Squash and Bacon Ambrosia

According to Google, there are four definitions of Ambrosia.  The first is something that is pleasing to the taste.  The second is a fungus based food for beetles.  The third is the food that bees eat so that they can make honey.  The forth is a dessert with oranges and shredded coconut.  Luckily, this dish only fits the first definition. 

Ingredients:

1. One medium spaghetti squash
2. One medium to large sweet potato
3. 1/2 lb of good quality bacon
4. A few tablespoons of minced green onion
5. 1/2 cup of minced parsley 
6. Salt, to taste

Instructions:

1. Cut the spaghetti squash in half (the long way).  Clean out the guts and seeds.  Bake it at 350 degrees for about an hour until it is cooked.  Let the squash cool and pull out the meat, which will sort of look like stringy noodles.  Throw away the shell.
2. Cook the bacon until crispy.  Let it cool and then cut it up finely.  Save the fat. 
3. Peel and wash the sweet potato.  Cut up sweet potato up to look like matchsticks.
4. Mince up the parsley and green onion.
5. Once are finished with steps 1-4, you can start cooking the dish.  In the bacon fat, start cooking the sweet potatoes.  When the sweet potatoes are about 1/2 cooked add the green onions and parsley.  Once the onions and parsley have reduced and the sweet potatoes are soft, add the bacon and spaghetti squash.  Mix in all of the ingredients and add salt to taste.  If you let the dish sit for a few minutes before you serve it the bacon will penetrate all of the ingredients nicely. 

You can really make this dish with one pan.  I have used the same cast iron pan for all of the steps.  Save a little parsley for garnish.  

Pão de Queijo

This is a favorite of those of us who do cheese (which unfortunately does not include me). I have included Sarah's recipe and Emily's.




Sarah's recipe:

1 cube butter

1/2 water

1 teaspoon salt

Melt butter, water, salt together. 

Add 2 cups tapioca starch in with the melted butter. 

Add

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups grated cheese (she uses Manchego or Romano)

Mix together (she used her hands to mix them). Roll into one inch balls and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. 

Emily's recipe:

1 cube butter

3/4 cup liquid (milk or water)

1 teaspoon salt

Boil this together and then add 1 lb tapioca starch, 3 eggs, and about 1 1/2 cups mixed cheeses (Parmesan, Romano, Manchego, or any other grate-able cheese).

Form into one inch balls and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Sugar-Free Blueberry Muffins

I made these for the Booth girls and they were a hit.

Blueberry Muffins
1 stick butter at room temperature
1/2 cup maple syrup*
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups blueberries

Preheat the oven to 375

Cream the butter add the maple syrup and mix well.
Add the eggs one at a time beating after each.
Beat in vanilla and baking powder
With spoon fold in 1/2 of flour and then the other half*
Fold in blueberries

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes if using the normal sized muffin tins and half the time for mini muffins.  Pull out just before they are done so they do not dry out.

This recipe needs 1/2 cup of liquid.  If you use less maple syrup (which would work fine this was pretty sweet) make sure too add enough liquid between the flour additions so you out in 1/2 cup of liquid including the maple syrup.

Sugar-Free Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are sweetened with maple and taste great.  The Booth girls ate them up fast. To be honest these would only be sugar-free if you found chocolate chips without sugar or skipped them (Leah said they were good without the chocolate).  They do not have a strong maple flavor either.

Maple Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cube butter
2 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup maple syrup
chocolate chips

Cream the butter
Add the flour and mix on low (it will be crumbly)
While mixing add the maple syrup in a slow stream.
Stir in the chocolate chips

Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes