Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Oil, Honey, Cinnamon and Almonds

Several nights ago, we had sweet potatoes with our dinner. 

I prepared a "traditional" one for my husband--loaded with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. 

Opting for a healthier version for myself, I got out my new best friend--coconut oil--and added a generous dollop.  Then I drizzled on a bit of honey, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a small handful of almonds. 

It was wonderful.  I hope you try it!

Printable Recipe

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Oil, Honey, Cinnamon, and Almonds
(One serving listed below; increase as necessary)

Baked sweet potato
1 teaspoon coconut oil (if it's in solid form, it will quickly melt with the heat of the potato)
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon honey*
1 tablespoon almonds

Slice a baked sweet potato lengthwise, but not all the way through.  Place the coconut oil on the potato flesh.  Top with the cinnamon, drizzle with the honey, and toss the almonds over the surface of the potato.  Use a fork to mash the potatoes and other ingredients together.  Serve immediately.

*You can substitute maple syrup for the honey in order to make this vegan.

Double Chocolate Coffee "Creamer" (It's "Skinny" and Vegan)

This girl loves her coffee.

At one time, I had every "International Delights"  flavor in my refrigerator door. 

But when I decided to cut processed foods and chemicals from my diet, those things were the first to go.

Organic/homemade coffee creamers have been flooding the internet.  

So I decided to throw my little hat in the ring, too!

But I wanted my version to be dairy free and "skinny", since I am on a mission to rock wear a swimsuit this summer.

Introducing my Double Chocolate "Creamer".  It's "skinny" (approximately 40 calories per 1/4 cup), and it's vegan (made from almond and coconut milks).  

While it won't lighten up the color of your coffee the way a traditional milk-based creamer will, if you can get past that mental hurdle, I think you'll really enjoy this stuff.  I suggest starting with ratio of 6 ounces of coffee to 1/4 cup of creamer.  (You could always add extra coconut milk or splurge and add heavy cream.)  

And don't worry---you can't taste the flavor of the maple syrup at all.

Printable Recipe

Double Chocolate Coffee "Creamer" (It's "Skinny" and Vegan)
Makes a little over 2 cups

1 cup coconut milk (I used Silk PureCoconut)
1 cup dark chocolate almond milk (I used Silk PureAlmond Dark Chocolate)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (NOT pancake syrup)

In a saucepan set over medium heat, whisk together all ingredients until cocoa powder has been incorporated. 

Transfer to glass jar or container.  Use immediately or store, refrigerated, in a glass jar or other container for up to 7 days.

(For a "peppermint mocha" spin, add 1 teaspoon of pure peppermint extract the saucepan has been removed from the heat source.)

P.S. - While I realize that the coconut and almond milks can be considered "processed", I'm choosing to not be nit-picky about that little fact.  :)

This recipe was my inspiration:  I just swapped out the milks to make mine vegan.

Health(ier) Chocolate Bombs

As I'm transferring the slightly soured laundry from the washer to the dryer, I feel it's dark, silky smooth tentacles wrap around my mind. 

The Chocolate Monster.  It's here for me.  

Like a robot, I move to the kitchen, stepping over Legos and soccer balls and that piece of muffin that fell off the table during breakfast over which I've been stepping for 6 hours. 

I rip the food processor from beneath the cabinet, plugging it in the instant I have the cord in my hand.  Maniacally tearing through the pantry, I toss a bag of walnuts, a partially-eaten bag of dates, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla on the counter.  "Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate," my Monster chants.

"MOMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYY!", yells a child from the hallway at 110 decibels.  "Please come help me find my sword and my cape!!"

"MOMMMMMMYYYYYY!!" comes a second shriek from the bathroom.  "I'M DONE!  CAN YOU COME WIPE MY BOTTOM?"

I really love being a mom.  But seriously.  I need a moment here.

And that's the great thing about these little chocolate powerhouses.  They only take a moment to make.  And as I pop them into my mouth, I feel my Mommy Muscles growing big and strong, just like Popeye's as he downs his can of spinach.  

I've eaten four.  I can do hard things now.  Like search for capes and swords and wipe bottoms.

I hope you make these little bombs soon.  It's kind of fun to quell "the monster" with something that isn't horrifically bad for us.  

Printable Recipe

Health(ier) Chocolate Bombs
Makes 15-16 tablespoon-sized balls

1 c walnuts
1 and 1/3 cups pitted dates
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cocoa powder

Toss all the ingredients into a food processor.  Using the steel blade, process the ingredients until they begin to look moist and slightly stick together.  Roll into little balls (I used a tablespoon; use any size you please).  Or you can shape the dough into bars, if desired. 


