Maple Thyme Hasselback Yams

Slightly sweet yet delightfully savory, these tender maple thyme hasselback yams are a wonderful (and pretty!) side dish for your holiday table.

Everybody makes a big deal of Girl Scout cookie season, and rightfully so, of course. They are delicious and iconic, especially the Thin Mints. But I daresay fewer people are aware of a Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts) fundraiser that takes place in many councils across the United States. 

I discovered the program a couple of years ago at a neighborhood holiday event where among the vendor booths there was a troop of scouts selling their branded Scout’s Own maple syrup. Apparently, if they live close to maple syrup country, scouts can attend “Sap Camp” to learn about and help with the production of the syrup.

Since I cannot say no to a young person selling something delicious, you know I had to buy a bottle. Scout’s Own maple syrup is lovely, dark, rich and just the perfect amount of sweet. I used it to make these maple thyme hasselback yams. 

Maple Thyme Hasselback Yams

Growing up in the southern United States, we called these orange flesh tubers yams or occasionally, sweet potatoes. You can substitute your favorite sweet potato here. 

Ingredients

3 yams

2 tablespoons olive oil

Fine sea salt

¼ cup or 56g butter

¼ cup or 60ml maple syrup

2 sprigs fresh thyme plus extra for garnish

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Scrub the yams and trim the hard ends and discard. Place a yam in a deep serving spoon and use a sharp knife to cut thin slices in it, just down to the spoon edges. Repeat with the other two yams.

Place the yams in a tight-fitting baking pan and drizzle them with the olive oil, opening the slices to get a little oil inside the yams. Sprinkle with fine sea salt, trying to get some inside the yams as well. 

Bake the yams for 30 minutes in your preheated oven. 

Melt the butter and mix it with the maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon salt and the leaves from the fresh thyme sprigs. 

Spoon the maple butter thyme mixture over the yams, making sure to get it in between the slices, inside the yams. 

Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the yams are tender and cooked through. Turn off the oven when you take the yams out.

Drain the syrupy butter into a small pot and put the yams back into the turned off oven to stay warm. 

Bring the syrup to a boil over a medium high heat. 

Cook for about five minutes until reduced and thickened. 

Leave to cool for just a couple of minutes then spoon over the yams and garnish with tender sprigs of thyme. Serve immediately. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes with maple syrup ahead of Maple Syrup Saturday on March 21st. Many thanks to our host, Camilla from Culinary Cam. Check out the links below!

• French Toast by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Karawya with a Maple Syrup Drizzle by Culinary Cam
• Keto Baked Chicken Legs in Buffalo Sauce by Sneha's Recipe
• Maple Bacon Candied Walnuts by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Maple Bourbon Smash by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Maple Dijon Bacon Green Beans by Making Miracles
• Maple Mousse by A Messy Kitchen
• Maple Pecan Glaze for Scones by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Maple Thyme Hasselback Yams by Food Lust People Love

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Savory Garlic Rice Noodles

Ever so slightly sweet and super flavorful, these savory garlic rice noodles are made with kway teow tossed in sauteed garlic and green onions with brown sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil. 

Kway teow (粿條) translates to "rice cake strips" which are used in many dishes from stir-fries to soups. They are easy to prepare because no cooking is necessary. Just soak them in boiling water until they soften, drain and rinse! 

In Southeast Asia char kway teow is a popular stir-fry dish made with those flat, wide rice noodles and a variety of vegetables with a mix of proteins, primarily chicken and seafood.  It’s one of our favorite things to eat and the dish our younger daughter usually orders when we go to the Malaysian restaurant we love in Houston. 

When our host for this week’s Sunday FunDay proposed Noodles as our theme for today, since March is National Noodle Month, I knew I wanted to use kway teow in a simple side dish that was quick to the table, with staple items I always have on hand. (It has been one of THOSE weeks, folks.) This one fits the bill nicely. 

Savory Garlic Rice Noodles

Check out the photo of the kway teow under the ingredients list so you can see how wide they are – about 1 cm wide or ½ an inch. I buy them in an Asian grocery store but I have seen them randomly in the international aisle of my regular supermarket. They are also available online. This recipe is adapted from one on Budget Bytes.

Ingredients

6 oz or 170g kway teow or flat, wide rice noodles

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 tablespoon reduced salt soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

4 cloves garlic

5-6 green onions

2 tablespoons butter

Optional for garnish: black or white sesame seeds or a combo!

