Know Your Ingredients — Sweet Potatoes

Know Your Ingredients – Sweet Potatoes

What has as much fiber as a bowl of oatmeal, almost twice the Vitamin A of carrots, more potassium than a banana, and is a good source of Vitamin B6 and Manganese? The sweet potato! Surprised?

The sweet potato is one of the healthiest foods in the Southern diet, achieving super food status for its powerful antioxidants and carotenoids that protect the body against cancer, heart disease and boosts the immune system.

One large sweet potato has approximately 162 calories, compared to 278 for a regular baked potato. It is naturally low in sodium and fat.

Of course, the problem is that most sweet potato recipes tend to drown them in butter and sugar. But this no longer needs to be true. Sweet potatoes are gaining attention of chefs and home cooks for their delicious flavors and outstanding nutrition.

How to Use Sweet Potatoes

Healthy Baked Sweet Potatoes

Baking or microwaving is one of the easiest ways to use sweet potatoes. Simply cook them the same way you would an Idaho potato. When it comes time to dress them, get a little creative. Instead of butter, try topping them with a sprinkle of cinnamon and top with a spoon full of pineapple tidbits. This is a healthy way to enjoy the flavors of sweet potato casserole, without the fat and sugar.

To Bake Sweet Potatoes:

Wrap each potato in foil and place in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour.  Remove from the oven and slit open. Stuff as desired.

To Microwave Sweet Potatoes:

Wash the outside of each potato and prick the skin in several places with a fork. This will allow the steam to escape without rupturing the skin. Place on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 8 minutes. Press the potato, it will yield easily when done. If it is still hard, microwave for 2 more minutes or until done. Cooking times vary with the size of the potato and the power of the microwave.

How to Make Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

Candied Sweet Potato Recipes

 

The Perfect Cake

The Perfect Cake
By Diane Watkins

The perfect cake is easily recognizable.  It’s shape is perfectly symmetrical with a  golden brown crust.  It has a  feathery velvet texture. It is moist and light.  The taste is pure heaven.  You can certainly recognize a perfect cake, but can you make one?

When making a cake it is important to follow the recipe exactly.  If you try to skip a step you may have less than desirable results.  Skip the sifting step and your flour will be heavier than it should, creating a heavy, dry cake.  Over-mix and your cake will be tough and chewy, more like a good bread.

So, what are the steps in making a good cake?  Lets explore these separately.

The Right Ingredients
First, use the right ingredients and measure carefully.  If the recipe calls for cake flour, you will have best results with cake flour.  All-purpose flour can be substituted, but will not make as tender a cake.

Mixing
Beat the liquid ingredients well before combining with the dry ingredients.  Once the dry ingredients are added, the cake should be stirred gently, unless the directions tell you otherwise.  If your cake is course and dry, or has tunnels, you have probably over-mixed.
All-purpose flour has a higher gluten content, and this will affect your results.  Also realize that all-purpose flour varies according to the region of the country it is produced.  Southern brands of flour are a softer gluten than those in the northern US.  If you must substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour, either use a southern product, or use 2 Tablespoons less per cup of flour suggested.

Leavening Agents
There are three different leavening agents used in cake making.  Baking powder, baking soda, and air.  Occasionally, you may see a recipe calling for yeast, but this is not the norm.  If the recipe does not call for either baking powder or baking soda, then your leavening agent is air and your beating step is very important.  Pound cakes, sponge cakes, and angel food cakes all use air as their leavening agent.  Many cakes use a combination of leavening agents, including air. Beating the cake at the suggested speed for the appropriate time listed will beat in the air and make your cake light.

Baking powder also comes in different varieties, including regular and double acting.  If your recipe specifies a variety, be sure to use the one called for.    Most recipes that call for baking soda require buttermilk, lemon juice, or vinegar.  Do not substitute regular milk for buttermilk without adding acid, as it is necessary to activate the baking soda and make the cake rise.

Shortening, Oil, and Butter
Again, using the correct shortening is important.  If substituting, be aware of the liquid content.  Everyone is aware of the need to decrease the liquid when using oil, but you may not know that butter contains more liquid than shortening, requiring an increase in volume and a decrease in the liquid added to the recipe.

