Not So Fast

January 6th, 2010 | Posted by Alison Spath in Dinner Time

Tonight I had my hopes set on a fast and easy dinner. I was ready to slice up a Kabocha squash that I found recently (at a store, not in my closet or something) but after it’s photo shoot on the cutting board, I flipped it over to find mold growing on the bottom and a bunch of soft spots on it too.

Kabocha

Well alrighty then. I had a few choice words for this Kabocha squash, chucked it into the compost and moved onto the next orange fleshed vegetable on my shelves.

Well Fine Then

OK, still going for fast and easy here – tonight seemed like a good night to give my new mandolin a try and make real sweet potato fries.

Mandolin

Now, please note that I said this mandolin is NEW. I’ve never used this vegetable slicing contraption before. Why I thought this would fit into my “fast and easy” plans for dinner is beyond me. I didn’t bother to read the directions (somewhere my mother is groaning at me!) because that would take too long. I’ll figure it out, let’s just jump right in and get this done, OK?

After my first few attempts at slicing this sweet potato, I now had a few choice words for the potato and the mandolin too. It kept getting jammed, I kept worrying about my fingers being the next thing to be mandolined (not a word), the slices I was getting were way too short. Eventually though, it started to come together and we worked it out. By the time I got to the second potato, I was feeling like an old mandolin pro.

Look Ma! Real fries!

Fries

Onto a coconut oil greased cookie sheet and into the oven at 375.

Real Fries

Fries getting their bake on, I got started making my favorite fast black bean burgers with my favorite BBQ sauce.

Bone Suckin' Sauce

Seriously, this stuff is the best, even if the name wouldn’t lead you to believe it’s vegetarian.

My fast and easy fries were taking their dang sweet time at 375, and after about a half hour I kicked it up 50 degrees and at 425 the sweet potatoes finally took the hint that I was expecting them to cook.

An hour later, fast and easy dinner was finally served.

Dinner

To be enjoyed with the landslide of magazines I picked up at the old house yesterday.

With Mags

One for the breadwinner too, whenever he gets home from winning bread.

For the Bread Winner

Seems like my post is trying to take after dinner tonight.


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19 Responses

  • Bernadette says:

    Can’t say that I blame you considering you have all those magazines just screaming to be read!
    I have a mandolin that was used ONCE- the kids HAD to make potato chips one time, sent them to the store to buy the mandolin (had no idea how much they cost) and they made their chips….then it went into the cupboard never to be used again…it’s still there.

    I went with fast and easy tonight too…stopped at Chipotle for a salad w/black beans.

    Oh, and I’m loving the new header!! Very nice, your so talented!!!

    Have a great evening!
    xoxo

  • Cindy says:

    I used my mandolin (that I’ve had all last year) for the first time the other day. (it might have been on the 1st) it sucked. I am NOT mechanically inclined and after an hour, some frustration tears, a few choice words (and I did try and read the directions) I called Hubs to the rescue. He made me look like an idiot in less than 5 minutes. I am not giving up but it’s NOT my bff right now.

    I was hoping it could replace my WANT for a spiralizer but making FRIES sounds better.

    my fast and easy dinner was soup. not nearly as way cool as your burger and fries!
    can I come over?
    xo

  • Cindy says:

    ps…I forgot to tell you I love your new header. it’s very cool!

  • Whit says:

    I want a mandolin now. I don’t play any musical instruments.

    [ok, that was horrible. Please take away my joke card.]

  • Katie says:

    that looks great!! I had a great veggie burger in a restaurant recently and have been imagining how to recreate it at home, I might use your recipe as inspiration!

  • Jane/you-know-who says:

    The new header is great!

  • Erica says:

    A healthy burger and fries, love it :) Sweet potato fries are amazing. Love the picture of the husbands dinner in the fridge- Josh usually ends up pulling his out of the same spot 😉

  • I haaaaaaaate when I find a vegetable has gone off, it also gives me some choice words.

  • Shari B. says:

    Love the new look on the blog!! Very fun!

    I can’t find a kabocha squash in this town to save my life, not even at whole foods.

    Sweet potatoes are so tough to cut – I ended up at the hospital one year thanks to cutting those tough little buggers. Apparently sharp blades like fingers better than raw sweet potatoes! 😉

    Your not so fast dinner looks like it was worth the wait!

  • Ashley says:

    “I was ready to slice up a Kabocha squash that I found recently (at a store, not in my closet or something)”

    Hahahahaha! You crack me up.

    Pain in the ass or not, your dinner looks deeee-licious!

  • Leah says:

    so sorry about the kabocha squash! i still have yet to actually find one of those in the store though…
    secondly, isnt that barbeque sauce amazing? they have it to sample at my whole foods almost every time and i have to stop myself from hijacking the bottle and chugging it down…

  • The dinner may have taken longer than you liked, but it looks amazing. I would wait a long time for it… :)

    And I’m terrible at using new gadgets (maybe one problem is that I never read the instructions)…

  • Erika says:

    I love my mandoline but sweet potatoes always give me trouble! I also found that for odd shaped veggies, a rubber potholder works better than the holder that comes with the mandoline. I can get more of the veggie sliced and my whole hand is protected. A bonus for a clutz like me!

  • Allyson says:

    That is amazing! I always have the hardest time cutting sweet potatoes into fry shapes. Those babies are hard! Though I’m pretty sure I’d slice all of my fingers off in my quest for perfect fries. Worth it? Definitely!

  • Pat says:

    Hey! Glad to see you are back on the blog! I missed you!

  • i don’t use my mandolin nearly as much as i should.

  • Oh gosh, I hate when produce shows an ugly side and you have to dump it. So frustrating!

    The sweet fries look amazing though! 😀 I’ve never used a mandolin slicer before, but it must make life so much easier to cut those babies up! I’ll have to add it to my kitchen wish-list. 😀

  • Lizzy says:

    yummy yum yum! those sweet potato fries look amazing!!!! i don’t have a mandolin but i sure want one now knowing all the things i can make with it!

    Did you guys get hit with a big snow storm yesterday (thursday?)

    Hope your having a great start to your friday! love you girl!

  • That looks awesome! What kind of buns do you buy? Sorry , don’t mean to get personal asking about your buns 😉