Sweet Potato Buttermilk Rolls recipe

Thursday was Thanksgiving. Butterfly and I feted at our friend's house.  Butterfly spent the day in the backyard pool while I spent the day cooking and gabbing and being thankful for friends, good health, and lots of love in my life. It was a glorious day and best of all, I came home with the prize: the turkey carcass!

Yesterday that carcass boiled in a HUGE pot with onions and herbs, filling the house with delectable aromas.

Today I strained off the bones, replacing them with carrots, celery, more onions, potatoes, and more herbs.  I made two batches of noodles to put into the soup for later and made a batch of sweet potato rolls to take back to our friend's house to finish our festivities.

Sweet potatoes fresh from the garden

The rolls turned out spectacularly! I dug the (tiny) sweet potatoes out of my garden, washed them, microwaved them, squished the innards out of the skins, mashed them with a fork, and then mixed them into the buttermilk along with the rest of the ingredients.  I'm not exaggerating how good these rolls are.  The recipe came from Pinch My Salt and is one of the best recipes I've tried in a long time. The recipe note at the bottom is from the author.


Sweet Potato Buttermilk Dinner Rolls
1 cup mashed sweet potato or yam, slightly warm or at room temperature*
2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1 egg, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup sugar
2 packets active dry yeast
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 – 7 cups bread flour
1. In a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together mashed sweet potato, buttermilk, egg, butter, sugar and yeast. (I learned the hard way that it is best to whisk these ingredients by hand rather than using the mixer. I ended up with buttermilk splattered all over the kitchen when I tried using the paddle attachment!) Now let the mixture sit for a few minutes while you measure out about 7 cups of flour.

2. Using the paddle attachment for your stand mixer, stir in one cup of flour along with the salt. Gradually add more flour, about a cup at a time, until a soft dough begins to form.  If using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook (use a wet hand to pull the dough off the paddle attachment and it won’t stick to you) and knead on medium speed (speed 4 on the kitchen aid) for 6-7 minutes, adding a little more flour as needed to make a moderately soft dough that mostly clears the sides of the bowl (the dough should eventually clear the sides of the bowl, but continue to stick to the bottom as it’s being kneaded).  My dough took about 6 1/2 cups of flour, but yours made need less or more. If mixing and kneading by hand, dump the dough out onto a floured surface when it gets too hard to mix with a spoon.  Using well-floured hands, knead the dough for 8 – 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to work surface and hands.

3. When you finish kneading, the dough should be moderately soft and tacky, but not sticky.  To remove it from the bowl of your stand mixer, a bowl scraper is handy.  If you don’t have one, a plastic spatula will also work.  Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to form a smooth ball of dough.  If you kneaded by hand, form the dough into a smooth ball.  Cover dough with a towel, and clean out your mixing bowl.  Spray the inside of bowl with nonstick cooking spray or grease it with butter or oil. Place ball of dough, smooth side down, into the greased bowl.  Turn the dough over to grease the other side, then cover with the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap.  Put bowl in a warmish place and let dough rise for a little over an hour or until it has doubled in bulk.

4. When dough has doubled (you can check by pushing your finger into the dough. If an indentation remains without filling in, the dough is ready to go), push it down with your fists to deflate it and dump it out onto a lightly floured surface.  Cut the dough in half with a knife or bench scraper then cut each half into 8 equal pieces (or more if you want smaller rolls).  Cover pieces with a towel and let rest for a few minutes before shaping. While dough is resting, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and move two oven racks towards the center of the oven.  Also, line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

5. Shape rolls by rolling against the work surface or between your hands to form balls.  I like to pull the skin taut over the top of the roll and pinch at the bottom to form a smooth roll, but use whatever method works for you.  Divide the rolls between the two baking sheets, and cover with a towel.  Let rolls rise for about 20 minutes then remove towel and sprinkle the tops very lightly with flour.  Place baking sheets in preheated 375 degree oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until they are puffed and lightly brown.  Rotate sheets halfway through baking time (move bottom to top and vice versa).

5. Let rolls cool slightly and serve immediately.  Or, if making ahead, let rolls cool completely on wire racks then place in Ziploc bags.  To reheat, wrap rolls in foil and place in 375 degree oven for a few minutes until heated through.

Recipe Notes: *For sweet potato puree, I microwaved 2 medium sweet potatoes for about 7 minutes (poke holes all over with a fork first). Let cool then peel off skins. Pass the potatoes through a ricer if you have one, or mash well to remove any lumps. Measure out one cup (it’s ok if you have a little less) and proceed with recipe.  Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature, if the dough is cold it will take longer to rise.  The amount of flour is an approximation, your dough will use more or less depending on many different factors.  Don’t worry too much about how much you use, just mix a dough that you are comfortable kneading.  I made 16 rolls and they were on the large side, perfect for making little sandwiches.  If you prefer small rolls, you can cut the dough into 24 pieces or even more.  Keep in mind that smaller rolls will probably bake a little faster.