Recipe from:  Chocolate Covered Katie

Beet and Butternut Squash Salad with Maple-Cinnamon Dressing

 

I am so ridiculously out of breath.  

Just finished working out.  

And I wanted to get this posted while the kids are still playing happily together.  They haven't noticed that I've stopped maniacally dancing around the living room.

I just need to hurry up and spread the word about this salad.  It was so different...in a great way.  Crunchy.  Slightly sweet.  Pretty colors.  And the boys even ate the raw beets.  (Word of caution:  don't freak out (like I did) after your kids eat beets and later use the restroom.  Just remember: beets are magenta...going in and coming out.)

The pecans are slightly toasted...but that's all the "cooking" that goes into this salad.  Everything else is raw.  

I used the food processor to "shave" the vegetables really thin.  You could also use a grater box or just slice them very thin with a good knife. It might be a good opportunity to use your mandolin, if you have one. 

The dressing rocks: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a bit of maple syrup (the pure stuff, not pancake syrup), cinnamon, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.  The ingredients sound freaky together, but seriously --I can't stop eating it.

OK.  I've said enough.  Please go make this.  It will blow your socks off.

(FYI: The colors from the beets will run once they are mixed with the squash.  If it's going to be awhile before you serve the salad, keep the beets and squash in separate bowls and toss together just before serving.)



Printable Recipe

Beet and Butternut Squash Salad with Maple-Cinnamon Dressing and Toasted Pecans
Serves 3-4

Salad:
1 cup pecan halves
1 large beet, peeled
1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled (left in slightly larger chuncks so you can shave or grate it)
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh spinach
1/8 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Dressing:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 teaspoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

Toast the pecans in a dry (ungreased) frying or saute pan over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes.  Allow them to become warm and fragrant, but don't let them burn.  Remove them from the pan and set aside.

 

Cut the beets into chunks that will fit into the feed tube of a food processor fitted with a shredding or shaving disc.  Shred or shave the beets and set them in a large stain-proof bowl (glass, stainless steel, etc.)

Cut the squash into chunks that will fit into the feed tube.  Shred or shave the squash.  If serving the salad right away, add the squash to the bowl with the beets.  Then add in the parsley, spinach and pecans.  (Don't toss yet.)

In a small measuring cups, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.  

Immediately before serving, pour the dressing over the shredded/shaved veggies and spinach, parsley, and toasted pecans.  Toss gently. 

(Serve immediately, before the colors have a chance to run.)

 Recipe slightly adapted from:  The Perfect Pantry/Apron Strings

Baked Minced Potatoes with Cream, Garlic, and Cheese

 

Walking back from the mailbox, arms laden with toy catalogs and Christmas cards, a frigid gust blew a Toys R' Us mailer out of my grasp.  It seemed to sprout wings as it glided 15 feet in the air, threatening to land in the holly bushes before making its descent to earth.  It blew swiftly along the road.  As I awkwardly speed-walked with an uneven gait, trying to halt its errant voyage with my foot, I thought, "I should try to make that minced potato thing for dinner tonight."

A woman's thought process:  the source of endless fascination and mystery. 

This recipe originates in the Tuscan kitchen of Sarah Fioroni, author of "A Family Farm in Tuscany:  Recipes and Stories from Fattoria Poggio Alloro".  I made it last month--the full, feeds-a-huge-herd-of-hungry-men version--when I prepared a feast for my husband as he returned from his 15 day, 165-mile hike.  Except I foolishly assembled it the night before and left it unbaked in the fridge.  Duh.  The potatoes turned a most unappealing shade of black.  Rookie mistake.  

This time I decided to halve the recipe (the original makes a 13" x 9" dish and easily serves 8) and tinker with the ingredients a wee bit.

The recipe calls for minced potatoes.  Unless you need to kill about an hour and are just aching to try out your new knife, I suggest using a food processor.  (If you don't have one, use pre-shredded potatoes (like the ones near the dairy section of the grocery store used for hash browns) and just mince and chop the heck out of them. 

I began by peeling and chopping these potatoes into the size shown above; then I shredded them in my food processor.  And then I put in the steel blade attachment and minced them finely.  (Seems like a lot of work...but the steps from the peeling through the mincing took less than 10 minutes...)

Nearly 3 cups of minced potatoes later...

