Sweet Potato "Fries"

So full of nutrition, sweet potatoes are also kid-friendly. Baked sweet potatoes are great, but here's another option that's fat-free and family-friendly:

peel sweet potatoes and cut in thin strips. Soak at least ten minutes in cold water. Rinse and drain. Meanwhile dry bowl and put in cornstarch (spoonful or two - depends on how many potatoes) and spices (your choice, salt, pepper, other favorites), add potatoes and stir well (water remaining on them will be enough to make it stick). You want just enough cornstarch to lightly cover and enough spice to add a little zing.

Spread one layer thick on parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake in preheated 475 degree oven about ten minutes (if you want them pretty, you will have to turn them over halfway through, the top side doesn't brown)

here's a link to a similar recipe for Carrot Fries! who'da thunk?
http://joyceandnorm.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/what-were-eating-carrot-fries/

Shredded Chicken Burritos

We had lots of tender chicken leftover from cramming a sale pack of bone-in breasts into the crockpot Sunday, and here came the Penzeys Catalog with this recipe (slightly altered to our taste, get the catalog for the original) - I made a batch of the black beans and rice in previous post (with onion, cabbage, carrots, and a can of "white chipotle corn" - no one could tell at the end it was more veg than rice) and served it with these and green veg and salad, everyone was stuffed.....and enjoyed the leftovers for two or three days.....and Drew didn't know there were sweet potatoes inside either :)
If you have chicken already cooked and do the mashed sweet potatoes ahead or while assembling and chopping the rest of the ingredients, they are really pretty fast to make.

Shredded Chicken Burritos
about 3 cups (I think) leftover chicken, shredded,
or use canned chicken you need to rotate,
or 1 lb boneless chicken breast sauteed/simmered with onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper covered, on low heat for 2 hours (can be done ahead)

2 medium or one really large sweet potato, peel and chunk, steam or simmer 20 minutes, mash (can be done ahead)

1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped/minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
whole wheat tortillas (10 large, 14 small)
garlic powder, onion powder, ancho pepper powder or other chili powder, cumin
sour cream (about 1/2 cup)
shredded Mexican cheese blend (about 1 cup)

Sautee onion till soft, add green pepper and continue till it starts to get toasty, add mashed sweet potato and
onion powder, garlic, cumin, ancho pepper powder, any other mexican spices you like to taste, and shredded chicken and beans. Mix well.

Take a tortilla and spread some sour cream along one end, add filling, sprinkle with cheese and roll/fold into burrito.
Place on Pam-sprayed cookie sheet. When all are done (using smaller tortillas mine made 14) spray them with butter-flavor spray and bake in hot oven to crisp - 425 for about 12-15 minutes or until looking browned in spots.

they reheat well in a toaster oven

Bagels - homemade are better - and a Bonus!

We all know that homemade bread hot from the oven is a far different thing than something in a bag from the grocery store - likewise, a warm, fresh bagel is a whole new animal. After a couple of days it will resemble that kind you buy. These aren't all that fast or healthy (well, they are fat-free if you can keep from putting cream cheese on them - and they are cheap!) but I have had two recent requests for this recipe -- and you can experiment with how much whole wheat flour could be used, as well as making your own variations. If you want to use all whole wheat, you may need some vital wheat gluten or other dough enhancer, and I recommend a little longer kneading and rising times. These freeze beautifully, so any you won't eat the first day ought to go in the freezer to maintain that homemade goodness. They make a great travel breakfast with ham and cream cheese, can fix ahead and freeze ready to go.

Bagels

2 Tbs yeast
about 4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs salt

Combine yeast and 1 1/2 cups flour in mixer bowl. Stir sugar and salt into water and add to yeast mixture. Beat at low speed til blended and then on high for 3 minutes, scraping occasionally. Stir in enough flour to make a somewhat stiff dough and knead about 5 minutes.
Cover and let rest 15 minutes (you can rest too).
Cut into 12 to 16 portions and shape into smooth balls, sealing and tucking edges underneath. Punch a hole in the center of each and use two fingers in the hole to gently work your way around stretching and smoothing into a nice doughnut shape.
Cover and let rise 20 minutes
Bring a large pot of water with 1 Tbs sugar (not salt!) to a boil, reduce to simmering. Cook bagels 4 or 5 at a time for a total of 3 minutes, turning once. Place on lightly sprayed cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown.

variations!
-use half whole wheat flour and honey instead of sugar for "honey wheat" bagels
-knead in chopped & cooked onion and grated sharp cheddar near end of kneading time for onion cheese bagels
-knead in cinnamon or cinnamon sugar and raisins near the end for cinnamon raisin bagels
you get the idea! make up your own favorite.

Notes:
this recipe came from a magazine about 30 years ago, probably Better Homes and Gardens. It said to make 12 but my little kids who loved them never finished them so I made them smaller, making 20. If you are used to huge bakery bagels you might want to make only 8 (cook longer - probably at least 30 minutes). I have also made little appetizer bagels (about 48 from one batch) and served as open halves with various flavored cream cheeses and toppings, but they are a lot of work to shape and cook.
The original recipe also said to simmer 7 minutes but that made them so chewy they were almost impossible to eat.

I used to have trouble with shriveling, a couple in each batch seemed to want to shrivel and shrink when put on the cookie sheet. Now I always simmer "upside down" first so the nicer looking top is up after turning over, and I warm the cookie sheets in the oven while its heating. I assume it was temperature shock as none shrivel up now.


Bonus:
If you find you really like homemade bagels and cream cheese but just don't have the time, here's a faster recipe that gives you very much the same warm and homey "chew" and is easier for kids to help with:

Pretzels
combine:
1 pkg or Tbs yeast
1 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 Tb sugar
dissolve 5 minutes, then add
1 tsp salt
4-5 cups flour
knead a few minutes, divide into about 16 pieces and roll into snakes about a foot long (kids can help), shape like pretzels (loop and twist), put on cookie sheet and brush with beaten egg, sprinkle with coarse salt.

let rest while oven heats to 425 and bake about 12 minutes.

These are really good if you take a lump of cream cheese and soften it in the microwave and use it like a dip or spread on bites of warm pretzel.