Roasted Sweet Potato Salad & a Contest

That's right people - the sweet potatoes are sick of being covered in sickeningly sweet little white puffs of air with zero nutritional qualities. It's time for change! 

Let us also break away from traditional potato salads that are coated in fattening white mayo. Yuck. 

Bring in some color to your life!

Try my recipe for Roasted Sweet & Yukon Potato Salad with Honey-Lime & Cumin Dressing!

It's a little spicy, a little sweet, good warm, good cold and really good for you.
Low in fat
NO cholesterol
High in fiber
High in potassium
High in vitaminB6
Very High in vitamin C

Ingredients:

1 lb. Sweet Potatoes, peeled

1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. light tasting olive oil

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. coarse salt

2 c. fresh green beans

1 roasted red pepper (I used jarred)

small bunch or about 1/4 c. packed fresh cilantro

1 T. honey

2 tsp. cumin

1 T. cider vinegar

2 T. lime juice

To Make:

Preheat the oven to 375.

Cube the sweet potatoes  & Yukon potatoes into roughly 1-inch pieces. Combine with the garlic and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread out in a large baking dish and roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time, until golden and easily pierced with a fork. 

Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to a boil and cook the green beans for 4-5 minutes or until just tender. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

In a large serving bowl combine the remaining ingredients.

When potatoes are done, turn out into the serving bowl and toss gently with the dressing. Let stand for 5 minutes for the flavors to be absorbed. Gently mix in the green beans and serve.   

I am posting this recipe as an entry into the  No More ‘Mallows! Blogger Recipe Contest 

I created this amazing salad tonight and my husband, who is NOT a sweet potato or green bean man, loved it. I'm always proud when I get him to eat his veggies. Especially sweet potatoes - for they are so nutrient packed and extremely versatile, not to mention easy on the wallet.  

6 Servings

232 calories

5g total fat

44.6g total carbs

6.3g fiber

5.3g sugars

4.1g protein

approx . using caloriecount

Five Pepper Spaghetti with Cilantro & Queso Cotija

 

13.25 oz. pkg. Dreamfields spaghetti or whole wheat spaghetti
3 T. light olive oil
2 cubanelle peppers
1 sweet red pepper 
1 sweet orange pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 medium onion
3 large cloves garlic
1 tsp. whole fennel seed, crushed
1 c. dry white wine
salt & pepper to taste
1 c. part-skim Cotija cheese, divided
1/2 c. chopped, fresh cilantro

Cook the pasts according to package directions and drain. Toss with 1 T. of olive oil and set aside.
While pasta in cooking, halve and thinly slice the peppers and onion. 
Mince the garlic.
In a large skillet (or use the same pot you cooked the pasta in, like I did), heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Saute the peppers, onion, garlic and fennel seed in the oil until almost tender. Add the white wine and let bubble away until absorbed by the vegetables. Salt and pepper to your taste. Turn off the heat.
Add the spaghetti and 1/2 c. of the Cotija. Toss, toss, mix, mix well to combine. 
Dump pasta into a large serving bowl and top with chopped cilantro and remaining Cotija cheese. 

*This recipe is good hot or cold!
** I used the fennel seed to create the illusion of "sausage" in this dish. 

6 servings

311 calories

15.5 g. fat

25.9g total carbs

5.3g fiber

5.6g sugars

11.8g protein

approx. using caloriecount

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Torte

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Torte

Cookies:


1 cup butter or margarine (room temperature)
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
9 Tbs cocoa
3 Tsp vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour


Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time. Add cocoa, oil and vanilla. Mix well.  At low speed, add flour until combined.

Place 3 scoops of the dough onto a 11x7 in piece of waxed paper. Cover it with another piece of waxed paper and roll into a thin shape. (Mine ended up in all sorts of fun, non-round shapes). Carefully remove the top piece of wax paper and place the cookie-topped piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet. *

Bake for 6 minutes. Slide waxed paper with bake cookie onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before peeling waxed paper off of cookie.

Continue with all the layers.

* I reused the 'top' piece of wax paper every time I rolled. But you will need enough wax paper for baking the 10+ layers. :)  

Once all the layers are baked, alternate cookies with filling on large serving plate.

Filling:

1 tub Cool Whip
4 Tbs peanut butter (or more/less to your personal taste)

Store in fridge until ready to serve! (And I do recommend bringing the intact dessert to the table to wow your friends/spouse. No serving this behind the scenes...)

Beer Bottle Cap Coasters

Know someone with a big bottle cap collection? Up-cycle the caps & show them off by making coasters! I made these for my husband as a gift, using only part of his hoard. He's been saving them for years and keeping them in an old popcorn tin. Each coaster is unique!

To make:

3.5in x 3.5in plywood squares

3.25in x 3.25in cork squares

small translucent craft gems (find at any craft store in the floral section)

extra strength super glue

bottle caps (make sure they are mostly flat)

1. glue cork squares to rough side of plywood and let dry

2. dab a bit of glue onto back of a bottle cap, then press the rounded side of 1 stone onto the cap.

