Georgia Magazine - October 2021 - 40

GEORGIA Cooks
" The addition of Cajun spices gives a nice, all-important
heat to this sweet potato salad. It's not a mayonnaise-based
dish, making it picnic-friendly and a hit with my vegan friends
as well. Don't tell them I told you about the optional bacon, "
says Deborah VanTrece, chef and owner of Twisted Soul
restaurant in Atlanta.
CAJUN SWEET POTATO SALAD
Courtesy of Chef Deborah VanTrece, from " The Twisted Soul Cookbook:
Modern Soul Food with Global Flavors " (Rizzoli New York, 2021)
5 cups sweet potatoes (4 to 5 pounds), peeled, cubed
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped red onions
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
1 jalapeño, seeded, minced
1 teaspoon Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Paul Prudhomme's Blackened Seasoning Blend
3/4 cup honey (preferably local) or agave
3 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Crumbled bacon, for garnish, optional
Boil the peeled, cubed sweet potatoes for 8 to 10 minutes,
until tender but still firm. Drain them, place in a shallow pan,
and refrigerate for 20 to 25 minutes until cooled.
In a large bowl, combine the cooled sweet potatoes, celery,
bell pepper, scallions, red onions, pickle relish and jalapeño.
Stir gently until well-mixed.
In a small bowl, whisk together the Creole seasoning, onion
powder, blackened seasoning, honey (or agave), mustard and
vinegar until well-blended.
Pour the dressing over the sweet potato mixture and gently
toss. Note: If the sweet potatoes are starting to fall apart a little,
that's all right, as they'll enrich the dressing. Add salt and pepper
to taste. If desired, top with crumbled bacon. Serve chilled or at
room temperature. Serves 10.
SWEET POTATO BISQUE
BAKED APPLES STUFFED WITH
SWEET POTATO PUREE
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup shallots, peeled,
chopped
1-1/2 tablespoons garlic, peeled,
minced, or to taste
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced ginger
Sea salt and freshly ground
white pepper, to taste
Melt the butter in a medium pot set over medium heat.
When the butter foams, add the shallots, garlic, celery and
ginger. Cook, stirring, until the ingredients become tender, but
do not let them color. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly
ground white pepper. Add vegetable stock and apple juice and
bring to a simmer. Add the cubed sweet potatoes and cook until
the potatoes are tender.
Remove from heat, then mash the pieces of potato until
they lose their shape. Use an immersion blender or a standing
blender to puree the soup. Stir in the coconut milk. Season
to taste with additional sea salt and white pepper and either
allspice or cinnamon, to taste. Gently reheat and serve
immediately, garnishing with minced chives or Italian parsley,
if desired. Serves 4-6.
1 quart vegetable stock
1 cup apple juice
4 cups sweet potatoes, peeled,
cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup coconut milk
Freshly ground allspice or
cinnamon, to taste
Minced chives or Italian parsley,
for garnish, optional
40 Georgia Magazine October 2021
4 medium apples
1 large sweet potato (about 1 pound), baked
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup apple juice
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Core the apples, removing all
seeds and scooping out a good-sized cavity in each. Cut thin
slices off the bottoms so the apples stand without falling over.
Remove and discard the sweet potato skin. Puree sweet
potato. Mix it with 1 tablespoon butter, allspice, nutmeg,
cinnamon and sea salt, stirring until smooth.
Grease a shallow baking pan with 1 tablespoon butter.
Pack the apples with the sweet potato mixture and place the
stuffed apples in the pan. Drizzle apples with apple juice and
evenly dot the tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
Bake about 30 minutes, or until the apples yield to
the point of a sharp knife. Note: This dish goes well with
roasted duck, pork chops or lamb chops. Serves 4 as a
side dish.
" THE TWISTED SOUL COOKBOOK: MODERN SOUL
FOOD WITH GLOBAL FLAVORS " BY DEBORAH
VANTRECE, RIZZOLI NEW YORK, 2021. © NOAH FECKS
Georgia Magazine - October 2021

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