Oops!! Wrong forum -- was aiming for the recipe forum. Sorry!! Janet

I call this Sweetnana. It probably should be classified as a dessert; either way it's on our holiday table each year. Sweet Potato Puree with Bananas and Buttered Pecans 6 pounds (about 6) sweet potatoes 4 ripe bananas, skins on 2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup pure maple syrup ý cup Brandy 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 pound pecans 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons brown sugar Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Roast the bananas, with the skins on, for the last 15 minutes of cooking time. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and bananas, and transfer to a food processor. Pulse until the potatoes are chunky. Add the butter and maple syrup, puree until smooth. Add the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt; puree to combine. Transfer to a shallow baking pan and smooth out the surface with a spatula. In a skillet, cook the pecans in butter over low heat and sprinkle with salt. Sauté until well-coated, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Transfer the pecans to paper towels to drain. Arrange pecans on top of puree and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 300 degrees F until heated through, about 20 minutes.

I don't use the honey or cinnamon in this recipe. It's really good and since I love the "relish" I always double the amounts. Sweet Potato-Coconut Soup with Spicy Relish Spicy Relish: 1 T canola oil 1 T unsalted butter Pinch of red pepper flakes ý small sweet potato, peeled & cut into a small dice Salt and fresh black pepper ü cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley Heat oil & butter over medium heat. Add red-pepper flakes; heat for 10 seconds. Add diced sweet potato, salt & pepper. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, 15 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high & cook until diced potatoes are golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in the parsley. (I like diced potato to get a bit crunch). Soup: 1-1/2 T canola oil 1 small red onion, chopped 2â piece of fresh ginger, grated Pinch of red pepper flakes 3 cups chicken broth ý cup water 1-1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into a large dice 1-1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (light version if you prefer) 1 T clover honey Large pinch of ground cinnamon Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and ginger; cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add red-pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Add broth and water; bring to a boil. Add sweet potatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are soft, 20-30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Use immersion blender to puree. Simmer over low heat. Whisk in coconut milk (or alternative), honey, and cinnamon. Cook until thickened and warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls; top with a spoonful of the spicy relish. Serves 4. Per serving: 410 calories; 34g carbs;10 mg cholesterol; 30g fat & 4 g fiber. Source: adapted from a Bobby Flay recipe My note: the âÂÂspicy relishâ is the best part of this soup! Double the amounts.

Back home, for a bit. Here is the Zucchini Soup recipe. Zucchini Soup Yields 12 cups I pound Italian sausage, bulk or remove casings, crumbled 2 pounds zucchini, ends cut off and coarsely chopped 2 cups chopped celery 2 green bell peppers, chopped 1 cup chopped onion 42 ounces canned diced tomatoes 1 (10 oz) can tomatoes with green chiles 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon basil Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish Brown the sausage in a skillet. Drain. reserving a small amount of fat. Saute the zucchini, celery, bell peppers, and onion in the same skillet until tender. Combine sausage, zucchini mixture, undrained tomatoes, and remaining ingredients, except Parm, in a stockpot or dutch oven. Simmer for 1 hour covered, stirring occasionally. Do not be alarmed if soup appears too thick. Liquid will form as the soup simmers. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with Parm. Freezes well. bbstx's notes: I used sweet Italian sausage. I used a scant 2 cups of celery. It can overpower other flavors so easily. I was careful to choose small zucchinis with smooth, tender skin, so I did not peel the zucchini. I used Original flavor Rotel tomatoes for the tomatoes with green chiles. Bon appetit!