Bandiera (Italian Ratatouille)

Bandiera is the Italian version of ratatouille.  Ingredients are layered into one pot.

Starting at the bottom:
Potatoes
Carrot chunks
Sliced peppers
Cubed Eggplant
Zucchini
Shreds of plum tomatoes (on top and around)

Pour olive oil and sprinkle with plenty of salt and basil. Stew for an hour.

Coconut Oil Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Coconut-oil-roasted sweet potatoes; the oil enhances their caramelized flavor.

Related

• A Good Appetite: Once a Villain, Coconut Oil Charms the Health Food World (March 2, 2011)

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

1 1/2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
1 3/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 teaspoons light brown sugar, packed
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat.
2. In a large bowl, toss together potatoes, coconut oil, sugar, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
3. Spread the potatoes in an even layer on a large baking sheet. Roast, tossing occasionally, until soft and caramelized, about 1 hour.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings.

Candied Camote

To make candied camote...

You will need

1. one and one half kilo of the small orange variety, peeled and cut into bigger than your thumb. Do not make the pieces too small. Make the sizes even and uniform so that the cooking time will be all the same.

2. one third kilo of light brown sugar.

3. 2 tablespoons of any kind of syrup, maple, karo, any will do.

4. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

5. 1 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon

6. one and a half cup of water

To make, Use a pot which will take the one and half kilos of peeled and sliced camote. Cover the camote to the top with water and bring to a fast boil. Boil for no longer than 2 minutes and quickly drain the camote Remove all the water. The camote should not be thoroughly cooked. I should be difficult to pierce with a fork.

Now in a pan 9 by 13, and pour about one and one half of water. Add the sugar, syrup and cinnamon. Lay the camote in this pan. Try to make the camote one only one layer. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake in a 375 degree over. Alternatively, you may cook it on the top of a stove. Set the pan on the stove and bring the camote to a boil. Boil on low heat till the camote is pierceable with a fork about 30 minutes. Remove from the stove and take off the aluminum cover. Cool being serving as a dessert or merienda.

Another way to enjoy camote is to boil it! In a pot, place the cleaned-up camote and pour water to near-submersion point. Bring to a boil. In about 7 minutes, try pricking one with a fork. If you are able to pierce through with a bit of resistance, then it's done. You don't want a mushy camote. Drain the water, arrange on a plate, slice across, then insert butter. Serve with sugar on the side.

Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Quinoa Chili

I want to try this recipe from Kitchn.

Adapted from Bon Appétit

As with most soups, stews, and chilis, think of the water quantity as a rough guide. You may find towards the end you'll need to add more water as both the beans and quinoa start absorbing it.

Serves 4-6

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 pound dried black beans, rinsed well
1 chipotle chile from canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt + more to taste
1 1/2 cups sweet potatoes (2-3 small), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
sour cream, to top (optional)
green onions, chopped, to top (optional)
fresh cilantro, chopped, to top (optional)

Heat the oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and beginning to brown, 6-7 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, and coriander and stir. Cook together for 1 minute.

Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, beans, chipotle pepper, and oregano. Add 5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer until beans are flavorful and tender, anywhere from 2 - 4 hours (depending on the age of your beans).

After 1 1/2 hours of cooking, add the sweet potatoes, quinoa, and salt. Place the pot's lid back on slightly ajar and allow to simmer on low heat until the beans are soft and the sweet potatoes and quinoa are cooked through. Add more water if the chili becomes too thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with sour cream, cilantro, and green onion.

Can make two days ahead. Store in refrigerator. Freeze leftovers.