Sweet Potato Hand Pies

Pasties and hand pies give me such happy thoughts.  Small and warm, they fit right in your hand and they are filled with vegetable/meat goodness.  Plus, they remind me of drizzling London days, and pasty shops at the London Tube entrances. This recipe was made spontaneously, because I hadn't gone grocery shopping, and had to use what I had on hand, but I am really glad I ended up making them, because they were very good!  Simple, wholesome and tasty.

Sweet Potato Hand Pies:
by Landen

Crust: (from Annie's Eats)
1 1/4 cup flour
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
8 Tbs butter
3 Tbs water

Filling:
1 peeled, cooked sweet potato, hollowed out (cooked mine in the microwave and then scooped out the soft middle with a spoon).
1/2 cup fresh or thawed, frozen green beens cut into 1" segments
1/2 tsp dried sage
salt and pepper to taste

Make the crust first.  Take flour, sugar and salt and mix together in a stand mixer (or you can mix it in a medium sized bowl).  Cut the butter into small 1/2" cubes and put into the stand mixer.  Blend until you have a decently fine powdered mixture.  If you don't have a stand mixer, use two forks or a pastry blender.  Once you have a fine powder, add 1 Tbs of water at a time until you have a smooth dough.  Wrap the dough in plastic, or put in a tupperware and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Put the cooked sweet potato middle in a medium sized bowl with the green beans, sage, salt and pepper.  Mix together, mashing the sweet potato.

Roll the crust out on a flour-dusted counter to 1/8" thick or so, and with a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass, cut out as many circles as you can get out of the dough.  Place in each circle about 1 Tbs of the sweet potato mixture, fold the dough in half to complete encompass the mixture, and with a fork, smoosh the edges of the dough together to seal it.  Then poke the fork through the top of the handpie to let out steam in the oven.

Cook for 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 350°F, or until the edges of the dough are turning a golden brown.  Let cool for 5 minutes or so and then serve.  They are also delicious warmed again the next day.  Enjoy!

If you have questions or comments regarding this recipe please feel free to email me at 

measureandwhisk[at]gmail[dot]com, or comment below! 

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Sweet Potato and Kale Salad

I love my salads.  We have a salad for dinner every other week or so, and it feels sooooo good!  I love getting all those leafy greens in, and feeling full, but light after dinner.  This kale salad has become one of my favorites.  The mustard/lemon dressing gives it a freshness, the apples give it crunch and the sweet potatoes lend some warmth to the flavor.  It really is quite divine!  

Sweet Potato and Kale Salad:

(Original Recipe by Real Simple, slightly modified by me)

2 Sweet Potatoes cut into 1/2" cubes

6 Tbs olive oil

salt and pepper

3 Tbs lemon juice

2 Tbs Dijon Mustard

2 bunches of Kale

1 Pink Lady, Fuji or other sweet apple, thinly sliced

1/4 cup roasted almonds

parmesan shavings

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  With your hands, toss the sweet potatoes in 2 Tbs of the oil until coated.  Lightly salt and pepper them and then stick them in the oven for 18-20 minutes until tender.  You might want to toss them once halfway through.  Once they are cooked, let them cool slightly. 

While the sweet potatoes cook, whisk the lemon juice, mustard and 4 Tbs of oil and 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper in a large bowl. 

Add the kale and with clean hands, rub the kale leaves with the lemon/mustard oil to coat and soften the leaves.  add the apple slives, the almonds and the sweet potatoes and toss them to combine.  Put cheese shavings on top.  

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