Optional for serving: sliced fresh red chili peppers

Method

Soak the noodles in boiling water according to package instructions.

Drain well and rinse in a colander. Mine took about 10 minutes to get al dente but I’ve bought ones before that only took 6-8 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir the oyster sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil together until well combined and the sugar has dissolved.

Mince the garlic and slice the green onions, setting the green bits to one side. 

Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and bubbly, add the garlic and the white part of the onions and sauté until for 2-3 minutes or until they are soft and fragrant.

Set aside some of the green bits for garnish and then add the rest into the pan and give the whole thing a stir. 

Turn the heat off under the pan. Add the kway teow and toss well to coat the noodles in the buttery onions and garlic. 

Add the oyster sauce mixture to the pan and toss again, once again, to coat. 

Turn the heat on again low and gently warm the noodles to serving. 

Garnish the noodles with the reserved sliced green onions and sesame seeds, if desired, then serve.

I also like to offer some sliced hot chili peppers alongside, for those who like things spicy!

Enjoy!

As I mentioned above, March is National Noodle Month and today we are sharing recipes to help you celebrate. Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out the links below. 

• Brown Butter Sage Noodles from Our Good Life
• Garlic Lover's Pasta from A Messy Kitchen
• Kung Pao Noodles from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Manchow Soup from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Protein Packed Noodle Bowl from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Savory Garlic Rice Noodles from Food Lust People Love
• Sour Cream Noodles from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Stir Fry Noodles with Beef from Amy's Kitchen Adventures
• Vegan Thai Peanut Butter Noodles from Sneha's Recipe
  
  

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin these Savory Garlic Rice Noodles! 

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Chantenay Carrot Ginger Soup

This Chantenay Carrot Ginger Soup is made with small, sweet Chantenay carrots and lots of fresh ginger, garlic and yogurt, a warming bowl of goodness.

My older sister Tanya was a huge fan of cooked carrots, often cooking up a pot of sliced ones to serve as a side dish or frankly just to eat the whole lot as a meal. I must admit that I also cooked them as a side dish but way, way more rarely. Carrots had to be just about the last item in the vegetable drawer for me to choose them as a cooked side dish.

My younger daughter was even less of a fan than I was. When I would serve cooked carrots, I’d give her a few raw carrot sticks as her side. Hey, she was eating vegetables and since they weren't my favorite either, I completely understood. 

But soup? Soup changes everything. Sweet carrots roasted then pureed in delicious savory soup is perfect for rainy cold days, especially with plenty of warming fresh ginger. 

Chantenay carrots are a British-grown heirloom varietal known for their diminutive size and extraordinary sweetness. Originally cultivated in the Chantenay region of Northern France as far back as the 1800s - hence the name - they fell out of favor there in the 1960s when food production became increasingly mechanized. 

They are enjoying a resurgence of popularity in the UK now though. Whenever I see a bag in my local grocery store, I cannot resist buying some. They are so sweet and so cute! 

Chantenay Carrot Ginger Soup

If you can’t find Chantenay carrots, substitute seasonal local carrots from wherever you live. If the internet research can be believed, smaller young carrots are sweeter than larger older ones. This recipe is adapted from one on The Mediterranean Dish. 

Ingredients  

Extra virgin olive oil

1 lb or 450g Chantenay carrots, scrubbed

Fine sea salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

2 large garlic cloves

2 in or 4 cm knob fresh ginger

4 cups or 960ml vegetable or chicken stock, divided

1/4 cup or 61g Greek yogurt, plus extra drizzled for serving, optional

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Method

Preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C and line a baking pan with a silicone liner or baking parchment for easy clean up. 

Peel and mince the garlic and ginger. 

Trim the roots ends off of the little carrots. 

Pile them in your lined baking pan and drizzle them with olive oil. Sprinkle on a few good pinches of salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. 

Use your clean hands to toss the carrots around to distribute the salt and pepper and coat them with the oil. Spread them out in a single layer.

Roast the carrots for 20 minutes. 

Stir them around and roast for another 10-12 minutes or until they are fork tender and slightly caramelized. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

When the carrots are cool enough to handle, place them in a blender along with the garlic, ginger and some of the broth. 

Puree until the mixture is smooth. Transfer the carrot puree to a heavy cooking pot.