Next, I mixed the potatoes with whipping cream (you can substitute half-and-half or whole milk), garlic powder, a finely diced onion, melted butter, salt, pepper, a beaten egg, and some Parmesan and Swiss cheeses. 

I love the promise of a buttered and floured baking dish.

Fill the dish with the mixture,

 

And top with Swiss or Parmesan cheese.  I loved, loved, loved the flavor of the Swiss on top, but you can swap it out for Parmesan as Sarah originally suggested.

(I baked it on top of a cookie sheet, just to be on the safe side.  With my history of setting my oven aflame and all...)

 

Sprinkled with chopped parsley, it was the pinnacle of comfort and warmth.

Baked Minced Potatoes with Cream, Garlic, and Cheese
Serves 6 as a side item

5 small/medium-sized russet potatoes (about 1.75 pounds), peeled and finely minced
1 cup heavy cream (substitute half-and-half or whole milk)
1 and 3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup finely diced yellow onion (about 1 small onion)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, well beaten
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon freshly chopped parsley (optional topping)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter and flour an 8"x8" baking dish (or a dish of similar size...). Set aside.

(If you mince the potatoes in a food processor, be sure to drain off the liquid.  Be careful not to over-process them to the point of mush.)

Combine all ingredients except 1 cup of the Swiss cheese and the parsley in a large bowl.  Mix well.  Turn out into the prepared baking dish; scatter the reserved Swiss cheese over the top.  Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until top has lightly browned and the center is firm.  Remove from oven and sprinkle chopped parsley over the top, if desired.

Serve hot.

Rose Water Greek Yogurt

Roses are so gloriously romantic and mysterious and heavenly-scented that I can hardly keep them out of my thoughts.

And out of my food.

Say what?

Rose water.  Have you ever tried it?

Rose water is scented water made with rose petals.

----Please bear with me as I shift gears here for a moment----

I've been trying to eat less sugar lately. 

I find the hardest part of the day to stiff-arm the sweet beast is in the afternoon, when all I want to do is violently rip the foil wrapper off every chocolate baking bar in the pantry and consume each square. 

Today I was scanning the fridge for something--ANYTHING--to eat that would satisfy my afternoon desires.

I used plain Greek yogurt in a delicious chicken salad recipe that I'll share later this week.  An almost-full container of the yogurt stared back at me from the wire shelf.

But I'm not "cool enough" yet in the sugar-free realm to eat plain Greek yogurt.  It doesn't sit well with me.  But I knew there was some way I could "doctor it up".

Enter rose water (and the teensiest teaspoon of agave nectar).

Simply delicious.

(And the sugar beast is quiet.)

(This "doctoring" of plain Greek yogurt could also be achieved with almond extract, pure vanilla extract, or any other lovely flavoring your heart desires.)

Rose Water Greek Yogurt
Serves 1

1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
1 teaspoon agave nectar (or other natural sweetener, if desired)
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon rose water

Mix together.  Inhale.  Hear the angels sing.  Enjoy.

Cheesy Quinoa-Veggie Nuggets

I love tricking my kids into eating fun little things that are full of vegetables.  (Like these sneaky chocolate chip cookies.) 

I get a deep, wicked thrill out of seeing them enjoy what I know encourages their bodies to grow like Johnson grass on a hot summer day.

Sometimes I don't have to do much tricking.

(That's Matthew...my veggie lover who does not have any issues with texture.)

His big brother?  Not so much.

I saw a recipe on this blog and immediately decided to try it out on my little guinea pigs.

The results?  Matthew devoured them and Timothy remains a little wary.   Timothy's friend, Mason, was spending the night.  He decidedly did not like them (but was very polite about his disgust).

"Ms. Ginny," Mason said.  "These are like chicken nuggets...with food in them.  They're kind of all wrong."

Gotta love the honesty of kids. 

Personally, I thought they were incredible and want to eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Every day.

Here's how I did it.

I added a 1/2 cup of quinoa to 1 cup of boiling water and cooked it for about 12 minutes.

While the quinoa was cooking,  I prepped the veggies:  grated 4 carrots (to yield 1 cup), sliced two stalks of green onion, minced two cloves of garlic, and chopped the fresh parsley.

I mixed these pretty colors together, along with two very well beaten eggs and the cheeses.

In a tiny separate bowl, I whisked together the dry ingredients,

 And mixed them in with the veggies.

Then I scooped tablespoon-fulls into a greased mini-muffin tin.

VERY IMPORTANT: I've learned over the years that you must cover quinoa-containing recipes with foil as you bake them.  Otherwise the quinoa that's exposed to the direct heat will get crunchy, dried out, and undesirable.

