5 Unique Ways to use Sweet Potatoes

Now come on, who does not love sweet potatoes?  If you are a person that does not like sweet potatoes, you really do need to give them another try!  Here are 5 ideas for the sweet potatoes that you will knock your socks off!

Caramelized Sweet Potato and Onion Omelet with Melted Cheese

Comfort Mac and Cheese

 

5 Ingredient Sweet Potato Burgers

 

 

1 cans cannellini white beans, drained
1 small sweet potato, baked/peeled/mashed (about 2 cups)
1 Tbsp tahini or peanut butter

2 tsp maple or agave syrup
plentiful Panko crumbs

  

optional: additional seasoning (whatever you have on hand - I used a few dashes cayenne, black pepper)
salt to taste if needed

Blend in a food processor and shape into patties.  Add to greased grill or fry pan. And that is it!

 

 Sweet Potato and Carrot Latkes

 

 

Stuffed Mexican Sweet Potato

 

 

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Maple Roasted Baby Carrots

Move over unhealthy french fries and make some room for a new competitor in house.  French fries carrots.  These are so much better and they become super sweet and tender in the oven.

Maple-Glazed Roasted Carrots
(Makes 3-4 servings, recipe adapted slightly from Fine Cooking magazine.)

Ingredients:
1 lb carrots, peeled baby carrots (organic carrots are sweetest for this recipe)  I have even used the bagged baby carrots and they are good too but these ones were straight from the farmers market.
1 T olive oil
1 T maple syrup, (or sugar-free maple syrup, or maple agave nectar)
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400F/200C and choose an oven-proof frying pan that's large enough to hold all the carrots in a single layer.

Peel carrots, then cut off the thinner tips and cut the thicker ends in half lengthwise.

Add olive oil to the frying pan and heat to medium hot (the oil should look shimmery, but not be smoking when you add the carrots.) Add the carrots (you should hear a slight sizzling sound.) Saute carrots 3-4 minutes, or until the surface looks slightly blistered and starting to color.

Turn down heat to low and add maple syrup, sugar-free maple syrup, or maple agave nectar, and stir to coat carrots. Season well with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.

Put frying pan into the hot oven and roast carrots for 10-15 minutes, or until they are done to your liking and slightly browned. (I stirred after 10 minutes and roasted them for 14 minutes.) Serve hot or cold!

 

 

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How to Make Healthy Home-made Granola from Scratch

Granola is a popular breakfast option that we’ve all seen on grocery store shelves. Even though it can be less time-consuming to snag one from the market, baking a batch of granola at home is far more rewarding. With a homemade version, you can create your favorite combination of fruit, nuts, grains and seeds.

When making granola, some people prefer to use a recipe, where others take a more rustic approach. If you’re planning to wing it, choose your ingredients for a fresh, healthy flavor that will make you want to wake up in the morning.

Start with oats. Rolled oats (like old-fashioned oats) are the base of most types of granola. Add small amounts of other grains, such as wheat bran or ground flax seed. For a large batch of granola that will last two people about four weeks, I use 4 cups of oats.

Go Nuts. Whether your afternoon snack preference is walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts, nuts add healthy fats to your granola. Use any combination you like and chop them as finely as you wish for varying flavor and textures.

Dress your oats. Use fat to blend your granola and make your mixture cohesive. Whisk one part fat with two parts sweetener for a nice, even blend. Some granola chefs use a combination of butter and oil while others opt for oil rich in monounsaturated fat to reap those heart healthy benefits.

Bake, bake, bake. Most granola bakes at a medium-low heat, such as 300°F for 30 to 40 minutes. Toss the granola to redistribute it in the pan every ten minutes or so. Let cool for about a half hour, or until granola is crispy and dry.

Think fruit. Once the granola is cooled, toss it with your favorite dried fruit for added sweetness. I love dried apples, cherries or cranberries but hit your nearest natural foods store for a wider selection of exotic and tropical fruits like mango or papaya.

Granola can be high in calories but is very calorie dense.  I like to use my homemade granola on top of yogurt so I can control my portions.

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No Oil Potato Chip Recipe Ready in Minutes

This recipe is not new and is so simple that I really cant change it. But, I just had to share it with you just in case you missed it. I'm not even really sure who to give credit to as so many sites have this recipe and I really don't know where it came from originally. This recipe is a dieter or even a chip nut dream. You can finally have your chips and eat it too. You get to finally make a truly crispy chip with out any oil or at least very little.    Change up the seasoning if you like.  Maybe a little vinegar or some popcorn seasoning you can find from the grocery store.  So yum!

Try using sweet potatoes. carrots, parsnips and any other root vegetable! 