Add the remaining stock to the blender and give it a swish so you don't leave any pureed carrots behind. Pour that into the pot. Place the pot on medium heat and bring it slowly to a low boil. 

Stir occasionally and cook for about 30 minutes or until it’s reduced slightly and the garlic odor has tempered.

Turn the heat to medium-low and stir in the yogurt and ground cumin. 

Cook till it's heated through then remove from the stove.

Transfer to serving bowls and add a few drizzles of yogurt to garnish, if desired. 

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing dishes cooked with root vegetables. Many thanks to our host Mayuri of Mayuri’s Jikoni. Check out the links below. 

• Alu Kangmet - Manipuri Potato Mash from Mildly Indian
• Arbi Ka Paratha from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Beetroot Paneer Rice with Leftover Rice from Cook With Renu
• Chantenay Carrot Ginger Soup from Food Lust People Love
• Ginger Almond & Poppy Seed Vadi from Sneha's Recipe
• Maple Miso Root Vegetable Medley from A Messy Kitchen
• Parsnip and Leek Soup with Cumin and Mustard Seeds from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Roasted Beet Galette from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Roasties from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie from Making Miracles

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin this Chantenay Carrot Ginger Soup! 

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Smoky Spicy Roasted Almonds

These smoky spicy roasted almonds are seasoned with cayenne and smoked paprika. They are super easy to make and perfect for snack time or happy hour.

I’ve been trying, at my doctor’s request, to up my protein intake and eat a bit more healthily. While the calorie count is rather high for almonds, most of it is from so-called “healthy fats” and they add fiber and protein to a balanced diet. At least, that’s what I’ve been reading! 

So, when our host for this week’s Sunday FunDay said that since tomorrow, 16 February is National Almond Day, today we should share almond recipes in celebration, I knew I wanted to make my new favorite snack. 

A lot of recipes for roasted nuts toss them in oil to get the seasonings to stick but I learned from my friend and fellow blogger Sue from Palatable Pastime, that egg whites do a much better job. Bonus: they add very few extra calories and the egg whites bake up dry so your nuts are lovely and crunchy. Thanks, Sue! 

 If you like smoky and spicy, these are going to be your new favorite snack too! 

Smoky Spicy Roasted Almonds

Regular paprika won’t do here. You need the smoked to impart that wonderful smoky flavor. Adjust the cayenne according to your preferred spice level. I use a minimum of a1/2 teaspoon!

Ingredients 

2 tablespoons egg white

2 cups or 300g whole raw almonds

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4-1/2 teaspoon (or more!) cayenne pepper

Method

Preheat your oven to 325°F or 163°C and line a baking pan with foil or a silicone liner for easy cleanup.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white until it’s foamy to make sure it is completely broken down.  

In another bowl, combine the smoked paprika, salt and cayenne pepper. 

Toss the almonds in the egg white and stir them till coated. Sprinkle the spice mix on the almonds.

Toss lightly to season.

Spread the almonds out evenly on your prepared baking pan.

Bake in your preheated oven for 15 minutes. Take the pan out and give the almonds a good stir and separate any almonds that are stuck together. 

Bake for an additional 12-15 minutes or until lightly roasted. Watch closely towards the end of the cooking time to make sure they aren't getting too brown.

Cool in the pan. The almonds make a lovely crackling sound as they cool, which is fun. 

Serve immediately or leave to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

If you’re not going to eat them all within a week or two, store them in the refrigerator for up to three months or in the freezer for up to six months. This keeps them from turning rancid on you, as nuts can do.

Serve as a snack at happy hour with the beverage of your choice. It’s chilly right now so we aren’t drinking iced drinks but these also go down a treat with a cold beer or crisp white wine. 

Cheers! Happy National Almond Day. Enjoy! 

As I mentioned above, it’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing almond recipes. Many thanks to our host, Camilla of Culinary Cam. Check out the link list below. 

• Almond Date Balls from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Banana Pancakes from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Basil Almond Pesto from Sizzling Tastebuds
• Chinese Almond Cookies from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Copycat Panera Thai Chicken Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Energy High Protein Shake from Sneha's Recipe
• Gató de Almendras Mallorquín from Culinary Cam
• Grain Free Almond Flour Cinnamon Pancakes from A Messy Kitchen
• Lemon Almond Muffins from Making Miracles
• Smoky Spicy Roasted Almonds from Food Lust People Love

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin these Smoky Spicy Roasted Almonds! 

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