Baking Pans
Choose the correct size and shape of baking pan.  The batter should almost fill the pan, without any spillage or bulging.  Baking times and temperature will be dependent on the pan size.  A thinner pan may need a higher temperature to bake the cake without drying it out.

Prepare the pan as directed.  Most recipes call for the pan to be greased and floured.  A piece of waxed paper or parchment paper cut to fit the bottom may be placed in the greased pan if desired.  This will aid removing the cake when done.  If using the paper, grease the bottom and sides, place the paper into the bottom and then flour the sides if directed.

Baking the Cake
Preheat the oven as directed.  Starting in a cold oven, or too hot an oven will affect the rising and browning of the cake.  A cake started in a cool oven will not allow the cake to rise sufficiently before the crust forms and the cake may fall.  Too hot an oven may cause a crack to develop, and the crust might harden and over brown.   The cake should be placed in the center of the oven for best heat distribution.  Be aware of your oven, if there are hot spots in your oven you may need to adjust.

The cake is done when it is lightly browned and it springs back when lightly pressed with the fingertip in the center or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and dry.  The cake will have begun to shrink away from the sides of the pan.

Follow the recipe on removing the cake from the pan.  Some cakes can be removed immediately, some need a 5 minute rest, and others must be allowed to cool completely in the pan.  Proper attention to this detail will prevent repairs caused by the cake sticking to the pan and tearing.

Using the proper ingredients, mixing well at the proper time, and careful baking will produce a light tender cake that you will be proud to serve.  Follow the recipe, understand the reasons behind the directions, and you, too will have the “knack” for cakes.

How to Make Traditional Southern Biscuits – with Recipes

Making biscuits is a skill that all good southern cooks should master. There is nothing more satisfyingly southern than a light flaky biscuit with gravy or homemade jam. Biscuits are quick and easy to make and economical as well.

The secret to good biscuits is in the mixing. The dry ingredients must be kept separate from the wet until ready to bake, then mixed only as much as needed to make the dough. Over mixing will develop gluten and result in a tough chewy biscuit.

First, lets discuss the ingredients. The type of flour is important, a good flour will make good biscuits. You want a fresh low gluten flour. Self-rising flour is traditional in the south, but you can use all-purpose flour as well. I always thought it was a prejudice that good southern cooks used only “southern” flour, until I learned about the differences in gluten. Southern brands of flour such as White Lily is milled from a soft wheat that contains less gluten and will produce a lighter biscuit. Bread flour has too much gluten and will make a tough biscuit.

Lard is the traditional fat for making biscuits, but shortening is fine and probably healthier. The fat will cut into the flour better if it is used cold. It should not be melted. If you wish to use oil, make drop biscuits, muffins, or quick breads.

Baking powder and salt are the leavening if you are using all-purpose flour. Do not reduce or omit the salt. If you use self-rising flour, no baking powder and salt are needed, unless you are making angel biscuits, which use yeast.

Start by “cutting” the lard or shortening into the flour. This is accomplished by using a pastry blender, two forks or your hands. Cut the cold fat into small pieces and add it to the flour. Rub it into the flour repeatedly until the mixture resembles course crumbs, similar to making a pie crust. I prefer to rub the fat into the flour using my hands, rubbing the butter and flour between my thumb and fingers. But if you don’t like the mess, use a pastry cutter and push it repeatedly into the butter and flour, “cutting” through the mixture until it resembles crumbs. If you have overly warm hands you might prefer the pastry cutter, because you do not want to warm the fat.

Next, make a hole or “well” into the center of the flour mixture to pour the milk or buttermilk into. The milk is poured in all at once. Use a fork to mix the flour into the milk stirring around the sides of the well to bring the flour in. Bring in only as much flour as you need to make a soft dough. Once the dough is formed, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it perhaps 2 or 3 times if needed to bring the dough together. The dough will not form a cohesive ball like yeast dough. Just push the crumbs and bits together, ignoring any that are too dry. The dough should be soft, do not overwork it. Roll it or pat it out to about a half inch thick and then cut with a floured cutter, pressing straight down. Twisting the cutter will seal the edges and inhibit rising. Biscuits can also be formed by hand, or cut into squares with a knife. Place the biscuits onto an ungreased pan, just barely touching, or if you like the sides browned and crusty, place a half inch apart. Biscuits that are touching in the pan will rise higher and spread less.