They're the perfect size for little fingers.

(You can also make this as a casserole.  Yum.  Or swap out some of the veggies:  steamed broccoli florets would be wonderful in here.  The original recipe used cilantro instead of parsley, which I will try soon.  Try swapping out the cheeses to yield different flavors, too.) 

This Cheesy Dipping Sauce is a particularly lovely accompaniment. 

Here's the printable recipe.

Cheesy Quinoa-Veggie Nuggets
Makes about 24-28 mini-muffin size portions

2 cups cooked quinoa*
1 cup shredded carrots (about 4 medium carrots)
2 stalks green onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1/8 cup chopped parsley (a small handful)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese
2 large eggs, well beaten
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour (substitute all-purpose or your favorite gluten-free alternative)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a mini-muffin tin with vegetable oil or cooking spray.  Set aside.

Mix the quinoa, carrots, green onion, garlic, parsley, and cheeses together until well blended.  Stir in the beaten eggs, mixing well.  In separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients with a whisk.  Then stir the dry ingredients into the quinoa mixture.  Mix well.

Use a tablespoon to scoop the mixture into the prepared muffin tin.  Cover tin with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.  

*To end up with two cups of cooked quinoa, begin with 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa prepared in 1 cup boiling water.

Recipe ever-so-slightly adapted from So Very Blessed

Zucchini-Lemon Zest Puffs

If you have a veggie garden, this is one more way to exhaust your bountiful zucchini supply.

These little lovelies are perfect as an appetizer (split them, toast them, spread with Dijon mustard and layer with a thin slice of honey-baked ham), as a savory brunch item (split and toasted with butter), or as a tiny biscuit addition to the main course. 

Start with grating a zucchini.  (I used my food processor, and then chopped the shreds into finer bits.  A cheese grater would work fine, if you don't mind the work...)

Squeeze out excess moisture with a paper towel. 

Using a mixer (or by hand), beat together eggs, sour cream, olive oil, and the zest from two lemons...

....until it is this happy color. 

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking powder, and salt.

And incorporate it (in three batches) into the egg/olive oil mixture.

Add in the zucchini and cheese (I used Pecorino Romano; you can substitute Parmesan, Swiss, Comte, Gruyere, etc.)  Mix well.

Scoop out about a tablespoon of dough, roll it into a little ball, and place it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle chopped pistachios on top, if desired.

Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees, until puffs just begin to get a golden tinge and a toothpick inserted in the center (of one) comes out clean.

(And they freeze beautifully.)

Here's the printable version of the recipe.

Zucchini-Lemon Zest Puffs
Makes 20-24 tablespoon-sized puffs

1 medium zucchini, grated and finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup sour cream
Grated zest of 2 lemons
2/3 cup olive oil
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese*
1/4 cup pistachios, finely chopped

Use two layers of sturdy paper towels to blot the excess moisture out of the grated zucchini.  (A clean tea towel works best if you don't mind getting it a little green.)  Set zucchini aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or in a regular mixing bowl if you're mixing by hand), beat together the sour cream, zest, olive oil, and the eggs until the consistency of the mixture is smooth and light yellow in color. 

In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, white pepper, and salt until very well mixed. 

With mixer on low speed (or by hand), stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches, mixing as little as possible to get it just incorporated.  (If you overmix, the puffs will become pucks.)  Be sure to use a spatula and scrape up from the bottom of the bowl to ensure all of the flour mixture is reached and incorporated.

Add in the zucchini and the cheese and stir until just incorporated. 

Scoop out about a tablespoon** of the dough, roll it between your palms, and place dough balls on the prepared baking sheet.  (You can lightly flour your hands if the dough is really sticky.)  Place puffs about 2 inches apart.  Sprinkle puffs with a dusting of the chopped pistachios, if desired.  

Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are just beginning to turn a golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the largest puff comes out clean. 

*Substitute Parmesan, Swiss, Comte, Gruyere, or even white cheddar cheese.  

**Use a teaspoon for pop-in-your mouth sized puffs. 

Recipe adapted from here (scroll to bottom of page).

Versatile Veggie Wrap

Simple goodness decorated with the colors of summer.

I used avocados, fresh corn, red onions, tomatoes, lettuce, Monterey Jack cheese, cilantro, pepper, and cumin.

Spread a tortilla or piece of flatbread with cream cheese,

and start to add the fillings of your choice...

Use what you have on hand for a healthy, crunchy, cool supper.