Tag Archives: healthy

Simple, Fun and Delicious Sweet Potatoes – Blogger Contest Inspiration

March 17, 2012
6

The No More Mallows Blogger Recipe Contest is in full swing, and I just want to say….Keep those recipe’s coming in, bloggers! I am always amazed to see how creative the contest entries are.  But with an ingredient like sweet potatoes, it is hard not to be inspired.  As I pointed out in the last post, our sassy sweets really do lend themselves to any recipe, and not just as a mere ingredient, but as the star!  From Breakfast, to Dessert, this superfood can do it all.  All while providing you with more antioxidants than you can poke a stick at.  That’s probably why Health Writers at the Washington Post said they provide a health boost that can help prevent all sort of woes, including wrinkles. How’s that for awesome!

It’s easy to put together a delish dish, without breaking the bank on exotic ingredients. And you don’t have to be a master chef either.  As a matter of fact, most cooks that I know would prefer to keep it simple in the kitchen. But that doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice flavor. Take a look at this Sweet Potato Salad. It only takes a few minutes, but wow does it pack a lot of flavor…Pistachios add a little crunch, cherries add a hint of tartness to balance the natural sweetness of the main ingredient, spring greens add a hint of bitterness and a balsamic vinaigrette rounds everything out.  But here’s the most important part – the sweet potatoes are allowed to shine.  No syrupy sauce or gooey marshmallow topping needed here, thank you very much. 

PS As a Southern Girl, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that toasted pecans work equally well in this dish.  Have fun cooking and be sure to send in your creation, it might just be a winner!

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Greens,  Pistachios and Cherries

 Ingredients

2 pounds North Carolina Sweet Potatoes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup of your favorite herbed or balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
6 cups spring mix greens
1/2 cup Dried Cherries
5 ounces goat cheese, thinly sliced (optional)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pistachios

Instructions

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes

Preheat oven to 425°F. Peel yams and cut into 3/4-inch chunks. Place on a baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon oil. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned. Remove from oven and whisk together remaining oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add greens and cherries and toss lightly. Immediately add hot yams to bowl and toss again. Place in 6 salad bowls and top each with goat cheese, if desired. Sprinkle with pistachios. Makes 6 servings.

Healthy and Delicious Sweet Potato Pasta

February 27, 2012
2
 
Sometimes I am am still amazed that a food prefaced with the word sweet can be so good for you.  The sweet potato contains a huge amount of carotenes including beta-carotene and lutein.  Carotenes are converted to Vitamin A in your body where it helps promote healthy bones, and boosts the immune system and even promotes healthy skin.  Sweet potatoes are also a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and other important micronutrients such as copper, manganese, and biotin. Sweet potatoes also have a high amount of fiber and surprisingly, they are not high in sugar.  This weeks recipe captures all of that healthy goodness into a delicious pasta dish. You won’t believe it is good for you, it is so delicious.
 
Sweet Potato Penne
 
Ingredients
  • 12 ounces penne pasta – multigrain
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 3 leeks – sliced into half moons
  • 3 cloves garlic – sliced thin
  • 1/4 cup sage – fresh and chopped
  • 3 cups sweet potatoes – peeled and cubed into bite sized pieces
  • salt and pepper
  • 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese – grated
Prep Time : 25 minutes
Cook Time : 15 minutes

Directions
  • In a large pasta pot, cook pasta according to package directions until al denté. Drain pasta reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the leeks and cook until they begin to soften. Stir while cooking for approximately 4 minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic and sage and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
  • Add the sweet potato, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cover and cook until tender, approximately 6-8 minutes. Stir a couple of times during cooking.
  • Stir in 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese and the reserved cooking water. Simmer while stirring until the potatoes are fully cooked, 2-4 minutes.
  • Add in the cooked pasta and toss together.
  • Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and serve warm.

*Note: To speed up cooking the sweet potatoes, place them in a microwave safe bowl and microwave them on high for five minutes before adding them to the skillet.

Start a New Tradition

January 5, 2012
1

Most of us are still recovering from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Now its time to turn away from the stresses of the last few months and cook something quick and easy. What we really need is something light and summery, but also something familiar and comforting. The best type of food to fight the winter blahs should be healthy, but in a stealthy way. It needs to taste great too!