I'm Passionate About Passion Fruit!

Not quite ripe lilikoi

Ten months ago, in February, I planted 6 yellow and 3 purple passion fruit plants along my back fence.  They started blooming two months ago.  Today I harvested the first two ripe fruits. They were very yellow and as I touched them, they fell off in my hand.  I brought them in and juiced them (of course I photographed them, too!)  I ate the seeds afterward - so tart and very yummy! The taste brought back memories of slurping the fruit from our trellis in our Wahiawa backyard when I was a kid. Such a happy memory!

These fruit are the beginning of my foray into all things passion fruit, or lilikoi as we call them here in Hawaii.  Today my two fruits yielded a whole quarter cup of juice. It went into the freezer to be added upon until I have the three cups of juice I'll need to make jelly. It's going to take a while at this rate.  The other fruit are still pretty green, but there are a lot of them.  When I have the requisite number of cups of juice, I'll put the recipe on the blog.

I was surprised to learn that the outer shell is edible.  Hmm, I'll have to wait for the next ripe fruit since I threw today's fruit shells in the trash. Apparently, the shells are showing promise as control for asthma symptoms and wheezing from allergies. The antioxidants found in the shell acts as an antihistamine. That effect reduces allergy and respiratory tract inflammation. Apparently it soothes coughing, whooping cough, and bronchitis.

The leaves are useful, too.  Amazonian tribes use the leaves as a sedative and for reducing pain. Various herbal teas use passion fruit leaves to produce a calming effect. In Latin American traditional medicine, the leaves are used to to treat urinary tract infections (the leaves contain trypsin inhibitors) and for increasing libido!
 
The juice is high in beta carotene, potassium, and dietary fiber and is a good source of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and niacin (vitamin B3).  Apparently it's good for people who have high blood pressure and diabetes, too.   Good news all around. 

I'll include recipes for jelly, candy, and other goodies when I collect enough juice.  Ta ta for now.

One passion fruit has only 16 calories. When eaten with the seeds, a serving is an excellent source of fiber. One serving size, (I'm assuming that's one fruit) 118 g, contains 110 calories, 1 g fat, 35 mg of sodium, 28 g of carbohydrate, 12 g of dietary fiber, 13 g of sugar, 3 g of protein, 30% DV of vitamin A, 60% DV of vitamin C, 2% DV of calcium and 10% DV of iron. Percent Daily Values (%DV) are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Health & Nutrition Benefits of Eating Passion Fruit 

• The juice of passion fruit reduces cancer cell growth. Though research is underway on this issue, the phytochemicals in the fruit juice are considered to inhibit cancer cell growth.
• The phenolic acids and flavonoids present in the fruit are supposed to possess heart-protecting function.
• The phenolic profile of the fruit is known for its anti-microbial activity.
• Passion fruit is a good source of antioxidants, both water soluble and fat soluble ones.
• Passion fruit is considered good for products which require pasteurization.
• The fruit is quite high in carbohydrates and simple sugars, which improves athletic performance.
• It contains plant sterols, which help in lowering the levels of cholesterol.
• Passion fruit is a reservoir of Vitamin C, Vitamin A and Potassium.
• The seeds of the fruit are very vital sources of fiber.
• It is supposed to possess somniferous properties, which when taken before going to bed, help the person to relax and have a restful sleep.
• It is very good for attaining optimum health and to reduce weight.

Back from the financially dead

My goodness how I've neglected this blog!  So much has happened over the past (almost) year that it's a tad difficult to sum it all up in any sort of coherent manner, but here goes:

1. Mama was hospitalized for acute pneumonia in March and never went home.  She passed away at the end of April.
2. Younger sister planned and executed the funeral and scattering of the ashes.  She did a fabulous job - both ceremonies were lovely.
3.  When summer vacation came along with no substitute teaching income, I was not able to find another job to make up the difference.  Butterfly and I were on the verge of eviction. We were saved at the last minute by the incredible kindness of a friend in the form of a loan.
4.  School is back in session. I'm subbing, working at McDonald's, and am looking for another part-time job to fill in the gaps.
5.  I have a garden and am canning everything I can get my hands on.

I think that pretty much covers everything.  Now it's time to begin writing for real again.

Thank you everyone for continuing to check in on us.  I appreciate your support and love!

2011 Resolutions

Here it is, the last week of the month and January is almost over. If the speed these few weeks have passed by is any indication, then this year is going to evaporate in a blur.

