Sweet Potato Bites

So, what is a Sweet Potato Bite? Well, it's the best name we could come up with for something that isn't crispy like a chip, or fried like a French fry. So, bite it became. These are pretty darn good, and super easy to make. Enjoy them now, next to your favorite winter fare and try them in the summer, along side your favorite burgers or BBQ.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Bites

Bites:

2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean

Cooking spray
Sea salt

Dipping Sauce:
¼ cup Greek yogurt
1 T catsup
1 T horseradish sauce (try to find one without corn syrup)
Garlic powder

Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
Sriracha to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut sweet potato into rounds, sliced thick. Spread on baking sheet in a single layer. Lightly spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 10 minutes, flip then return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes (the cooking time will depend on how thick you cut the potatoes).

While the bites are baking, make the sauce by combining all ingredients, and adjusting to taste. Let sauce sit while baking to allow for flavors to combine or refrigerate if not eating right away.

Serves 2-4.

Mushroom Rice

This recipe is a perfect winter recipe. The mushrooms make it hearty without being too heavy, something I think everyone in cold-weather climates can appriciate in late February. This would be ideal next to some beef with some green beans on the side. It also would make a nice vegetarian meal along side some braised tofu. However you choose to serve this dish, we are sure you will like it.

Enjoy!

Mushroom Rice

Adapted from Epicurious (Gourmet, December 1997)


1 cup brown rice
2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 pound crimini and shiitake mushrooms, sliced thick
1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and chopped into 1-2 inch pieces
4 scallions, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine

In a heavy saucepan prepare rice according to package directions, using vegetable broth in place of water.

While rice is cooking, sauté mushrooms, asparagus and scallions in olive oil over medium-high heat until mushrooms are golden and any liquid is evaporated.

Add wine and simmer, stirring occasionally, until wine is evaporated.

Fluff rice with a fork and stir in mushrooms, asparagus and scallions.

Serves 4.

Skillet Salad

Just like a light, fresh delicate salad is perfect in summer, this skillet salad is perfect in winter. Hearty, filling and warm, it is great as a main dish (feel free to throw some protein on top) or as a side. Don't limit yourself to the ingredients listed here. Any vegetable in your fridge that needs to be used up would probably taste good in this salad.


Enjoy!


Skillet Salad

1 large bowl greens, trimmed, torn, rinsed and drained

2 carrots, sliced

½ sweet or red onion, sliced

6 crimini mushrooms, sliced

½ c red cabbage, sliced

1 c broccoli, cut into small florets

1 bell pepper, sliced

½ c squash, cooked and cubed

1 can beans, drained and rinsed

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Sea salt and pepper

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the carrots, onions, mushrooms, cabbage and broccoli in a small amount of olive oil.  Cook for about 2 minutes, until softened. Turn up the heat and add bell pepper, beans, greens and a dash of water. Cover for about 3-4 minutes, stirring every minute. Add the squash and stir in. Top with balsamic vinegar or oily dressing of your choosing, and sea salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 2 large servings.

Colorful Couscous

This dish is really the stew of the salad world, in that you can toss in whatever you've got and it will taste great. Zuchinni or summer squash, toss em in. Want a Tex-Mex version? Some corn, a can of black beans and some salsa will give you just that. In fact, this dish doubles as a side dish, so don't think of it just as a salad. It's good cold or warm. Pretty versatile stuff, huh?

Enjoy!  

Colorful Couscous

Recipe has been adapted from Rachel Ray

1 box Israeli couscous

Low-sodium vegetable broth

Olive Oil

Lemon juice

Flat leaf parsley

Cilantro

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Bell Peppers

Pepper

Pour box of couscous into a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Lightly toast the couscous until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Prepare couscous according to package directions, substituting vegetable broth for the water. When finished remove from heat to let cool, occasionally fluffing with a fork.

While the couscous is cooking, mince the parsley and cilantro. Seed and cut the tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

Once the couscous is cool, add olive oil, lemon juice and pepper to taste. Mix in the herbs as well as the diced vegetables. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This dish is good either warm or cold, and makes a wonderful salad as well as a side dish.

Roasted Root Vegetables

This dish is the ultimate food cure for the winter blues. It's hot, colorful and is just right next to almost anything (salad, check! slab of meat, check!). The starches in these vegetables turn so sugary sweet - we are sure you'll love it. Oh, and it is easy too. While this recipe is for root vegetables, feel free to add in any other roasted veggies you enjoy, like: broccoli, asparagus or cauliflower; just make sure to cut them into similarly sized pieces, keeping in mind they will cook faster - so if they are a little bit bigger, that's okay.

Enjoy!

Roasted Root Vegetables

6 red new potatoes 

2 medium sweet potatoes 

4 carrots 

3 large parsnips 

3 medium raw beets 

1 large head of garlic, separated and peeled into cloves 

4 T extra virgin olive oil 

2 t rosemary 

2 t thyme 

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut all vegetables into roughly 1 inch cubes.

Place all vegetables with the garlic cloves into a large baking dish and drizzle the olive oil over top and toss to coat evenly. Be sure not to over crowd the pan.

Sprinkle on the rosemary, thyme, sea salt and pepper.

Place, uncovered, in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. Vegetables will be tender and evenly browned.

Serves 6