Mexican Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Recipe and Picture Source:
 http://pinchofyum.com/healthy-mexican-sweet-potato-skins

We had these stuffed sweet potatoes the other night and really enjoyed them! Great by itself or with a salad on the side.

Prep time:  1 hour

Total time:  1 hour

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 can corn, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ yellow onion, chopped
• 2-4 INDIVIDUAL chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced or pureed (not the whole can!)*
• 1 ounce light cream cheese
• ¼ cup light sour cream
• 1 teaspoon salt (+ more to taste)
• ½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 6 tablespoons shredded cheese (Pepperjack, Cheddar, Colby Jack... anything will work)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes.
2. While sweet potatoes are baking, place corn in a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with no butter or oil. Sprinkle with salt and other Mexican seasoning (as much as you want). Do not stir! Let corn roast for several minutes before stirring. Let it roast for a few more minutes before stirring again. Continue this for about 10 minutes, until corn is browned and roasted on the outside. Set aside in a small bowl with the black beans.
3. Saute the onion in the butter over medium heat until soft and translucent. Set aside.
4. Remove sweet potatoes from the oven when fork-tender. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut the sweet potatoes in half. Scrape the flesh of the sweet potatoes out, leaving the skins intact. Sometimes leaving a thin layer of potato inside of the skins helps them hold together better.
5. Mix the flesh of the sweet potatoes with the cream cheese, sour cream, chipotle peppers, and salt. You can use a mixer or just a spoon, depending on how soft the potatoes are. When well-mixed, gently stir in the black beans, roasted corn, sauteed onions, and cilantro.
6. Scoop the filling into the skins and top each with 1 tablespoon shredded cheese. Broil for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

*I would recommend starting with 2 chipotle peppers. I convinced Josh to use 3 instead of the 4 he wanted and it was just right for us, but I know many in the family don't like things too spicy.

Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread

   Source: http://lilluna.com/glazed-lemon-zucchini-bread/

Ingredients

• 2 cups cake flour (I home-ground flour from red wheat, white wheat, barley & rye)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 TB lemon juice
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup grated zucchini (I used 1 cup blended yellow zucchini)
Glaze ingredients: (I only made 1/2)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 TB lemon juice
• 1 TB milk

Instructions

1. Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Then add oil and sugar until well blended. Add lemon juice, buttermilk, lemon zest to this mixture and blend all together.
3. Fold in zucchini until it is mixed well.
4. Add dry mixture to the wet mixture and blend all together until well combined.
5. Pour batter into greased 9x5 loaf pan (I used 4 small loaf pans and baked less time).
6. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
7. While still warm, make glaze and spoon over the bread. Let the glaze set up before cutting and serving.

*We love this--even Lared, who doesn't usually like citrus baked goods, likes it. It has a nutty taste. Next time, I'll add poppy seeds, too.

Perfect Brown Rice

Sheri's favorite way to cook brown rice :)

1 1/2 cups brown rice (can substitute some quinoa)
2 1/2 cups boiling water (can use part chicken broth (but reduce salt) if you want the flavor)
   1 TB butter (or 2 tsp oil)
   1 tsp salt

Place rice in 8X8 pan.  On stovetop, bring water to a boil and add butter (or oil) and salt, stirring until melted and dissolved.  Pour water over rice.  Cover tightly with foil.  Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

(Optional step, but makes it fluffier): Remove foil, fluff with fork, and cover with thin kitchen towel (wrapping around sides and tucked underneath tightly so it doesn't touch the rice), and let sit for 5 minutes (to absorb moisture). Uncover and stand 5 more minutes before serving.

*Sometimes I substitute quinoa for part of the rice so you have a rice/quinoa mixture, and it works great.  Substitute equal amounts of quinoa for rice (if you use 1/2 cup quinoa, use 1/2 cup less rice).  I usually use 1/2-3/4 cup quinoa when I do this.  I have never tried using all quinoa, but it would probably work with these same cooking instructions.

