Oven Roasted Root Vegetables & Sweet Potato Balls

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              FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Anna Welander for this one:

The warden, addressing the three instigators of a failed prison
riot, said, "I would like to know two things. First: Why did you
revolt? Second: How did you get out of your cell?"

One of the three men stepped forward, "Warden, we rebelled
because the food is awful."

"I see. And what did you use to break the bars?" The warden
asked.

Replied the spokesman, "French toast."

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              TODAY'S RECIPES
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This is my favorite way to cook root vegetables, especially when
they accompany a nice roasted chicken, pork roast, or meatloaf.

Oven Roasted Root Vegetables

Fresh, good quality root vegetables, such as potatoes,
carrots, turnips, rutabagas (Swedes), beets, parsnips,
sweet potatoes, and fennel
Several whole cloves of garlic
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Sprigs of fresh rosemary and/or thyme, or herb of your choice

I prefer to leave the peel on the potatoes and carrots, but you
may peel them if you prefer. Peel the turnips, rutabagas, beets,
parsnips, and sweet potatoes. The garlic cloves may be peeled
or left unpeeled. Cut the vegetables into large pieces of approxi-
mately the same size so they will all cook at the same rate.
Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet or in a baking
pan and drizzle them with the olive oil and sprinkle with liberal
amounts of salt and pepper. Toss the vegetables to coat them
on all sides. If you use beets, place them in a separate container
so as not to color the rest of the vegetables. Add the sprigs
of fresh herbs and bake in a 350F (180C) oven for 45 minutes
to 1 hour, turning occasionally, until they are fork-tender and
lightly browned.

This is an excellent way to use leftover sweet potatoes, but it's
so good you won't mind mashing some to make it from scratch.

Sweet Potato Balls

4 cups (1 L) mashed sweet potatoes (about 3 to 4
medium-sized potatoes, peeled, boiled, and mashed)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup (60 ml) brown sugar
2 bananas, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1/4 cup (60 ml) bread crumbs
8 pineapple rings (canned or fresh)
Maraschino cherries, halved (optional)

Mix together the mashed sweet potato, beaten egg, and brown
sugar. Place about 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the mixture in the palm
of your hand, and wrap it around a piece of the banana, forming
a ball. Roll the sweet potato balls in the bread crumbs to coat
evenly. Place the pineapple rings on a lightly greased baking
sheet, and place a sweet potato ball in the center of each ring.
Top with a maraschino cherry half if desired. Bake in a preheated
350F (180C) oven for 20 minutes. Serves 8.
Received on Wed Dec 13 11:48:07 2006