Place the biscuits into a hot pre-heated oven. They are done when they are golden brown. Baking times are given in the recipe, but can vary from oven to oven, so keep an eye on them, but resist the temptation to open the oven too often. As soon as they come out of the oven, remove them from the pan with a spatula or pancake turner. Cool slightly, and enjoy them warm. Some people prefer to brush with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven, this is optional.

Biscuits can be frozen and reheated in the oven. The result is not quite the same, but acceptable. Some people reheat them in the microwave, wrapped in a damp napkin, but they are a little chewy this way for my taste.

Once you’ve mastered the art of biscuit making, you’ll want to experiment with adding a few ingredients. Cheese is a traditional add in, as are herbs, but use your imagination.

Traditional Southern Biscuit

3 cups self-rising flour, plus some to flour the board
½ cup shortening or lard
1 cup milk

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Sift the flour into a medium bowl.
3. Add the shortening to the flour in bits and cut into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Form a well in the center of the flour and add the milk into the well.
5. Stir the milk into the flour with a fork, just until mixed.
6. Turn out onto a floured board, counter top, or piece of parchment paper. Knead gently 2 or 3 times and roll or pat to a ½ inch thickness.
7. Cut into 2 inch rounds with a biscuit cutter. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot.

A Leaner Version of Biscuits with Self-Rising Flour

2 cups self-rising flour
¼ cup shortening or lard
1 cup milk or buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Put the flour in a bowl.  With a pastry cutter or your fingers rub the shortening into the flour until the texture is like cornmeal.
3. Form a hole or well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour the milk or buttermilk into the well.
4. Use your fork to stir the flour into the milk, stirring in a circle so that a little more flour is incorporated with each pass.
5. Roll out dough to ½ inch and cut with a 2 inch cutter, or pull off balls of dough and flatten with your fingers.  (I prefer flattening the balls since it avoids additional working of the dough.)
6. Place biscuits onto a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

 

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits

2 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons shortening
1 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix the flour and baking soda in a bowl.  With a pastry cutter or your fingers rub the shortening into the flour until the texture is like cornmeal.
3. Form a hole or well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour the buttermilk into the well.
4. Use your fork to stir the flour into the buttermilk, stirring in a circle so that a little more flour is incorporated with each pass.
5. Roll out dough to ½ inch and cut with a 2 inch cutter, or pull off balls of dough and flatten with your fingers.  (I prefer flattening the balls since it avoids additional working of the dough.)
6. Place biscuits onto a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Drop Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons shortening
1 cup milk

1. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Stir in the milk until incorporated into a light dough.
4. Drop by tablespoons biscuits onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 450 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned.

Baking Powder Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons shortening
¾ cup milk, approximately

5. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
7. Stir in enough milk to make a soft dough or until flour leaves the side of the bowl and follows fork.
8. Turn out onto a floured board and knead lightly a few times. Pat or roll dough to ½ inch thickness. Cut with a floured 2 inch biscuit cutter.
9. Place biscuits onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 450 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned.

Variations:

Cheese Biscuits. Cut in 1 cup of grated cheese with the shortening and proceed as directed.

Festive Specialty Biscuits: To the flour mixture add 2 tablespoons chopped chives and one tablespoon chopped pimento before stirring in the milk. This make a pretty and festive biscuit with red and green bits.

Ham biscuits. Southerners usually serve a thin slice of ham in the biscuit, but ham can be added to the biscuit before cooking as well. Add 2/3 cup of finely diced ham to the flour mixture before adding the milk.

Roquefort-Blue Cheese Biscuits: Add 1/3 cup crumbled Roquefort or blue cheese to the flour mixture before stirring in the milk.

Whole Wheat Biscuits. Substitute 1 cup unsifted whole-wheat flour for 1 cup of the sifted white flour.

Whipped-Cream Biscuits. Substitute 1 cup of heavy cream for the shortening and milk called for in the recipe. Whip cream and blend in lightly with a fork.