Your Top 10 Recipes of 2017

Cookie and Kate

Your Top 10 Recipes of 2017

Can you believe it? 2017 is coming to a close already. I hope this year has been good to you. I still feel like I’m catching my breath after publishing my cookbook, but it’s so nice to have more time to spend here with you.

Thank you tremendously for visiting this online home of mine. Your comments, emails and kind words mean so much. Please keep them coming, and I’ll keep the recipes flowing.

If you’re craving fresh meals again after the holiday, you are in the right place! Without further ado, here are the most popular recipes on the blog this year. I’ll be back in a couple of days to share my favorites that didn’t make this list.

1) Favorite Quinoa Salad

Gluten free and vegan

“I was surprised to read this recipe and realize that I happen to have all of the ingredients in my kitchen! I whipped it up today and it is so delicious. Definitely going to make this again!” – Jenna

Continue to the recipe...

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A Sweet Pea Chef

Sweet Potato Rolls

These buttery, hot, and amazing Sweet Potato Rolls are so delicious and you’d never believe they’re actually good for you!

So…I have a confession to make.

I like rolls.  A lot.

If a restaurant serves them as a complimentary offering, I’m probably not passing them up.

Because, as we’ve covered, I like rolls.

I like Hawaiian rolls.

I like sourdough rolls.

I like dinner rolls.

I like kaiser rolls.

I like buttery rolls.  Duh.

I will eat them on a train.  I will eat them in the rain.

Wait, whuh?

The problem with rolls, however, is they aren’t usually clean, meaning they’re usually packed full of butter, salt, and refined flour.  So, I figured it was time to make my own rolls.

Because I like rolls.

To make these rolls healthier, I did the following:

replaced a lot of the flour with sweet potato puree used unrefined spelt flour and whole wheat pastry flour instead of refined all-purpose flour used raw honey instead of white refined sugar used coconut oil as a healthier fat used clean grass-fed organic butter for the glaze

Let’s get real now.  If you’re like me and you don’t usually bake bread, nor do you feel like you’re particularly good at it, I hope you still try this recipe.  One. Because they’re delicious.  Two. Because they’re actually pretty forgiving.  Three.  Because rolls.

I’m really not usually one to bake bread other than quick rise, no knead bread (which I love) so taking the time to proof the yeast, let the dough rise TWICE is a big commitment for me.

That being said, your prize at the end of just about 2 hours of mostly waiting is a batch of hot, fresh, buttery rolls from the oven.

Sounds pretty good to me.

All in all, I’m pretty darn happy with these sweet potato rolls.  They are flavorful, soft, tender, and dense – just like a tasty roll should be.

BTW I’ve also turned them into hamburger buns by just flattening them down instead of squishing together.

Mmm…homemade burger buns.  More on that soon 😉

In case you’re concerned about the honey butter glaze I brush on the top and you’re thinking I’m crazy for using butter on these rolls…   Believe it or not, grass-fed organic butter is actually considered a clean ingredient and has been shown to have great nutrients, if used in moderation. 

Sweet Potato Rolls

 

If you’d rather, you could prepare this glaze with coconut oil instead.  Both work beautifully.

Sweet Potato Rolls

These buttery, hot, and amazing Sweet Potato Rolls are so delicious that you’d never believe they’re actually good for you!

1 cup unsweetened almond milk 1/3 cup plus 1 tsp. raw honey (divided) 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet) 1 cup sweet potato puree (from 2 large sweet potatoes, cooled) 2 eggs 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted and cooled) 2 tsp sea salt 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (plus more as needed) 2 cups spelt flour For the Honey Butter Glaze: 3 tbsp unsalted organic grass-fed butter 1 1/2 tbsp raw honey Coarse sea salt (for sprinkling)

First, we need to proof the yeast to make sure it’s active. To do this heat a cup of unsweetened almond milk in a sauce pan until heated through, but not too hot to touch. Remove from the heat, and stir in 1 teaspoon of raw honey until dissolved, then gently stir in a packet of active dry yeast. Set the yeast mixture aside to proof for 5-10 minutes. It should become bubbly and foamy. If it doesn’t, go grab yourself some new yeast. Now, in the bowl of a food processor, add sweet potato puree, 1/4 cup raw honey, eggs, melted and cooled coconut oil, and sea salt. Process until combined. Add in flour combination of whole wheat pastry flour and spelt flour in 3-4 batches, pulsing to distribute the flour. Slowly pour in the proofed yeast mixture and continue to process until everything is well-incorporated. The dough should be sticky, but hold together. Lightly flour a clean, flat surface and lay the dough out onto it. Sprinkle a little more flour on top of the dough, and knead until the dough forms a smooth, uniform ball, about 2 minutes. If the dough is too sticky to work with, you can add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until you can handle it without it overly sticking to everything. Transfer the dough ball to the a large bowl which las been lightly greased with melted coconut oil, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Once the dough has risen, lightly flour a flat surface again and roll the dough out into an even level. Divide the dough into halves until you have 16 equally-sized pieces. One piece of dough at a time, pinch all of the edges together to form a seam and roll the dough into a ball. Place each ball, seam-side down, into a baking dish with a little space between the rolls for them to rise. If you’re wanting to make these rolls into hamburger buns, push down and flatten into a bun shape and set apart to rise instead. Cover again with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise, another hour, or until doubled in size. When the rolls are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place the rolls into the oven and bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. As the rolls are baking, you can prepare a honey butter glaze to brush over the top of the rolls. In a small mixing bowl, combine melted unsalted organic grass-fed butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons raw honey. If you’d rather, you could prepare this glaze with coconut oil instead. Remove the rolls from the oven and brush the glaze onto the rolls and then sprinkle with course sea salt.

This post contains affiliate links with products I use regularly and highly recommend.

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