3. Dab a bit of glue onto the flat side of the stone, then press onto the plywood square.

4.Hold in place for several seconds.

5. Repeat steps for desired number of coasters.

Pesto Pizza Grilled Cheese

Easy way satisfy a pizza craving!

Take:

2 slices 12-Grain Bread

2 slices Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar

9 pieces Turkey Pepperoni

2 T. leftover Spinach Pesto

Grill with a little butter.

Amazing.

Greek Turkey Meatballs with Spinach Pesto & Feta

1 lb.lean ground turkey

1/2 c. rolled oats

1 c. Italian-style breadcrumbs

1/2 c. spinach pesto (followed this recipe, but substituted walnuts)

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 c. feta cheese, crumbled

1 egg

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. salt

14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, UNdrained

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with oil or cooking spray. Combine all but tomatoes in a large mixing bowl, using a fork to gently mix. Roll meat mixture into 2-inch balls and place in baking dish, spacing them so them do not touch. Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Pour the diced tomatoes and their juice over the meatballs. Cover the dish with foil and return to the oven for 20 more minutes. Serve with rice or noodles if desired.

6 servings

342 Calories

14g Fat

22.7g Total Carbs

2.7g Fiber

4g Sugar

30.3g Protein

approx. using caloriecount

women's shirt to toddler dress re-fashion

This dress was inspired by two others I saw here and here. It is a mish-mash of the two and turned out pretty amazing, considering my limited sewing ability!

a shirt I never wear...

was given new life!

Energy Bars

Every now again (though not often enough) I feel like making something not covered in chocolate, topped with whipped cream, or involving buttercream icing. Enter in wheat germ, flax seed and oatmeal. Fiber anyone? Omega-3s?

Energy Bars

In medium saucepan, over low-medium heat, combine until smooth:

1/2 c smooth peanut butter
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c lite maple syrup

In large bowl sir together:

2 c rolled oats (not instant!)
1/2 c wheat germ
1/4 c flax seed
1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 c mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Pour warm syrup over dry ingredients until coated. Press into greased 9 x 13 in pan.

* The chocolate chips melted a bit into the bars when I mixed them due to the temperature of the syrup. You can sprinkle them on top instead if you want them to retain their shape/consistency.

Servings: 16

Calories: 178
Calories from fat: 78
Total Carbs: 23g
Dietary Fiber: 3.2g
Sugars: 12.5g
Protein: 2.5g
Fat: 8.1g

White Chocolate Cream Brownies

I love brownies. The recipe for the base below is my tried-and-true recipe from an old Hershey recipe card I keep in my 'favorites' binder when I don't want to have to think about something new for dessert. But the other day I wanted to add a layer of white chocolate cream. And if we're going THAT decadent, we should top it with another layer of chocolate candy swirl, right? So I did.


White Chocolate Cream Brownies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brownie Base:

1/2 c butter, melted
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c flour
1/3 c cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt


Mix all brownie base ingredients together. Pour into greased 9in  square baking pan. Bake 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Whisk together:

1 cup melted white chocolate chips
1 8oz tub whipped topping

Spread this mixture on top of cooled brownie layer.

Drizzle with melted semi-sweet chocolate chips. Store in fridge until ready to cut and serve!

Nutritional Information

Servings: 18

Calories: 226
Total Fat: 13.5g

Cholesterol: 46mg

Sodium: 100mg

Total Carbohydrates: 25.9g

Dietary Fiber: 0.9g

Sugars: 21.3g

Protein: 2.3g

Bacon Walnut Chicken Salad

Bacon Walnut Chicken Salad

Whisk together in large bowl:

1/2 c low-fat sour cream
4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp black pepper

Add:

4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 large carrot, shredded on large box grater
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 small can sliced water chestnuts
1/2 c chopped walnuts

Stir until well combined. Chill under ready to serve. Toss before serving.


Nutritional Information

Servings: 8

Calories per serving: 274

Total Fat: 16.0g

Cholesterol: 67mg

Sodium: 572mg

Total Carbohydrates: 9.3g

Dietary Fiber: 0.9g

Sugars: 2.1g

Protein: 22.8g

Rainbow Rice

Do you have a bag of questionable white rice?

I did.

Pinterest to the rescue!

Found the idea on this page.

Squish together 1 cup of rice with 1 T. rubbing alcohol & 2-3 drops of food coloring.

Each color in its own plastic baggie.

Spread the rice out on foil-lined baking sheets to dry for several hours or overnight.

Dump the rice into a large container and bury little creatures or treasures for your child to find.

My daughter had a blast digging!

Spinach & Cheddar Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread

I found this recipe for Whole Wheat Oatmeal Quick Bread on Healthy Food for Living and decided I had to make it. The basic recipe could go many directions and be made either sweet or savory. I wanted something savory to go with soup or pasta, so I omitted the sugar and added some spinach and sharp cheddar cheese. It turned out wonderful and hearty. Cut thicker slices to avoid crumbling! Here is my version:

• 1 cup + 1 Tbsp whole wheat flour, divided
• 1 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup + 1 Tbsp old-fashioned rolled oats, divided
• 1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
• 8 ounces plain, low-fat yogurt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk, or soured milk
• 1 c. steamed, chopped & squeezed dry spinach (I used fresh, but thawed, frozen would work)
• 1/2 c. shredded, extra sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle loaf pan with 1 T. of the whole wheat flour, tapping out excess.

