Sweet Potato And Pistachio Cakes Food

HASSELBACK SWEET POTATOES WITH PISTACHIO CRUMBLE

Steps:

• For the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
• Combine the butter, oil, paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.
• Use a sharp knife to cut 1/8-inch-thick slices crosswise through each potato, slicing about two-thirds of the way through so that the potatoes remain intact.
• Put the potatoes on the prepared baking sheet and brush with about half of the paprika butter, trying to get some of the butter between the slices. Bake until about halfway cooked and slightly pliable, about 30 minutes. Use a fork to gently apply pressure to the tops of the potatoes to fan the slices slightly. Brush in-between the slices with the remaining butter, then bake until cooked through and slightly crispy on top, about 35 minutes more.
• For the pistachio crumble: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pistachios, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the sugar, if using. Cook, stirring often, until aromatic and lightly toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the parsley.
• Serve the sweet potatoes sprinkled with the pistachio crumble.

SWEET POTATO-CORN CAKES WITH PISTACHIO-YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the cakes: In a large bowl, toss the grated sweet potatoes with 1 teaspoon salt. Let sit, covered, for 30 minutes.
• As the sweet potatoes sit, prepare the sauce: Set a pot of water to boil, and cover the pistachios with an inch of boiling water. Let sit for 30 minutes, until the skins turn soft and easily peel off by rubbing. Discard the skins and the water.
• Place the pistachios in a blender or the bowl of a food processor with the yogurt, scallions, lime juice, honey, garlic and black pepper. Pulse for a few seconds until combined. Season to taste with salt. Set aside. (Sauce can be made a day ahead of time and refrigerated in an airtight container.)
• Squeeze the grated sweet potatoes and discard the liquid. To the same large bowl, add the corn, flour, shallot, curry leaves, garam masala, red-pepper flakes and black pepper. Season with salt. Add the whisked eggs, and mix to combine.
• Divide the mixture into 16 equal parts, and shape each one into a 3-inch disk.
• Lightly oil a cast-iron or nonstick skillet and heat over medium-low. When the oil shimmers, cook the cakes in batches, 3 1/2 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown and slightly caramelized. Serve warm with the pistachio-yogurt sauce.

HONEYED PISTACHIO MOONCAKES

Steps:

• Make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, oil, syrup and lye water. Using a flexible spatula, mix to form a shaggy dough, then knead with your hands to form a smooth, cohesive dough. Form the dough into a thick disk, wrap in plastic and let rest at room temperature for 45 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Make the filling: In a food processor, pulse the pistachios until coarsely ground. Add the honey, coconut oil, cornstarch and salt, and pulse a few more times until the filling is a little crumbly but sticks together when pressed. Avoid overprocessing: You don't want to end up with pistachio butter. Divide the filling into 12 equal portions (each about 1 rounded tablespoon) and roll each piece into a ball.
• Divide the disk of dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball. Working with one ball at a time and keeping the rest covered with plastic wrap, flatten a dough ball with your palm. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll into a 4-inch round (about 3/16-inch/ 1/2-centimeter thick), lightly dusting with flour if sticking. Gently lift the dough with a bench scraper or spatula, and center a ball of filling on the round. Bring the edges of the dough up around the filling. If the dough doesn't initially cover all filling, just pinch it together until it completely encases the filling. If there is excess, pinch it off. Pinch together any cracks that form and roll each round into a smooth ball.
• As you form the balls, arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 2 inches apart. Lightly dust a 1.7-ounce/50-gram mooncake mold with flour. Place a ball in the mold and press the plunger down to apply pressure, but take care not to press too hard. Gently release from the mold and return to the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling to form all 12 mooncakes. If you don't have a mooncake mold, skip this step and bake the mooncakes as balls.
• Bake until the edges are light golden brown, 9 to 11 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven and allow the cakes to cool on the sheet for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together the egg and 2 tablespoons water. With a pastry brush, lightly coat the mooncakes with egg wash. Return to the oven and bake until darker golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and allow the mooncakes to cool completely on the sheet. Before serving, store mooncakes in an airtight container or a resealable bag at room temperature for 1 to 2 days. This step is optional, but the extra time allows the crust to soften and become a little chewier. Mooncakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

SWEET POTATO CAKES WITH POACHED EGGS

Steps:

• To make the potato cakes, squeeze the excess moisture from the sweet potato, then combine with flour, parsley, egg white, harissa and some salt in a bowl until the mixture sticks together. Shape into 8 potato cakes. Heat a little oil in a frying pan. In two batches, fry the potato cakes for 2-3 mins each side or until golden brown and crisp. Keep warm while you repeat with the remaining cakes.
• Poach the eggs in a saucepan of simmering water for 2-3 mins - the yolks should be runny. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain carefully on kitchen paper.
• Spread some harissa in the middle of four serving plates and top with a dollop of yogurt. Add one potato cake to each plate then sandwich another potato cake on top with more yogurt. Top each stack with the remaining yogurt and an egg. Season and drizzle with more harissa and scatter over the micro herbs.

CHEF JOHN'S SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 1/2-quart baking dish with butter.
• Place sweet potato cubes into a large pot, cover with water, and add a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until a knife is easily inserted into a sweet potato cube, about 10 minutes. Drain well. Return to the pot and mash 2 tablespoons butter into sweet potatoes.
• Whisk eggs, maple syrup, buttermilk, milk, vanilla extract, cayenne pepper, allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually mash sweet potatoes into egg mixture, starting with 2 tablespoons of sweet potato mixture, until all sweet potatoes are incorporated. Transfer sweet potatoes into prepared baking dish.
• Mix pistachios, brown sugar, flour, and 1/4 cup melted butter together until completely mixed. Crumble topping evenly over top of sweet potatoes. Use the back of a fork to gently press pistachio mixture down onto sweet potatoes.
• Bake in the preheated oven until topping is browned and casserole is set, 25 to 30 minutes. If desired, place under oven's broiler for 5 minutes to give topping a little more brown color. Let rest to cool slightly before serving, about 10 minutes.