Sweet Potato Waffle Fries

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! 

Hope everyone had a safe and fun long weekend. We took the opportunity to visit my old stomping grounds in Charleston and attended the Charleston Tea Plantations First Flush Festival and spent some quality time with old friends. The tea festival was amazing (though there was a crazy long 1.5 hour line to get in) and the tea bushes smelled SO good! 

Charleston Tea Plantation

On Monday we went to an incredible brunch with our friends Vanessa and Brendan at Black Magic Cafe on Folly Beach, and while pondering the menu we reflected that it is almost impossible to find sweet potato waffle fries.. so we had a great idea! Why not make FUN sweet potato fries, just like they do with regular fries? Here is a post on our first sweet potato fry creation: Sweet Potato Waffle fries which we paired with a lean sirloin steak and a homegrown bibb lettuce salad!

We used our Cuisinart Mandolin on the waffle setting to cut the fries. BLT Foodies tip: rotate the potato 90 degrees on each slice to get the fun "waffle" effect.

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We used just 1 potato, and lined 3 baking sheets with aluminum foil and drizzled with olive oil. Place the fries on a baking sheet in a single layer and top with olive oil and your choice of seasoning. We tried 3 different types: salt and pepper, cinnamon, and paprika & pepper. Bake on 325 for 15 minutes, let cool, and enjoy!

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The result was a perfect Memorial Day BBQ meal! Especially because we used our home grown lettuce. I am so proud!!

Sweet Potato Waffle Fries
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Ginger Teriyaki Meatballs

Thank you to Food and Nutrition Magazine for having me write for the June issue of the magazine! I had a blast creating this recipe for ya'll and am excited to share it with the world :-) Check it out here: http://www.foodandnutrition.org/May-June-2014/Ginger-Teriyaki-BBQ-Chicken-Meatballs/ 

One of my favorite things about the recipe is how diverse it is. You can serve these meatballs on skewers with pineapple as an appetizer, on a hoagie for a sub or with some veggies for a meal. One of the best things about creating a recipe for Food and Nutrition is the testing! 
 
We decided to enjoy our Ginger Teriyaki Meatballs with some sauteed sugar snap peas, carrots and red onion over a bed of brown rice. It was amazing! Can't wait to write for y'all again soon! 

How will you enjoy this recipe?

Ginger Teriyaki Meatballs from Brittany Chin, RD, LD

It's a South Carolina Snow Day Y'all

We have to say that when we moved to South Carolina from snowy cold New York State we never thought we would have 4 snow days in one year!!

Snowstorm Pax came through and hit upstate SC head on. At our house we got about 3 inches and both of our offices were closed for days. I know what you're thinking, you're a New Yorker and you are actually telling someone you got 3 inches of snow and work was closed? Well, I guess the difference is here in SC they use sand (not salt) and we have 3 snow plows for all of Greenville county. Sooo...

3" in SC

Here are some pictures from our fun and unexpected South Carolina Snow Day. Lilly is in absolute heaven with the snow, she looks so perfect and fluffy! I am now even more convinced that she is a Goberian (Siberian Husky/Golden Mix).

I'm pretty sure this is what doggy heaven looks like.

GOBERIAN!!! 

We gathered a group of friends and went sledding at a local park by our house. It was fun to be a kid again!! 

Big Kid Snow Day with friends! In SC we use inflatable boats for sleds :-)

After getting home from sledding we enjoyed some homemade hot chocolate with frothed milk and Chai marshmallows from the Troy, NY farmers market and built a fire. Man, I really felt like I was home in NY!!

No snow day would be complete without a hearty soup, and that is exactly what we were craving. Check out the recipe for our hearty "South Carolina Snowed In Soup!" No South Carolina soup would be complete without bacon right? Right.

BLT Foodies: South Carolina Snowed In Soup

• South Carolina Snowed In Soup
• Serves: 6 servings
• 
  
• Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 4 slices Applegate Farms Uncured Turkey Bacon, chopped
• 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 5 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 cups water
• 3 cups fat free, low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup uncooked orzo
• 1 15oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon white wine

• Directions

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Cook turkey bacon for about 5 minutes until crisp, sauteing as needed. Remove bacon from pan, and set bacon aside in a small bowl.
2. Add chicken breast to the large saucepan and sauté ~6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside in small bowl with the bacon.
3. Add another 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, and add the onion and garlic to pan; cook 4 minutes or until tender. 
4. Add plum tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms, dried oregano, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. 
5. Return bacon and chicken to the pan. Stir in 3 cups water and broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. 
6. Add the orzo, and cook for 9 minutes or until al dente. 
7. Add beans and cook 2 minutes or until heated. 
8. Remove from heat; stir in thyme and wine.
9. Serve and enjoy by a warm fire!

Enjoy the snow y'all!

Happy 2014 and 2013 in Review

Happy New Year BLT Foodies readers!!

Thank you all for your support in a wonderful 2013 year of BLT Foodies. Here is a summary of our most popular posts in 2013:

1. Homemade Egg Drop Soup with Sweet Corn 
http://bltfoodies.blogspot.com/2013/02/homemade-egg-drop-soup-with-sweet-corn.html

2.  Easy Spinach and Parmesan Muffins 

http://bltfoodies.blogspot.com/2013/05/easy-spinach-and-parmesan-egg-muffins.html

3.  Picnic Ready Sides: Low Carb Broccoli Slaw 

http://bltfoodies.blogspot.com/2013/07/picnic-ready-sides-low-carb-broccoli.html

4.  Homemade Sweet Potato Dog Treats 

http://bltfoodies.blogspot.com/2013/01/happy-new-year-from-lilly.html

5.  Colorado and Mexican Bison Stew 

http://bltfoodies.blogspot.com/2013/03/colorado-vacation-bison-mexican-stew.html

We had a wonderful time celebrating 2014 with friends downtown Greenville, SC, and even prepared easy to make and yummy Strawberry Mozzarella Crostinis to bring to the party! The salty/sweet taste from the cheese and the strawberries really compliments this appetizer. Don't forget the mint though! Believe us, we tried it both ways...more mint, more better. We used Trevor's homegrown grapefruit variety for a fun citrus flavor!

Strawberry Mozzarella Crostini
Yield: ~20 crostinis

Ingredients

1 baguette, sliced thin
1/4 cup olive oil
1 fresh part skim mozzarella ball, sliced into thin rectangles
1 pound strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
20 Mint leaves, rinsed and dried

Directions

1. Using a pastry brush,  brush olive oil on each crostini bread slice.
2. Toast crostini's in the oven on a non-greased cookie sheet on broil for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Watch them carefully, because they tend to burn quickly!
3. When toasted, top each crostini with a slice of mozzarella, followed by a strawberry slice. 
4. Reduce balsamic vinegar into a syrup (use a small sauce pan and heat balsmic to a boil, then simmer 3-5 minutes until slightly thickened). 
5. Drizzle balsamic over the crostinis.
6. Garnish each crostini with a mint leaf, and serve!

What dish did you try this New Year?