This weeks recipe meets all those demands and keeps on giving. It is Sweet Potato Salad. Putting a new spin on traditional potato salad, this recipe subs in our favorite sweets where white potatoes might be expected. Also going out the door is the over-abundant mayo. Instead  we are going to use a delicious Dijon vinaigrette that is more healthy, more tasty and much more satisfying. Best of all, you can whip up your own batch in just a few minutes. I guarantee this will become your new “traditional” potato salad. Make extra, your friends and families will thank you.

Sweet Potato Salad
  • 3 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup Crisco® vegetable oil
  • 2 green onions, sliced (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
  1. Place the potatoes into a 3-quart saucepan and add water to cover. Heat over medium-high heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes well in a colander. Let cool for 10 minutes.
  2. Beat the vinegar, relish, mustard, black pepper and oil in a large bowl with a fork or whisk. Or combine all the ingredients into a jar or cruet and give ‘em a shake.
  3. Add the warm potatoes, onions and red pepper, if desired, and toss to coat.
  4. EAT WARM OR CHILLED
  5. ENJOY

Sweet N’ Healthy Blogger Recipe Contest

February 25, 2011
10

I am very excited about the return of the Annual Blogger Recipe Contest which was announced last week.  This year’s theme is Sweet n’ Healthy and I cannot think of a better way to showcase all that Sweet Potatoes have to offer. Regular readers know that our Sassy Sweets are loaded with Potassium, Vitamin A, and Fiber.  Pretty amazing for something so sweet and delicious!

Need some inspiration?  Sweet potatoes are a truly versatile ingredient, lending themselves to almost any style of cuisine. For example, this weeks recipe goes outside the box with a tasty twist on classic nachos.  They’re healthy, kid-friendly, vegetarian, and absolutely delicious!

Vegetarian Sweet Potato Nachos

  • 2 large sweet potatoes, sliced very thin (1/8 inch)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 package Morningstar Farms Veggie Crumbles (or your fave ground meat substitute)
  • 3 chipotle peppers, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce
  • 2 cups grated Monterrey Jack Cheese (or soy cheese)
  • 3 jalapenos, sliced
  • 1 bunch scallions, sliced
  • Sea Salt
  • 1 bunch Cilantro
  • Black Pepper
  • Olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Toss sweet potato slice lightly in olive oil.  Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake 20-25 minutes until crispy.  Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Add the olive oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add meat substitute and cook until heated through and lightly browned.  Add the tomato paste, chipotles, and salt and pepper, to taste.  Add the BBQ sauce, bring to a simmer and cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Assemble:
Stack sweet potato chips on an oven proof platter. Top the potatoes with some meat, cheese, and jalapenos. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients. Broil until the cheese melts, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the platters from the broiler and garnish with scallions, jalapenos, and cilantro.

2011 Sweet n’ Healthy Blogger Recipe Contest

February 21, 2011
16

It’s time for our blogger contest, now in its 3rd year! For those of you who have entered before, we’re doinig things a little differently this time:

  • First off, we are focusing on health. Why sweet n’ healthy? Well we all love sweet potatoes for their sweet dense flavor, but as everyone is learning, sweet potatoes are a nutrition powerhouse and that is a huge bonus. So this year we want recipes that use sweet potatoes in a way that’ll get our health in gear, either as a meat replacement, a replacement for the typical junky kid foods or as a replacement for sugar. Take that natural sweetness and run with it!

  • Secondly (and lastly), because we have three recipe categories, we are awarding grand prizes of $2,000 to a winner in each category! AND since deciding on a winner is always hard enough, we’ll be choosing a runner up in each category who will recieve a $200 gift card to Williams-Sonoma. Not too shabby eh?

Are you up for the sweet n’ healthy challenge? Get your ovens burning, your water boiling and your grater shredding – show us what you got! Here’s how to enter:

1. Create an orginal recipe using fresh sweet potatoes as the key ingredient. Your recipe must fall under one of the following categories:

  • Kid-friendly

  • Vegeterian

  • Sugar-free

2. Post your recipe and photograph on your blog before March 21, 2011.

3. Email us at sassysweets@lewis-neale.com with your:

  • Name, phone number, mailing address

  • Email

  • Blog name

  • Category

  • Link to your recipe

  • Where you heard about the contest

Recipes will be judged on taste, importance of sweet potato, orginality and ease of preparation. For complete rules and details, visit our website. Good luck to everyone and let the cooking begin!

