Are you looking for how to make a healthy side dish to go with your meals effortlessly? We’ve got you covered. Whether it is a dinner party or brunch, this purple sweet potato recipe will leave you in awe. There are many side dishes available, but we present a rare blend of taste with health.

This Purple Sweet potato comes with a dash of butter and a twist of herbs. We are talking about none other than the exotic purple sweet potato dish, which will surely make your mouth water. Potatoes are known for their flexibility to fit into anything, but this recipe will surely bring a wave of taste you have never experienced before.

Purple Sweet Potato

Purple sweet potatoes come from a large family of potatoes; these sweet potatoes are also called Stokes and are more prevalent in Japanese culture. In Japan, they are popularly known as Okinawa sweet potatoes. With a history of being gifted to and grown by farmers, these potatoes will surely make space in your tummy’s heart.

Grown in the soil of a curious farmer and thankfully reaching us, potatoes come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. Yes, colors too. This recipe shows us how to cook purple potatoes, but you can try these with yellow, red, and, the most popular white potatoes. Purple potatoes are not only a healthy alternative but are also low in fat and calories, highly nutritious, and rich in vitamin C and potassium.

The presence of high amounts of Anthocyanin and carotenoids gives these potatoes their purple color. These antioxidants help protect us from free radicals that can damage our DNA and cause oxidative stress. Ready within a small time fragment of 30-40 minutes, the purple sweet potato recipe is sure to leave you with the taste of a lifetime.

 Purple Sweet Potato Tips

• You can use melted ghee or cooking oil instead of butter.
• Ghee will add a homely yet rich flavor. Ghee also holds very high nutritional value helping with digestion and faster metabolism, whereas oil will add to the shine and crispiness of the veggies.
• You can also add more veggies to the dish, including beetroots.
• Along with parsley and rosemary, you can add black pepper, paprika, or other herbs as a seasoning. Just sauté those with garlic and follow the procedure as mentioned.
• You can use other herbs for added flavors giving the dish a more aromatic experience. These herbs can be sautéed or sprinkled upon; they leave a fantastic taste in both methods.
• Another healthy alternative to cooking purple potatoes would be to air-fry them instead of baking them. Air frying consumes less oil and is considered a healthier option than baking, frying, or even shallow frying.
• To make garlic yogurt at home, you can add 1-2 cloves of minced or grated garlic, a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon, one tablespoon of fresh green chives, and a pinch of kosher salt to one cup of Greek yogurt. Mix them all well until there are no lumps. This dip tastes better when served cold.

To peel or not to peel is the question! To answer this question, potato skin is full of nutrients and vitamins. So, it is safe to say it’s completely edible. The choice remains and depends on how you prefer your potatoes. As we have mentioned, the taste does not vary too much as long as you follow the recipe. Please remember young kids should not be fed potato skin, as it can lead to choking.

Rich in nutrition and packed with taste, the purple sweet potato perfectly suits all your meals. Not only can it be a standalone snack, but it also is a replacement for French fries, potato nuggets, and baked potato chips.  So next time you decide to cook burgers, don’t forget to spice them up with some delicious roasted purple potatoes, making them worth a try!

Purple Sweet Potato Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 purple sweet potatoes
• 1 Red onion
• 7 to 9 cloves of Garlic
• 1 ½ tablespoon of melted butter
• Parsley to garnish
• Rosemary
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
• Start by chopping red onions and potatoes into bite-sized pieces or thick slices of one inch each. You can do it as desired. Wash them thoroughly to remove any soil or bacteria on the surface. Don’t forget this step, as it is essential for the fresh taste of this recipe.
• Add some salt of around one tablespoon to 2 cups of water. Bring the salted water to a boil and gently add potatoes to it. Cover the potatoes and let them simmer for 10-15 minutes until they are soft. Make sure to cook them only until they are tender and not until they are falling apart.
• Very gently remove them on a dry vessel and drain the water. The next step is to pat the potatoes dry with a towel or kitchen cloth.
• In a bowl, toss minced garlic and freshly cut rosemary with some melted butter. Mix the contents well until the ingredients are blended well.
• Place the onions and potatoes on a baking sheet. It would help if you preferably used a larger baking vessel to avoid overlapping and maintain the veggies’ crispiness.
• Spoon the garlic-herb mixture on every piece of onion and potato.
• Transfer them to the oven and bake for over 15 minutes. Toss them over and continue to bake for another 10 minutes to obtain the desired crisp.
• You should season with salt to taste, chopped parsley, or any additional herbs.
• Serve hot to enjoy the fresh flavors.
• A good alternative is to enjoy these potatoes with a dipping made from Greek yogurt or yogurt and garlic.