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 1 cup oats and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, egg, oil and buttermilk. Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry and stir well to combine. Fold in the spinach and cheese.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

* We sliced into our bread while still warm, and it was just fine and divine.

* Store leftovers in the refrigerator!! Slices reheat well in the toaster!

* I froze half of the loaf and it thawed/baked (directly from the freezer, wrapped in foil) in the oven at 350 for about 1 hour.

Italian-Style Vegetable Stew with Parmesan Cornbread Topping

Spring is almost here and with it the desire to eat healthier and melt away some of those winter pounds.

But we don't really want to feel like we're being deprived, right?

Here is a beautiful, hearty and easy oven-baked (low & slow) all-veggie stew that won rave reviews.

Even from my meat & potatoes man.

Random veggies, a jar of tomato sauce and jiffy corn mix in the house?

Make this.

for stew:

2 medium onions, cut in 1-inch dice

2 sweet bell peppers, cut in 1-inch dice

3 large carrots, cut in 1-inch dice

2 bulbs of fennel, cored, sliced, fronds reserved

3 celery ribs, cut in 1-inch dice

24 oz. jar Roast Red Pepper & Garlic Tomato Sauce ( use whatever flavor you prefer)

3 cloves garlic, sliced thin

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 c. water

1/2 c. white wine (or red if that's what you have)

Chop your vegetables and toss into a large oven-safe casserole or dutch-oven that has been lightly greased. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover tightly with lid or with aluminum foil, then place in a 300 degree oven for 4 hours. Stir every hour or so. Remove stew from the oven and let sit while you make the cornbread topping.

for topping:

1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

2 eggs

1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

1/3 c. milk

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. black pepper

reserved fennel fronds, chopped

Increase oven temperature to 375. Stir together all topping ingredients until well combined. Let stand 10 minutes for batter to thicken. Dollop over top of the stew and carefully spread over the top. Return to oven, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until topping is lightly browned and set in the middle.

Serve hot and steamy on a cold late winter/early spring day and smile.

6 servings w/ topping --w/o topping

calories: 390 --175

total fat 12.1g--3.5g

(4.9g saturated)--(0.9g saturated)

total carbs 57.6 -- 29.3

fiber 7.6g --7.1g

protein 11.4g --3.9g

Approx. using caloriecount

Skirt Purse

This is one of those times I could kick myself for getting excited about a project and NOT taking a before picture.

This used to be an A-line skirt.

Bacon, Leek & Fresh Tomato "BLT" Macaroni

This looks good doesn't it?

Here's my take on Rachel Ray's BLT Pasta.

12 oz. thick-cut bacon, chopped

3 leeks, well-cleaned & sliced in half-moons

3 cloves garlic, minced

8 fresh roma tomatoes, chopped (do not seed)

1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley

13.5 ounces *Dreamfields Elbow Macaroni (or pasta of your choice)

salt & lots of fresh black pepper

to serve: Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. At this point I scooped some aside for my picky toddler to have with only cheese.

Put the pot back on the stove and cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel to drain off excess fat. Set aside some bacon for your toddler :). Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot. Return to heat and add leeks and garlic, cooking and stirring until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring often, just until tomatoes start to break down - about 5 minutes. At this point dump in the pasta and bacon. Stir to combine and heat through. Add parsley, stir and serve. Pass Parmesan cheese and the black pepper grinder at the table.

My daughter ignored the pasta but devoured the bacon. At least she had protein, right?

*Since becoming diabetic, Dreamfields pasta has been a gift from God. It only has 5 grams of digestible carbohydrates per serving and is a good source of fiber. My family can't tell it's any different than "normal" pasta. It's usually around $2.50-$3 a box, but totally worth the extra money if you are watching your sugar intake!*

We had the leftovers 2 days later and there were no complaints!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Cookies:

1 box devil food cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 egg

Filling:

1/4 c shortening
1/4 c butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1-3 Tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla


Mix all cookie ingredients together.  Roll dough into small balls. Bake on lightly greased cookie sheets in 350 degree oven for 9 minutes. Let cool on pan 5 minutes before removing.

For filling, beat together butter and shortening. Add powdered sugar and drizzle with vanilla. Beat, adding milk until desired thickness. (We like our icing thick and hearty here.)

Spread on cooled cookie half and top with a second. (If you have extra icing, refrigerate and scoop it with pretzels as a midnight snack!)


Nutritional Information

Servings: 20 cookies
Calories per serving: 247

Total Fat: 12.0g

Cholesterol: 29mg

Sodium: 252mg

Total Carbohydrates: 35.4g

Dietary Fiber: 1.0g

Sugars: 27.7g

Protein: 1.4g