Hot and Smoky Soup and Dreams of Summer

January 31, 2011
15

With yet another round of stormy winter weather blanketing the country, I am official longing for the start of spring. It seem that this winter has been one blizzard after another. And to make matters worse, I have a feeling that Punxsutawney Phil is preparing to sell us out by forecasting another 6 weeks of Winter. It is enough to make me wonder what kind of wine goes with roast groundhog. Don’t get me wrong, I like winter… for a little while. Then I spend most of the season searching for foods to warm me from the inside out. Right now I am enjoying a delicious new soup from Rachel Ray.  

Smoky-Spicy Sweet Potato Soup is a great change up from the traditional sweet potato curry. This soup has more of a Spanish flare, with adobo sauce, chipotle peppers and tons of crunchy, smoky bacon on top. I like to serve it with a little sour cream on top to balance the flavors and cleanse the palette. The absolute best part about this soup, is that it only take about 20 minutes to make.

Ingredients:

  • 4 sweet potatoes (2-1/2 pounds), peeled and sliced 1 inch thick
  • Salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 4 slices smoky bacon, chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
  • 5 sprigs thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • One 32-ounce container chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon grated peel and juice of 1 orange
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Honey or maple syrup, for drizzling
  • Pepper
  • 1 cup sour cream, for passing around the table

Directions:

  1. In a large saucepan, add the sweet potatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, salt the water and cook until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and return to the pot.
  2. While the potatoes are working, in a medium pot, heat the EVOO, 1 turn of the pan. Add the bacon and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Discard all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat. Add the onion, carrot, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, thyme sprigs and bay leaf and cook until the onions are softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, orange peel, orange juice and cinnamon; drizzle with honey and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
  3. Add the broth mixture to the sweet potatoes in the pot and puree with an immersion blender (alternatively, puree in batches in a blender or food processor). Serve the soup with the sour cream and bacon on top.

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    P.S. Have you noticed how popular Sweet Potatoes are lately? It sure is great to see everyone catching on to our little secret.

Sweet Potato Curry with Coconut Rice

December 6, 2010
11
Simple Vegetable Curry, Everyday Food

I’ve been experimenting with different curry recipes for some time now. First it was a recipe from Good Housekeeping, which I tweaked to no end, then it was one from 101 Cookbooks, which convinced me that all curries need to have coconut milk, and finally one from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food, which brought it all together and helped me complete my own recipe.

As we’ve seen with previously posted recipes, sweet potatoes take very well to coconut milk and curry, so this recipe is another take on the flavors with much more to chew on and lots of room for customizing. Add a protein like shrimp, chicken or tofu if a plate of veggies doesn’t cut it for you or choose your favorite combination of vegetables to make it your own. Some others I considered throwing into the mix were broccoli, okra, baby corn and chickpeas, but this time I based my choices on color.

Curry paste as opposed to curry powder is used in this recipe, making it a Thai curry rather than an Indian one. You can find this in the ethnic aisle of your grocery store. Thai Kitchen is the brand I see most often.

This is a hearty dish that’ll keep you warm on a cold winter night. It’s a healthy version of Thai takeout, and the best part is, you get to choose what goes in it! I grew up eating coconut rice – it’s easy to make and a great addition to this dish.

Sweet Potato Curry

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 small red onion, cut into quarters
1 large sweet potato, diced into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 cups string beans, trimmed and halved
1 handful raw large spinach leaves, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup unsalted cashews (or peanuts)
1 cup white rice

In heavy stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, onion and sweet potatoes; cook and stir until fragrant and onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add curry paste, stir until sweet potatoes are coated. Add 1 cup of the coconut milk (set remaining coconut milk aside) and 2/3 cup water; stir until coconut milk is red from the curry. Add cauliflower, string beans, spinach and cashews; season with salt and pepper; stir so spinach is in liquid; cover and simmer until sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Coconut rice:
In the meantime, measure remaining coconut milk, add water until it reaches 2 cups. Heat in small saucepan until boiling; add rice; stir; return to a boil then reduce to a simmer; cover until liquid as been absorbed, about 15 minutes.

To serve, spoon curry over bed of rice; garnish with cilantro sprigs if desired.