Another way to cook this dish if you are running low on time is to skip the boiling part. Place the chopped potatoes on the baking tray directly with the onions and spoon them with herbs and butter. Transfer them to the oven and bake for over 15 minutes. Toss them over and continue to bake for another 10 minutes to obtain the desired crisp. Season them with salt to taste, chopped parsley, or any additional herbs.

It is time for the Crisco Pie Crust Recipe. A pie crust is a simple and tasty recipe and can be used in many ways. Here, we will explain how to make an easy pie crust using Crisco shortening. Using the right shortening agent in the right quantities lends crispiness and crumbliness to all baked products, including pie crusts.

Crisco Pie Crust

B&G Foods, an American company, introduced the brand of Crisco shortening in 1911. In those days, this was the first ever shortening brand to use vegetable oil, which was cottonseed oil. The company acquired the patent rights to hydrogenate this oil in 1903.

This process was known as shortening. In this process, the oil’s fat remains in the solid state even at room temperature. After the company won the patents for this process, it came up with many names to market it and finally settled on Crisco, which can also be considered the short name of crystallized cottonseed oil.

Crisco Pie Shortening

Shortening is used for baking short doughs that don’t need the presence of gluten to stretch them. The gluten in the bread stops it from becoming flaky, thereby messing up the pie crust. Since a shortening agent keeps fat in its solid state even at room temperature, it doesn’t react with water nor activate any compounds that form gluten.

Though the main ingredient of this recipe is Crisco shortening, we would also like to tell you that you can substitute shortening with butter or margarine. However, you have to add about two tablespoons of extra butter or margarine for every cup of shortening you use.

For example, for 1 cup of shortening, you should use 1 cup of butter (or margarine) plus two tablespoons of butter to get a flaky crust. Some people switch to butter or margarine, as shortening agents have unhealthy trans-fatty acids in them.

However, there is no harm in some sinful indulgence at times. So, here is a simple pie crust recipe that you can make at home using the classic Crisco shortening. This recipe helps you prepare flaky and fresh pie crusts that you can use as the base to prepare tasty pumpkin or apple pies or just about any pie of your choice.

Crisco Pie Crust Recipe

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour – 2 cups
• Salt – ¾ teaspoon
• Crisco shortening – ¾ cup (use cold shortening)
• Cold Water – 3 to 6 tablespoons

Instructions

1. Prepare Flour and Shortening Mixture:

• Add 2 cups of all-purpose flour to a large bowl.
• Cut cold Crisco shortening into ½-inch cubes and add to flour.
• Use a pastry blender or flat beater to mix until it resembles breadcrumbs.

2. Forming the Dough:

• Gradually add cold water, mixing continuously. Ensure all flour is moistened.
• Test the dough: Squeeze a small piece. If it holds, it’s ready; if it crumbles, add a bit more water and retest.
• Note: Achieve a dough that’s not too dry or too moist for a crispy crust.

3. Chill the Dough:

• Divide the dough into 2 or 3 discs.
• Chill for at least 15 minutes. For optimal results, chill for 4-5 hours.

4. Roll Out the Dough:

• Roll each dough ball between parchment papers into a 1/8-inch thick disc.
• Ensure each disc is larger than your pie plate.

5. Place in Pie Plate:

• Fold the disc into quarters and gently place it in the pie plate.
• Press into the plate and trim edges, leaving ¾ inch overhang.

6. Bake Your Pie:

• Your crust is ready for fillings and toppings.
• Follow the baking instructions specific to the pie recipe you’re using.

Pin the image below if you like this Crisco Pie Crust!

Some points to note for Crisco Pie Crust

For making cream pies and other sweet pies, you have to make a pastry shell and preheat it. For this purpose, after inserting the dough into the pie plate, prick the bottom and sides of the dough about 5o times (using a fork) and then bake them for about 10 to 12 minutes at 425 degrees F. This way, the crust will turn golden brown nicely without blistering or rising.

The recipe that we mentioned above is for a single crust. You can also use the same ingredients but in double their original quantities for a double pie crust. After rolling the dough into the pie plate as per our recipe, you can fill the unbaked pie with the fillings of your choice.

Now, carefully transfer the smaller disc (for a double crust, you have to roll two discs – one bigger and one smaller) over the filling. Seal the dough carefully and cut off the edges.  You can now bake the dough as per the instructions for that pie.

Though you may have tried many recipes belonging to different cuisine styles, some stay very close to your heart. It brings memories of your childhood and your grandmother’s traditional style of cooking.