Here is the magic potato chip recipe:

What You Need

Ingredients
1 or more potatoes or other root vegetable, scrubbed clean
Salt and other seasonings, optional
Olive oil spray

Equipment
Mandolin or the side of your boxed grater has an long slicer
Bowl of cold water

Paper towels

Instructions

1. Thinly Slice the Potato - Cut the potato in half. Slice one half on a mandolin, aiming for slices 1/8 to 1/16-inch thick. Immediately put the slices in cold water. Repeat with the other half of the potato and any other potatoes you are preparing.

2. Soak and Rinse the Slices - Rinse the slices in cold water until the water stays clear. If you have time, let them soak for a few extra minutes before rinsing.

3. Dry the Slices - Dry the slices between two clean dish cloths or spin them in a salad spinner.

4. Season the Slices - Arrange as many slices as will fit in a single layer on the glass plate right in the microwave,  lined with a few paper towels or parchment paper. Make sure the slices do not touch or else they stick together. If desired, sprinkle with salt or other spices. For richer-tasting chips, brush the slices with olive oil first.

5. Microwave the Slices - Microwave the slices at 100% power for 3 minutes. Flip them over and microwave at 50% power for another 3 minutes. Remove any chips that are starting to crisp and brown. Continue cooking the remaining chips at 50% power in 1 minute intervals until they are all crispy and golden.

6. Repeat with Remaining Batches - Transfer cooked chips to a bowl and repeat microwaving with the remaining slices of potato.

Storing - Chips will stay crispy for a few days if kept in an airtight container or zip-lock bag. You can also prepare the raw slices ahead of time, store them in cold water in the refrigerator, and bake them off as you want them.

For a Small potato :

 

Calories 100

Total Fat 0.2g

Carbohydrates 30.4g

Dietary Fiber 2.3g

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Baked Spaghetti Squash with Cheese

This recipe completely  surprised me and the whole family.  It was just that good.  Ive had spaghetti squash in place of spaghetti before and it was just OK.  So I wasn't super excited to try it out again but boy, was I wrong.  You really must try this recipe out, it is just that good!

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Vegetarian & Gluten Free (Serves 2)

1 medium spaghetti squash (total of about 4 cups)

1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup cottage cheese
1 egg white
1/2 cup tomato sauce or jarred spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and Cheddar blend
Sprinkle  of Parmesan cheese for the top once it is baked

Optional toppings: Fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper, green onions 

Prick the squash with a fork several times.  Pop in the microwave for about 6 minutes depending on the size.  It should be soft.  Cut in half length wise.  Scoop out all of the seeds. 

With a fork, scrap the inside of both halves to make it look like spaghetti.   In a separate bowl, add the pulled squash and tomato sauce and basil.   Fill the inside with 1/2 of this mixture evenly between 2 halves. Mix cottage cheese and egg together with garlic powder. Add cottage cheese on top of sauce mixture and top the rest of sauce mixture. Finish with mozzarella/ cheddar cheese. Pop it back in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese starts to bubble and brown. Pull it out of the oven, let cool for a few minutes, sprinkle with basil, Parmesan, and/or crushed red pepper and serve! This is so much cheesy goodness, you’ll forget that you’re also getting in a few servings of vegetables. : ) 

You could use a casserole dish instead of baking it in the spaghetti squash but hey, why bother with the dirty dish!

Calories 99 Fat 5g  Fibre 1 Carbs 11 Protein 5 grams 
WW Points Plus 3+

Adapted from I heart Vegetables




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Weight Watchers Sweet Roasted Kabocha Squash

I don't experiment too much with squash.  At least not the big variety.  Or course, I have baked and cooked with the little ones such as zucchini but the big ones stay at the grocery store.  Yes, I have made spaghetti squash before and I don't mind it when I am watching my carb intake.  So I thought this has to end!  I need to get into that kitchen of mine and try out some new squash. 

I picked the Kabocha one out because of the incredible calorie stats on this bad boy.  It only has 30 calories per cup.  That is a whole lot of eating for just 30 calories.  I made this incredibly the easy way I know how to roast vegetables but next time I think I will try to add some different seasonings.

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Roasted Vegetables with Reduced Balsamic Vinagar

There is no better way to get your vegetables in than by roasting them.  The flavor just pops!  I made this dish up for a dinner party I was going to.  The plate was emptied very quickly.  I was hoping some would come home with me for a very tasty sandwich the next day.

Ingredients:

 

3 assorted peppers, halved and de-seeded

button mushrooms (wiped down)

asparagus

green onion, roots removed

cherry or grape tomatoes

3 yellow zucchini - I sliced mine into coins

3 green zucchini - I sliced mine the long width

2 tablespoon of olive oil

Reduced balsamic Vinegar

 

salt and pepper

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