Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Apples and Pecans

Summer has left us, and sadly, I have been forced to part ways with fresh corn and peaches…  But with the arrival of the cool crisp autumn air, I can now say hello to sweet potatoes and apples!  Hello sweet potatoes and apples!

My husband is a big fan of mashed sweet potatoes, but I prefer having them roasted.  It feels *slightly* more healthy to me, plus I feel like I can experiment more with spices and throw in random things like apples and nuts!  And, let’s be honest… it’s a lot less work!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Apples and Pecans

• 3 or 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 or 2 small apples, peeled, cored and diced
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Handful of pecans

Preheat the oven to 425° F

Line a roasting pan and add the sweet potatoes and apples.

Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil, and toss to coat the potatoes and apples.  Add more oil if necessary.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  I use maybe 1 teaspoon of salt and then grind on a bit of pepper.

Sprinkle on the cardamom and cayenne pepper.

Toss to mix everything together and fully coat the sweet potatoes and apples with the spices.

Bake for about 40-50 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender.  Be sure to stir everything after 25 or 30 minutes, to cook evenly and prevent sticking.  With about 10 minutes remaining, add a handful of pecans.

Enjoy!

Apple, Fig and Bourbon Compote

Autumn, my favorite season, is upon us.  The farmer's market now has apples and cider and all of the things that are perfect and inviting on a cool, crisp fall morning.  While I am not a big fan of apple pie, I do love cooked apples.  This simple apple compote made with a fig spread (use fresh if you have them), a bit of bourbon, butter and brown sugar is lovely when paired with a (cheesy) polenta, or it can serve as a dessert on its own.  It also goes really well with grilled pork chops… wrapped in bacon… Mmm… bacon………..

Things that make me happy: Bourbon, fig spread, brown sugar

Apple, Fig and Bourbon Compote - Recipe inspiration from here!

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large or 2 small apples, peeled, cored, and diced
• 2 tablespoons fig spread
• 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 shot of bourbon – feel free to pour some in the compote, too! ;)

Peel, core and dice the apple.  

Over medium heat, melt the butter in a small saucepan.  Add the apple and cook for three to five minutes, until the apple just begins to soften.

Add the fig spread and brown sugar.

Mix together until the brown sugar is desolved and the fig spread just begins to thin out.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the shot of bourbon… Really, you can add as much as you like… It's really about how much bourbon flavor you want to taste and how long you have to cook it down.  

Back on the heat, stir in the bourbon.  

Bring it just to a low boil and reduce the heat to low.  

Cook the sauce down for another ten minutes or so.  Again, this can cook longer, but I was hungry! 

Serve alone or topped on a slice of grilled polenta.

Enjoy!