Impossible to get good photos in this weather so here is a recipe that I invented instead!

Maximum temperature today 12C, minimum 6C.  2mm rain measured this morning; as I type this it is grey, an icy wind blows, and it is very damp.  31km/h North-westerly winds with gusts up to 67 km/h.

I wanted to make a casserole using sweet potatoes, but everything I looked at had masses of sugar in it and I wanted my dish as a vegetable to go with some very nice fish that I had bought  So there was only one answer left, invent my own with no sugar.  Generally, I can never repeat a recipe I make but this was so good that I wrote it down before I forgot!!

Sweet Potato Casserole

4 servings

Prep 15 mins

Cook 1 hour

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

Ingredients

4 cups cubed peeled sweet potatoes

1 tablespoons butter

1 large onion sliced thinly

1 red pepper sliced thinly

About 8 chestnut mushrooms quartered

Optional - 1 small chilli; I used 1 prairie fire chopped.

2 to 3 cloves garlic grated

3 to 4 cms (1 to 1 ½ inches) finely chopped fresh ginger

1 tin tomato pieces

¼ cup chopped dried fruit, such as cherries, dates, raisins or plums.  I soak my fruit first, but mine are home dried so may be drier than bought.

½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Ground pepper to taste

Pinch salt

Preparation

Peel the sweet potatoes, chop into about 1.5 cms (½ inch) cubes and put into the bottom of a casserole, which I spray with Colman’s Spray and Cook beforehand to stop sticking.

Put butter into a non-stick frying pan, add onions and pepper, fry gently over a low heat until soft and do not allow to burn.  Add garlic, ginger and chilli if using, toss around for a couple of minutes then add the mushrooms for a few more minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Pour over the top of the sweet potato with the drained dried fruit. 

Pour the opened tin of tomatoes over everything and spread it evenly over the top.  Sprinkle with chopped nuts if using.

Bake with casserole covered for about 30 mins, then remove the lid and cook for a further 25 to 30 mins until the nuts are lightly toasted.

I forgot to take a photo before we eat most of it, but this is what a salvaged before we finished it off!!

Bon appétit.

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• Calories: 262.6   Per Serving

I will be back when I can get out with the camera!!!

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente