An Easy Snack To Make

  

And that recipe, if you're trying to impress, is French Toast Sticks. Elise Thomas, who wrote the new cookbook Eat Dessert First, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about what makes these sticks special. Elise told Tonia she flatens the bread you're using and put the cinnamon sugar in the center, Then roll up the bread and dip the sticks in the egg mixture and bake. Super easy and really delicious. It's almost like the sticks are crepes.  Serve with maple syrup and whipped cream to make it even more of a special treat. They look elegant and can really impress party guests!

Potatoes and Maple Syrup

You can file this under why hasn't anyone thought of this before?! Amy Traverso, who's the Senior Food Editor at Yankee Magazine, and the host of Weekends with Yankee, seen on most PBS New England TV stations, came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for Maple Glazed Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. When you think about, potatoes get slathered in maple syrup for breakfast quite a bit! So why not make them part of the dinner table? These potatoes have chorizo and spinach and a lot of savory to go with the sweetness of the syrup. They're really good!  

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet
3 large chunky sweet potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon plus 3 tablespoons maple syrup (any grade)
1 cup sour cream
1 pound chorizo sausage (pork, chicken, or vegan), removed from casing
10 ounces fresh baby spinach
1 large garlic clove, very thinly sliced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cilantro and thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400°F and set a rack to the middle position. Generously grease a large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Lay the potatoes cut side down and slide them around in the oil to prevent sticking. Roast until fully cooked and tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 40 to 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir 1 tablespoon maple syrup into the sour cream. Cover and refrigerate.

Next, set a medium skillet over medium heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil, then the chorizo, using a spatula to press it into a large patty. Cook, without stirring, until browned on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the patty, then use a wooden spoon to break the chorizo into small pieces and continue to cook until there are no raw pieces left.

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Add the spinach and garlic, then use tongs to turn the leaves over in bunches until they begin to soften. Add salt and pepper, stir, then reduce heat to low and cover. When the spinach is all wilted, remove it from heat and set aside.

French Toast on a Stick

 

And that recipe, if you're trying to impress, is French Toast Sticks. Elise Thomas, who wrote the new cookbook Eat Dessert First, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about what makes these sticks special. Elise told Tonia she flatens the bread you're using and put the cinnamon sugar in the center, Then roll up the bread and dip the sticks in the egg mixture and bake. Super easy and really delicious. It's almost like the sticks are crepes.  Serve with maple syrup and whipped cream to make it even more of a special treat. They look elegant and can really impress party guests!

A Perfect Vegan Fall Recipe

It has maple syrup. It has olive oil and it has many of the other flavors of fall. Nisha Vora, who wrote the new cookbook Big Vegan Flavor, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for Maple Roasted Squash and Chickpeas with Pesto. Nisha told Tonia this certainly fits the bill of big flavor in a vegan recipe. She says to use winter squash, which is in season, Slice it thinly and toss it with the maple syrup and olive oil. She promises a bright and tangy dish that fits perfectly with the fall season.

It Tastes Fancy, But It's Really Quite Simple

And that recipe, if you're trying to impress, is French Toast Sticks. Elise Thomas, who wrote the new cookbook Eat Dessert First, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about what makes these sticks special. Elise told Tonia she flatens the bread you're using and put the cinnamon sugar in the center, Then roll up the bread and dip the sticks in the egg mixture and bake. Super easy and really delicious. It's almost like the sticks are crepes.  Serve with maple syrup and whipped cream to make it even more of a special treat. They look elegant and can really impress party guests!

A Different Way to Do Yams

  

Try your yams smoked! Chef Tanya Holland, who recently named California Chef of the Year, came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her delicious ideas of smoked yams. Tanya owns Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland, California and told Tonia she begins by steam roasting the yams with water, then smoking them over wood chips for about 15-20 minutes. She says while the yams have a natural sweetness, the smoke adds a different depth of flavor and really makes them pop. Tanya says serve them with Brown Sugar Butter for a unique taste treat!

4 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (often labeled "yams")

 3 cups mesquite chips, soaked in water at least 30 minutes

 1/4 cup virgin coconut butter*

 3 to 4 tbsp. maple syrup

 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne

 About 3/4 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400°. Peel yams, then slice crosswise 1 in. thick. Sprinkle wood chips in a large roasting pan. Set a baking rack over chips. Pour in 1/4 in. water. Put yams on rack, cover with foil, and roast until a knife slides in easily, 1 hour.

Mash yams. Stir in remaining ingredients and a little hot water if they seem stiff.

How to Make Non-Soggy Waffles

No doubt, waffles are delicious, but sometimes when you make them yourself, they can turn out to be a little on the soggy side. Let's fix that! Yankee Magazine Senior Food Editor Amy Traverso stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for Maple Waffles. She told Tonia there's two tricks to really making the waffles light and fluffy. The first, use cornstarch in the waffle batter, which Amy says will give you a crispy waffle. The second, instead of butter, try olive oil. She says that enhances the flavor.

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
• 1 1/2 cups milk, at room temperature
• 5 tablespoons mild olive oil
• Cooking spray (preferably coconut oil spray)
• Maple syrup and salted butter

Instructions

Preheat a waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Preheat the oven to 180° and have a large sheet pan at the ready.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the milk and olive oil. Add to the dry mixture and use a spatula to just combine. The mixture should be mostly smooth, but a few lumps are fine.

In a large bowl, using a handheld or standing mixer, whisk the egg whites with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar to form soft peaks. Working in two batches, gently fold the whites into the batter with a spatula.

Spray your heated waffle iron with cooking spray and cook the waffles in batches according to the manufacturer’s instructions. At a setting of 375°, the waffles take about 5 minutes to cook. As the waffles are done, lay them on the sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. Serve with maple syrup and salted butter.

Sweet and Spicy Wings

These chicken wings are a fan favorite because not only are the sriracha spicy, but they're New England sweet too, thanks to the maple syrup. Amy Traverso, who's the Senior Food Editor with Yankee Magazine, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for Maple Glazed Sriracha Glazed Wings. Amy tells Tonia the three primary ingredients for the glaze here are Sriracha and Maple Syrup (of course!) combined with soy sauce. Make the glaze and toss those wings for a sweet, smokey spicy take on a classic cozy snacking food you'll love!

For the Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 pounds chicken wings and drumettes, patted dry
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the wings: In a small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. In a large bowl, toss the chicken with this spice mixture. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 24 hours (cover bowl if refrigerating for more than 30 minutes).

Preheat oven to 425 °F and set a rack to the upper-third position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Set aside and make the glaze.

Arrange the wings in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Set on the upper third rack and bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway through. After 30 minutes, brush the top of the wings with the glaze. Return to oven for 7 minutes. Now turn the wings over and brush the other side with the glaze. Return to oven and cook until nicely browned, 5 to 7 more minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve hot.

For the Glaze

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2-4 tablespoons sriracha
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, sriracha, and soy sauce. Set aside.