**Leftovers can be used with milk and cinnamon/sugar, in rice pudding, added to soups or burritos, or added while sauteing vegetables and meat to eat over salads or in fajitas.

Pork Tenderloin with Broccoli and Pineapple

Juice 3 lemons
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. sea salt
Pinch of Stevia (could use agave or honey as well)
Pinch of ground cinnamon
(6)- 4 to 6 ounces sliced pork tenderloin

Broccoli florets
Fresh pineapple sliced into rings

Prepare the marinade:  Mix the lemon, juice, garlic, parsley, rosemary, oregano, salt, Stevia, and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Put the pork in a large zippered plastic bag and pour the marinade into the bag.  Close tightly.  Marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes, although overnight is best.

*I used fresh herbs instead of dried

Grill Pork, pineapple rings, and broccoli.  (Put pineapple and broccoli in a grill basket)

We put the pork and pineapple on a bed of brown rice.  I ate my broccoli on the side, but some put it with the pork and pineapple.

Source: "The Fast Metabolism Diet"

Roasted Cauliflower

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/cauliflower-popcorn-roasted-cauliflower-115153

1 head cauliflower or 1 head equal amount of pre-cut commercially prepped cauliflower
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 -1 teaspoon salt, to taste

1 Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2 Trim the head of cauliflower, discarding the core and thick stems; cut florets into pieces about the size of ping-pong balls.

3 In a large bowl, combine the olive oil and salt, whisk, then add the cauliflower pieces and toss thoroughly.

4 Line a baking sheet with parchment for easy cleanup (you can skip that, if you don't have any) then spread the cauliflower pieces on the sheet and roast for 1 hour, turning 3 or 4 times, until most of each piece has turned golden brown.

5 (The browner the cauliflower pieces turn, the more caramelization occurs and the sweeter they'll taste).

6 Serve immediately and enjoy!

Oven-Roasted Asparagus

Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/oven-roasted-asparagus/

1 bunch thin asparagus spears, trimmed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced 

1 teaspoon sea salt    OR substitute garlic salt for garlic & salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional, I omitted)

1.  Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

2.  Place the asparagus into a mixing bowl, and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss to coat the spears, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Arrange the asparagus onto a baking sheet in a single layer.

3.  Bake in the preheated oven until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes depending on thickness. Sprinkle with lemon juice just before serving.

* I didn't measure anything when I made this. I just drizzled the oil on the asparagus in the pan and rolled it around, then sprinkled on Parmesan cheese, garlic salt and pepper.

Smoothies

I typed up some of our favorite smoothies for mom and thought I'd share them here too just in case others would like them.

Green Smoothie

1 1/2 cups almond milk

1/2 cup of coconut water (I never add this.)

2 leaves lacinato (dark greens) kale, spinach, or Swiss Chard, coarsely chopped

1/4 avocado

1/2 cup  mango chunks

Blend until Smooth.

Mango and Coconut Milk Shake

1 cup mango chunks

1/2 cup pinapple chunks

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

1-2 teaspoons brown rice syrup or stevia, to taste

Blend until smooth.

Blueberry, Carob, and Almond Milk Shake

1 cup blueberries

2 teaspoons raw carob powder, cacao powder, or cocoa*

1 1/2 cups almond milk

1 to 2 teaspoons brown rice syrup or stevia, to taste

1/2 cup ice (I've never use this.)

Blend until smooth.

*Cacao powder is the same thing as cocoa powder, but the raw form is usually called cacao.  It is preferable because it's packed with nutrients, including magnesium, and is high in antioxidants.

 

Energy Shake with Almond Butter and Cardamom

1/4 cup almond butter

1 tsp. ground cardamom (good without this too if you don't have it.)

1 1/2 cups purified water

1 cup frozen peaches

1-2 teaspoons brown rice syrup or stevia, to taste

Blend until smooth