Thursday, January 14, 2016

Cheesy baked sweet potatoes

Spicy cheesy baked sweet potatoes
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Sweet Potatoes remind me of my days in hostel. It was almost two decades ago  (feel like an antique) when I was doing my degree in marketing, one of the cheapest foods available was roasted sweet potatoes with chaat masala and dash of lime.


Chaat masala reminds me of amchur and a funny story - real story.

Last week I went to the nearest Indian grocery store, the store has changed owners, so it has this new guy as the owner. ( local friends, you know which store I am talking about). I had 3 things on my list, but then I always end up buying 5 times more than what's on my list, that's another post.

I was looking for amchur in the spice aisle and out of no where he (owner of the store) crept up on me speaking his native language in fluent loquacious. I politely reminded him in hindi that I am not from his native town...he gave me a sympathetic grin and asked me how he could help me. I was the lesser mortal, first I was not bi-lingual like him and second I was searching .....in his store. "Amchur" was my sheepish response, I was almost apologetic about my existence, let alone have the audacity to buy amchur. He looked around a bit and.... his next question in a heavy native accent, "Why do you need it?" - almost accusingly. I almost felt interrogated and responded in a feeble tone, for choley, sabji, chaat-masala, I rattled a few other names. He disappears into aisles of lentils, rice....

I saw him walk towards me with 2 masala boxes, I was relieved that he found it, they must have changed the place after the new ownership, I though to myself.  He walked closer, narrowed his eyes, raised his left brow...."see" ...all I saw was choley masala and chaat- masala. "Amchur" I said loudly. " I know that" was his instant response, followed by  "read the ingredients, it has amchur in it, why you need amchur, when it is in it". I was sooo amused....


Story 2

Yesterday I was buying some fruits and veggies. I saw dragon fruit, usually it is not as fresh...this crop was gorgeous. I thought, I could take a few photos and got a few. When I was at the casher, I asked her to bag it separately, obviously I did not want it to me injured. She asked me why....I told her that I wanted to photography it. She narrowed her eyes ( same eye narrowing, but different store) and laughed ...."just google it, you will get pages and pages of photos....."


Must be my face, maybe, I look like a moron !! Not everyone found my story funny, teen rolled here eyes and said," mom, you should have said something"


Back to the recipe, teen loves cheese, that kid can live on cheese, swim in cheese ...just like her grandpa ( my father-in-law). They have a lot in common and cheese absolutely stands out. They will never refuse cheese in any form, any time of the day....



Sweet potato baked, food photography



RECIPE 

Ingredients : 
4 medium sweet potatoes with skin, scrubbed well.
1 and 1/4 cup cheese - mozzarella, asiago, medium cheddar  - shredded (or cheese of your choice)
1 jalapeño plus 4-6 for stuffing
1 cup of green n red bell pepper, corn ( I did not have red so did not use it) , sweet potato
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic pods
2 red chili (dried)
black pepper
salt to taste

5-6 thyme stocks

Instructions : 
Scrub the sweet potatoes, trim the edges, cut it into half (length wise).  Brush olive oil, salt, pepper add few twigs of thyme  and bake for 8-10 min till little tender but not cooked.

Scoop the insides and chop the insides into fine cubes, keep aside.

Take garlic, red chili and olive oil and run it in a blender. Add black pepper and salt. Brush the insides of the sweet potatoes with this spicy oil - generously. Keep aside

Finely chop bell pepper, and one jalapeño  (de seeded) mix it with sweet potato.

De seed the rest of the jalapeño and cut half length wise.

Now you can saute the veggie mix a bit ( do not cook it) and spoon it into the scooped up sweet potatoes and de seeded jalapeño.

Bake at 400 for about 12 minutes.

Sweet potato will be almost cooked, now remove from oven, sprinkle some panko ( mix some thyme leaves in it) followed by the cheese mixture. Bake again at 350 for 20 minutes.

Serve hot when the cheese is gooey and melty...


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12 comments:

  1. I am flabbergasted that you did not say anything. I have a plenty of experience from whole foods whenever I ask them to pack something nicely but I ignore any judgemental tone as I am a shameless photographer. Quite a few times I tell them I am shooting and then they ask to see my work.
    About the Indian Store: It does not shock me. There was an Indian store in buffalo which used to do the same to me and the guy used to bad mouth about me to my friends.

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  2. I found it hilarious .... I was not upset at all. Hubs n we saw the humor in it and laughed while the teen was like you .... she rolled her eyes too and said she did not get what was funny ;)

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  3. first I find it annoying and 2nd one interesting.. Nice recipe well said about teenager and cheese cannot separate it right?

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  4. ha ha..google and find images and use wherever you wish ;-)
    Gorgeous sweet potatoes btw.

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  5. HA! We are our own species Simi - no one can relate to it unless they are part of this! This is one of my son's favorite meals too. When there are leftovers I buy sweet potatoes and fill with everything-in-the-fridge filling! Works always.

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    1. That is so true...I have also been invited to kid's birthday parties and asked very politely to get my camera lol !!! hilarious.

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  6. Simi, I must say you have a lot of patience(I guess). Maybe, I would have said something back in such situations cause I kinda find it annoying.. :P You are wonderful Simi.
    And the baked potatoes looks so tempting..feel like diving into it. :D
    BTW, I need to ask, is this the same board that you aged it naturally that you used in pinacolada pancakes photos(painted it black?)

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    1. Jyothi,

      Don't give me more credit than I deserve... lol! I think it's pointless to argue with someone who has already established himself as illogical. It did give me something to laugh about :)

      Yes it is the same aged board and I varnished it a deep brown.

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  7. O hahahah Simi, that is so funny! But yes I can see why your teen is rolling eyes too. What a weird situation. In both cases!

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    1. I find it amusing...as Meeta said we are our own species....

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  8. Hilarious!
    Gorgeous photos, as usual! :)

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hugs!
simi

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