In preparation to leave town, I instituted “catch and kill” as a dear and clever friend calls it, otherwise known as eating left overs or whatever is available in the refrigerator and pantry. I pan-seared sausages and assembled grilled cheese sandwiches for the kids, cut up strawberries and kiwifruit, and shared a little of my arugula salad with each of them. Finding one, lone sweet potato in the vegetable bin, I decided to spice it up with a little cinnamon and harissa sauce – and having all the ingredients on hand allowed me to maintain my goal of emptying the cupboards.

HARISSA SWEET POTATOES

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (I obviously used one, and adjusted the recipe as needed)

salt and pepper

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

pinch of ground cinnamon

1 to 2 teaspoons of dried oregano

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon of honey

1 tablespoon of harissa paste

In a medium saucepan, cover the sweet potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Salt the water and cook the potatoes until just tender, about 15 minutes.

Drain and return the potatoes to the pot. Add the chicken stock, cumin, cinnamon, thyme, lemon zest and honey and mash the potatoes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and harissa.

Spoon the mashed potatoes into a bowl, top with parsley.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine, October 2013

www.rachaelraymag.com/

Here is another Sweet Potato recipe, in case you happen to have a couple of extra in the vegetable bin.

SPICED SWEET POTATO FRIES

1 1/2 pounds of sweet potatoes, scrubbed and peeled

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Heat oven to 450F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut sweet potatoes into french-fry sized sticks. In a large bowl, mix oil, Cajun seasoning, salt and sugar. Toss potatoes to coat. Spread on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, flip the potatoes over and continue to bake until crisp tender and nicely browned at the edges, 10 to 15 minutes longer.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Oprah Magazine, April 2012

www.oprah.com/