Sweet Potato with Miso

So I recently finished watching Salt Fat Heat Acid on Netflix. It’s EXCELLENT! Samin, the host, who is from Berkeley and worked her way up at Chez Panisse, is somewhat of a new age idol. Her show is a mix of cooking technique, recipes, travel, and community all in one. It’s beautiful to watch and Samin reminds me a bit of a Julia Child in that she makes cooking so approachable. In one of the episodes, she travels to Japan to learn about salt. Miso, which Westerners usually know as miso soup, is an umami paste that can turn anything into something really special.

So with not much left at home in the pantry or the refrigerator, I made a “miso butter” with equal parts butter and miso paste and topped a slow cooked sweet potato for lunch. It was good enough I figured I would add the how-to on the site. Hope you find this easy meal a hit for those lonely nights where you’re cooking for one… yep, we all have them!

Slow Roasted Sweet Potato with Miso Butter

Serves 1

1 sweet potato, white, also works with yellow sweet potatoes or Japanese varieties

2 TB miso paste

2TB butter, organic

1 TB olive oil

Fresh cilantro or Basil

Turn the oven to 300F. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Coat the potato with a bit of olive oil. Roast for close to two hours, or as long as you can hold out! In a small bowl, mix together the butter and miso paste until well combined. Split the potato and add the paste and top with fresh herbs.

White Bean Winter Soup

White Bean Soup

In the winter months, I live for a hearty soup with good crusty bread. I find this type of soup incredibly satisfying and comforting. You really feel warm all the way through to your bones! The trick is very good chicken stock. It also helps to have quality beans. I tend to think because it’s very simple, every ingredient really matters. Double the recipe and freeze some for later! The soup is always better the next day so feel free to make it ahead of time.

White Beans Winter Soup

1 quart of cooked white beans, cannellini or gigante

1 quart homemade chicken stock, or buy from your local butcher

2 tb olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped (optional)

1 large zucchini and/or 1 large carrot, diced ¼” thick (optional)

1 small bunch of collard greens, chard or escarole, de-stemmed and chopped 1” pieces

1 dried red Calabrian chili

Salt and Pepper

Parmigiano Reggiano

If using dried beans, soak the beans overnight in a large bowl with plenty of water.

Bring a stockpot or heavy dutch oven to medium heat, add the olive oil, and sweat the chopped garlic. If you love onions, add a chopped yellow onion at this point. Saute for a few minutes until the garlic is cooked and the onion is softened. Add your washed and sliced collard greens. Stir a minute or two and then add ½ cup of chicken stock. Cover for 2-3 minutes until the greens are steamed. Add the zucchini and/or carrots and continue to stir all together. By this point your chicken stock should be mostly gone and your vegetables should be softer but not cooked through. Add the white beans and cover by 2” with liquid, adding the remaining 3 ½ cups of stock. Add water if you need to as well. Bring the pot to a rolling boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Add the chili and cook with the lid on for 20 minutes. Taste your soup, and add salt and pepper to taste. Are the beans soft? If not, continue to cook with the lid on until they are cooked through. Leave it covered until ready to serve.

In the bowl, drizzle with olive oil and grated parmesan. Serve with good crusty bread! Maybe a glass of red wine. Some gooey, stinky cheese.  Eat on the floor around the coffee table or by a fireplace. OK, you get it.