. She just ADORES it, especially when "Leddy" makes it for her.

~ jan

Note: A marmalade-like top (or is it bottom?) with overlapping slices of lemons make this upside-down cake recipe from Donna Deane a standout. It's from a March 14 article about baking with lemons by Deane and Susan LaTempa. It may be served with a lightly sweetened whipped cream, if desired.

4 small lemons (about 4 ounces each)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter (1 1/4 sticks), divided
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 vanilla bean, split
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

1. Cut 3 of the lemons into one-eighth-inch thick slices. Remove seeds and set aside. You will have about 30 lemon slices. Grate 1 teaspoon lemon peel from the remaining lemon. Set aside the grated peel; save the lemon for another use.

2. Heat 4 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or an ovenproof 10-inch saute pan until melted. Brush the sides of the skillet with a little of the melted butter. Add the brown sugar, stir until it is moistened with the butter and spread it into an even layer. Arrange the lemon slices, slightly overlapping, to cover the bottom of the skillet. Set aside.

3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.

4. Cut the remaining 6 tablespoons butter into a mixing bowl. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean with the point of a knife onto the butter. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until creamy. Add the sugar and grated lemon peel and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

5. Add half the flour mixture and beat until blended. Add milk and beat until combined, then add the remaining flour mixture and beat until blended.

6. Spread the batter over the lemons in the skillet to cover evenly. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cake is golden and the center tests done. Let the cake stand 5 minutes, then invert the skillet onto a platter. To serve, slice into wedges with a sharp knife.

Each serving: 498 calories; 5 grams protein; 62 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 28 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 122 mg. cholesterol; 274 mg. sodium.

I've made this pie, and it is SO good, and SO different, with the coconut crust. Give it a try, ladies, it's a winner...

~ jan








Crust Ingredients:

1		(7-ounce) package (2 2/3 cups) sweetened flaked coconut
1/4		cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted

1/2		cup sugar
1/4		cup all-purpose flour
1/4		teaspoon salt
2		cups milk
3		eggs, separated
1		teaspoon vanilla
1		medium banana, sliced

3		reserved egg whites
6		tablespoons sugar

Heat oven to 325°F. Reserve 1/4 cup coconut; set aside.

Combine remaining coconut and butter in medium bowl; press onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, combine 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in 2-quart saucepan; stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil (7 to 8 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir small amount of milk mixture into egg yolks; return to pan. Reduce heat to low. Continue cooking until slightly thickened (1 to 2 minutes). (DO NOT BOIL.) Stir in vanilla. Pour half of hot filling into baked crust; cover with banana slices. Top with remaining filling.

Increase oven temperature to 375°F. Beat egg whites in small bowl at high speed until foamy. Continue beating, gradually adding 6 tablespoons sugar, until glossy and stiff peaks form. Spread onto warm filling, sealing to edge of crust. Sprinkle with reserved coconut.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 30 minutes at room temperature. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Store refrigerated.

Ingredient Substitution Index

Nutrition Facts (1 serving): Calories: 340, Fat: 17g, Cholesterol: 100mg, Sodium: 240mg, Carbohydrates: 43g, Dietary Fiber: 2g, Protein: 6g

This stuff is AWESOME - we've made it for years, it's a great recipe... ~ jan

Andrea's Garlic Salad

DRESSING
Mix together and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving:
3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
3-5 cloves of garlic crushed
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar

SALAD
1 head of Romaine
1/2-1 lb. of bacon, cooked crisp and diced
2/3 cup of toasted almonds
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup julienned Swiss cheese
2 cups of sliced plum tomatoes, or cherry
tomatoes quartered
1 cup of croutons

Serves (about) 6

1 bag of fresh cranberries, washed and rinsed
3 cups sliced apples (I used Golden Delicious)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmet
3 tablespoons butter

Mix pie ingredients together and let sit for about fifteen minutes while you prepare crust.

Bake at 375 for fifteen minutes in 9" pie crust, then turn over to 350 and bake until golden brown and bubbly, approximately another 45 minutes.

This is a great pie. ~ jan