Most people make their resolutions on New Year's Day and allow them to fall to the wayside shortly thereafter. I made my own resolutions during the last week of December and am still working on them. I have a funny way of looking at resolutions that make it easier for me to keep them throughout the year.  I don't sweat it if I have failed to keep them, I just start over every day. Some days I'm really diligent and others I'm rather slothful, but it doesn't matter; I just start over again the next day. It's a method that works fairly well for me and has allowed me to accomplish more than I think I would have otherwise.

I came across a list of ways to become a better person that I'm incorporating into my life this year.  Some of these items are much harder for me than others. That's a good thing. It gives me a chance to do well on at least a few items as I work on the ones I have more difficulty with.  I hope you find it as useful as I did.

Becoming A Better Person

by Michael Masterson

Becoming a better person starts with trying to make 

the people in your immediate family happier.

• Pay less attention to yourself and more attention to other people
• Focus on opportunities, not problems
• Listen first, talk later
• Criticize only when your criticism is helpful
• Never speak badly about anyone
• Never complain about anything
• Perform an act of kindness every day

Chinese Meat and Vegetable Buns recipe

It's been a very busy 6 weeks since I last wrote in this blog. One of my resolutions for this year is to write more frequently. So here's the start.

This is a delicious dish. It's on the time-consuming end of the spectrum, but it's very tasty and makes me feel accomplished. It's actually pretty easy to make; it just takes a while to get all the steps done.

I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!

Chinese Meat and Vegetable Buns
Yield: 20 buns

1 recipe yeast dough

1 pound ground beef
Marinade
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons dry sherry (I use sake)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tablespoons water

3 Tablespoons oil
2 quarter-sized slices peeled ginger, minced
1 medium whole scallion, finely chopped
1 4-oz can mushroom pieces, drained, squeezed dry, chopped
1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry lightly

Seasonings
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Sprinkling black pepper
3 Tablespoons sesame oil

Add the marinade to the ground meat and stir to mingle. Prepare the scallion and ginger. Prepare the mushroom pieces - drain, squeeze dry, and chop them. Squeeze the defrosted greens but not until absolutely dry -- there should be some moisture left. Mix the seasonings in a small bowl.

Heat a wok or large, heavy skillet over high heat until hot; add the oil, swirl, and heat for 30 seconds. Scatter in the ginger and scallions and stir a few times. Add the meat and stir in poking, shaking, and pressing motions to break up the lumps. Add the mushrooms and spinach and stir briskly to mingle. Add the premixed seasonings and stir to flavor all the ingredients. Pour into a dish and divide the mixture into 20 portions. Let it cool completely before filling the dough.

Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a 10-inch long sausage. Cut each into 1-inch pieces. Dip the cut sides in flour and press the pieces with your palm to flatten them slightly. Roll each one out into a 4 1/2-inch circle, making the center thicker than the rim.

Put a disk in your hand and place 1 portion of the filling in the center. Bring the edges of the circle up to the top and pinch it all together, swirling the top into a tiny knot. Repeat until all 20 buns are made.

Put the buns, fluted side down, on a lightly floured cookie sheet, with a good amount of space between them. Cover them with a dry cloth and let them puff for about 30 to 40 minutes in a warm place. Turning them upside down prevents them from splitting at the fold while rising.

Turn 10 of the buns over and place them on a heatproof plate that is covered with a damp cloth. (I steam 5 buns at a time in my metal steamer pot.) Steam the buns over high heat for 20 minutes. Steam the other 10 buns.


Yeast Dough
1 teaspoon dry yeast
2 Tablespoons lukewarm water
3 1/2 cups unsifted flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon baking powder

Dissolve the yeast in 2 Tablespoons lukewarm water, letting it sit for 5 minutes.

Pour the flour into a large stewing pot or a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the dissolved yeast and 1 cup lukewarm water; stir with chopsticks or a wooden spoon until a lumpy mass farms. Press and knead the mass to form a large ball.

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead it, pushing and turning with the heel of your hand, for 5 minutes. Dust it with flour from time to time if too sticky. At the end of the kneading, it should be smooth and springy.

Put the dough inside the pot or bowl, cover, and set it in a warm area, such as the back of the stove or an unlit oven, for about 2 hours, until the dough has risen to double its original size.

Remove it to a lightly floured work surface. Flatten it with the palm of your hand to make a long oblong shape,. Sprinkle the baking powder over the surface. Fold the dough over; then knead vigorously for 5 minutes, until it is smooth, satiny, and firm, with plenty of bounce. Dust the work surface with flour when necessary.  It's now ready to be filled and shaped.