The dried beef cheese ball recipe is one of them. It is a super simple but delicious recipe that can be made within minutes. You can eat these balls as the main food or as an appetizer, as you please. The best part of this dish is that you can add or reduce ingredients, as per your creativity, to suit your taste buds.

The combination of green onions, cream cheese, and dried beef makes this dish taste heavenly. Are you planning a party at your home this evening? Make sure you include these dried beef cheese balls as part of the starter menu, and watch your guests drooling over them.

Here are some points to remember before you know how to make these cheese balls

• Sometimes, if you cannot find your favorite brand’s dried beef in the supermarkets, you can also buy chipped beef. The taste of the cheese balls will remain as authentic as you want.
• Many people may find chipped beef to be too salty. So, we recommend you clean the meat thoroughly before using it to roll the balls to reduce the salt content in the dish.
• If you are health-conscious and don’t want to buy dried beef from the market, you can make it home. Yes, it is a lengthy process, but the time you spend on this is worth every second, considering how tasty your cheese balls are going to turn out to be!

How to Make Dried Beef Cheese Ball Recipe

• Choose the part of the beef that has the lowest fat content if you decide to make dried beef at home. Air drying is the most common method used by many.
• Cut the meat into strips using a sharp knife – the kind that butchers use.
• Mix all the flavorful ingredients that you intend to use (like vinegar, marjoram, thyme, pepper, and salt) in a bowl. Mix the contents very well to ensure that they give out the maximum flavors.
• Add the freshly-cut beef strips to this spice mixture. Ensure that the strips are immersed well in the mixture. Cover the bowl with a tape or cover of your choice.
• Place the covered bowl in the refrigerator and allow it to remain there for about 12 to 14 hours.
• For the air-drying process, you have to use a special storage box that has aluminum foils, proper lighting (a 75W incandescent bulb) and aluminum bars (for hanging the beef strips). A 12-volt fan is an additional bonus in the storage box. This will keep the strips away from fungus, if any.
• If you don’t have a specific storage box like this, you can use your refrigerator’s sandwich box for this purpose. You can make modifications to this box by adding the fans, bars, light and fan.
• Use some paper clips to hang the beef strips on the bars securely. After you set up the box, you can switch on the box’s power by plugging it into the nearest outlet.
• Allow the meat to dry on the bars for 12 hours. Check the box after 12 hours. If the strips still have some juices on them, let them dry for some more time. If they are completely dry, you can take them out.
• Allow the dried beef to cool down before you use them to roll the cheese balls.
• Your homemade, healthy dried beef is now ready to be used for your favorite recipes.

Pin the image below if you like this recipe!

Dried Beef Cheese Ball Recipe

Ingredients

• Cream Cheese – 8 ounces,
• Dried Beef – 3 ounces,
• Green Onions – 2 (finely chopped),
• Onion Salt – ¼ teaspoon,
• Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) – 1 ¼ teaspoons,
• Worcestershire Sauce – 1 tablespoon,
• Nuts for decoration – optional

Instructions

• Once you gather all the ingredients and keep them ready, prepare the cheese balls within ten minutes. Here is how you can do it:
• Take a big bowl and mix cream cheese, dried beef, and chopped green onions.
• Mix the contents well before you add the other ingredients of salt, MSG and Worcestershire sauce.
• Now, roll the ingredients into a ball, and refrigerate the balls for about 30 minutes. Wrap the ball properly with plastic wrap. Use the plastic wrap in the shape of a cross-shape for the ball to get a perfectly round shape. This way, it will settle well, once it is placed in the refrigerator.
• After 30 minutes, please take out the cheese ball from the refrigerator unwrap it. Cut a small portion and serve them with unsalted crackers, butter crackers, or celery sticks.
• Tangy and tasty cheese balls made from dried beef are now ready.
• Make them in batches and store them in the refrigerator. They stay good for about 2 to 3 days.

Some changes you can try to this recipe

• You can also add a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper for additional flavor and taste, along with salt and Worcestershire sauce.
• After shaping the balls, you can coat them with dried bits of beef pieces, groundnut powder, almond nuts, or small bacon pieces before refrigerating them.
• If you like the dried beef to be spicy and flavorful, you can also add a small amount of vinegar, marjoram, thyme and hot pepper to the dried beef when you are rolling the mixture into small balls.
• You can also mix about 4 ounces of buttermilk ranch seasoning into the mixture to get unique flavors from your cheese balls.
• You can use any brand of dried beef or chipped beef. However, you can also make your own dried beef following the below-mentioned methods.
• You can omit MSG completely, if you wish, for a healthier version of dried beef cheese balls.
• You can roll the cheese balls in a mixture of dried beef pieces and green onions to make the dish look colorful and yummy.