Sweet Potatoes- YUM!

The sweet potato is one of the world's healthiest foods and delicious, too! Read all about the health benefits of the sweet potato right here: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=64

I love to eat sweet potatoes and they lend themselves well to a variety of preparation methods. Here are two of my favorites!

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:
4 sweet potatoes -- i like to make lots :D
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp season salt (I probably use a bit more but I LOVE season salt)**
** Be aware that most season salt has sugar in it. If you are trying to cut out sugar, either look for one without sugar or season with sea salt, a dash of red pepper, a dash of cinnamon, and a sprinkle of paprika)

~ Slice the sweet potatoes into french fry shape. If you are lazy like me, you will just cut circular slices about 1 cm in thickness and then slice those in half to make half-moon shapes.

~ Place the slices into a ziplock bag and drizzle in the olive oil. Add the season salt or the seasoning mixture. Mush the bag all around until all the pieces have some seasoning and coating on them.

~ Spread the sweet potato fries onto a baking sheet in a single layer. You will probably need two sheets and you can put them on seperate racks in the oven just fine. I like to spray the top with olive oil spray or Pam cooking spray but it works fine without that step.

~ Bake at 400* for about 30 minutes or until the fries are slightly browned. Enjoy!

~ I dip mine in sour cream.....


Sauteed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
4 sweet potatoes
2 tsp olive oil
sea salt

~ Cut the sweet potatoes as described in the above recipe. Layer onto a microwave safe plate and cook on high power for 5 minutes.

~ Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

~ Add the sweet potatoes and cover. Allow to cook for a minute or two and then stir/flip/etc. Cover and repeat.

~ Once the potatoes are fully cooked through, emove the lid and turn the heat up for a bit of browning. The moisture will evaporate and the potatoes can be easily moved around the pan until they brown lightly.

Stuffed Red Peppers

Oh.my.goodness! These are delicious like you would not believe! Enjoy tons of veggies and have the option to add some leftover chicken or ground beef if you have it hanging around. So filling and jam-packed with all the good stuff you need to fuel your next workout, and the filling can be eaten alone as a great lunch.

Ingredents:
2 large red peppers, hollowed
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 squash, diced
1 zucchini, diced
10 baby carrots, diced
1 sm. can of corns
1 can kidney beans
1 C. cooked quinoa, amaranth, brown rice, bulgur, or any mixture of these grains
1 C chopped chicken, if desired (I like to use leftovers!)
1 T chili powder
2-3 T pesto (ready made or homemade)
Shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Fill a 2 Quart pot with water and place on high heat until the water boils. Drop the hollowed red peppers into the water and boil for 5 minutes. Remove and place in a 9x13 pan. Preheat oven to 350*

2. In a frying pan, heat 1 tsp olive oil. Add garlic, onion, carrots, zucchini, and squash. Salt and pepper as desired. Saute until onion is tender and transparent.

3. Add in corn, kidney beans, and cooked grains. Add Chicken, if desired. Stir in pesto and chili powder.

4. Fill the peppers with the mixture and top with cheese. Bake for 20 min

I like to drizzle these with balsamic vinegar right before I eat them! YUM!

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

Here's a new, healthy twist on a family favorite!

Ingredients


1 Spaghetti Squash approx 12-14" long (looks yellow and football shaped)
1 lb ground beef
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed


Heat over to 350*. With a large kitchen knife, cut squash in half. Scoop out seeds. Place open face down on greased/sprayed cookie sheet. Cook for 45-60 minutes ,or until the rind is easily pierced. Remove from oven to cool.

In a saute pan, turn to medium and saute the onions and garlic in 1/2 tbsp olive oil until translucent. Add ground beef, and brown it. When beef is cooked, add sauce to mixture.

Scrape out the flesh of the squash with a fork. It should come out stringy, like spaghetti. You may want to add a bit of salt and butter to squash before plating to bring out the flavor. Place on plate, and top with meat sauce, and Parmesan cheese (to taste).