BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES

Oh my goodness, these baked sweet potato fries are tasty AND low calorie!! Even my picky-picky husband gave them a thumbs up!!!

 

 

 



Keep in mind that you are not going to get a CRISPY fry (because they are baked) but they ARE addictingly tasty with "a little sweet+little salty" flavor that hits all the right comfort notes. Crisp or not, I could easily eat a big bowl of these and not feel guilty at all.

2 medium sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon regular chili powder (see note)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (see note)
1/2  teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar

OK, a word about yams/sweet potatoes. Don't ask me which is which. I always buy the one with the deep orange flesh, so I'm calling them sweet potatoes in this post.

PRE-HEAT YOUR OVEN to 400°F.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into French fries. Soak in water for one hour (important), then drain and pat them dry.

Put the potatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with one tablespoon vegetable oil, toss around, making sure the oil coats everything.

Mix the cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt and brown sugar together until very well mixed.Sprinkle this mixture over the oiled potatoes and toss well. 

Spread the potatoes out onto a lightly sprayed cookie sheet (I don't spray my cookie sheet. Instead I line it with Reynolds non-stick foil (it works perfectly in this recipe) just make sure you spread the fries out so they don't touch each other (use two cookie sheets if necessary).



Bake in PRE-HEATED 400°F oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip the potatoes over and bake another 15 minutes. Depending on how hot your oven runs, you might have to add a couple extra minutes to get those crusty edges. 

They aren't the prettiest fries ever, but they are delicious 

Click on this Photo

to get a closer look 

 

 

Note: If you like a little more spice, you can use chipotle chili powder in place of the regular chili powder + smoked paprika.

ENJOY !!!

SPINACH and ORANGE SALAD

I am trying out new "go with" side dishes in preparation for spring grilling (even though we still have knee high+ snow where I live).

This super simple, super light, super tasty salad is a winner at our house. It is basically just baby spinach, orange segments, avocado, minced red onion and toasted/sliced almonds. 

The orange segments make the salad so juicy, that you don't even need a dressing, although there is an excellent orange vinaigrette (at the bottom of this recipe) for those who would like one. 

This salad is refreshing, quick to fix and goes great with ANY main dish.

4 cups fresh baby spinach
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
1 large Haas avocado peeled, and sliced

1 tablespoon minced red onion
2 tablespoons sliced almonds toasted

This recipe makes 4 salads. Rinse and dry baby spinach and divide onto four plates. Slice the ends of the orange off and use a knife to peel the orange. Slice in between the segments so you get only the best part of the orange. Arrange the orange and avocado on the spinach. sprinkle with a little minced red onion and top with toasted nuts.

Orange Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 tablespoon honey
pinch of coarse black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 

Place in a small jar with lid, and shake hard. Store in fridge. 

ENJOY !!!

FRESH PEA SALAD

Summer Pea Salad, jazzed up with crisp bacon and sweet cherry tomatoes is one of my favorites. It is one of those great salads that travels well and tastes even better after it has been in the fridge for a day or two.



1 pound fresh green peas (or 16oz. frozen green peas)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup peeled and grated carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped fairly small
3 slices of crisp bacon cut up (optional but delicious)
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded (I use a little more)
cherry tomatoes, cut in half (sweeter the better)
toasted sunflower seeds

Fresh green peas are the best in this salad, but when they are not available, frozen peas work well too. 

Microwave peas (covered) with 1 tablespoon of water for about 2 minutes or until slightly cooked (but not soft) then drain and cool.

In a large bowl, mix all of the above ingredients together (except the bacon, cherry tomatoes and sunflower seeds), then gently fold in the dressing.

Dressing
3 heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 tablespoons milk
Whisk the ingredients together and gently fold into salad. Cover and chill.

Just before you serve it, gently fold in the cut up cherry tomatoes, crisp bacon and toasted sesame seeds (save a few for decorating the top).


NOTE: Every microwave cooks at a different rate, so keep an eye on your peas when you microwave them. You don't want them raw, but you don't want them cooked and mushy either, does that make sense?

ENJOY !!!

BRIGHT CITRUS SALAD

This refreshing salad is a nutritious combination of crunch (from the broccoli and sunflower seeds), sweetness (from the oranges and raisins) and a pleasant "full feeling" from the black beans.  

It is the perfect side dish for any barbecue or potluck!!

Measurements given here are approximate (except for the dressing). YOU decide how much of each ingredient you would like in your salad. The amounts given here are catered to OUR taste buds. 

3 small heads of broccoli (bite size pieces)
1 red bell pepper (diced finely)
1 cup raisins
2 oranges (peeled and sliced thickly)
15 ounce can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup  toasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup finely sliced green onion tops

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use light)
1/2 cup milk (I use 2%)
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of cayenne powder


Wash the broccoli and shake dry. Remove as much of the stalk and stems as you can so you can break the florets into bite size pieces. Add (small diced) red bell pepper, raisins, oranges, black beans, sunflower seeds and green onions.

Mix dressing ingredients with a whisk and pour about 1/2 cup of it over the salad just before you serve it. Toss gently and taste to see if you want more dressing. You may not need or want all of the dressing. 


NOTE: Peel the oranges, removing as much of the white as you can, then slice the orange into thick slices; cut the thick slices into four wedges.

NOTE: Let your imagination go wild with this salad, you can add just about any veggies that strike your fancy.

ENJOY !!!

BAKED POTATO CHIPS

When I am on a diet, (who am I kidding, I'm always on a diet) my weight loss plan starts to falter when I get a craving for something crunchy and salty. I'm not talking about raw fruits and veggie type of crunchy, I'm talking about potato chip crunchy. If I ignore this craving, it just gets stronger; does that sound familiar to anyone?

I did some online searching for a remedy to my craving that wouldn't have a billion calories. I found three different recipes for baked potato chips that sounded promising.

After trying all three (and immediately tossing all three into the garbage), I decided to make up my own version. I must say I'm quite pleased with it. 

Not only does this little recipe completely satisfy my "crunchy chip craving" but the ENTIRE RECIPE only has one tablespoon of olive oil!!

Wash and dry six golf ball size Yukon gold potatoes. Slice them as thin as possible. A mandolin would work well for this, but I just used my sharpest knife and sliced them; just try to make them all an even thickness.

Toss the sliced potatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, making sure that a little of the oil gets in between every slice. Lay the slices out on a heavy cookie sheet that has been lightly sprayed with vegetable spray, then sprinkle the potatoes lightly with kosher salt.

Baking time is important. One of the recipes I tried (and threw away) called for 2 hours at 200°F. That produced a dull, leathery piece of potato. I even let it cook an extra HOUR and it was still leathery...yuck.  Another recipe called for 18 minutes at 400°F which produced a crisp but burnt taste...yuck again.

So I decided to try Yukon gold potatoes. How long you bake them will depend on how thick you sliced your potatoes and how hot your oven runs. I baked mine in a 375°F electric oven for 22 minutes, flipping them over half way through the baking time....just right.

These chips are meant to be eaten right away because they are not meant to be stored like a commercial potato chip. There are small "non-crunch" parts on the chips that would not store well.

I hope you will try these. They have a WONDERFUL flavor and a fantastic, salty crunch!!!

NOTE:  Watch the chips closely the last couple of minutes because once they start to turn golden, they darken quickly.

REDUCED CALORIE SWEET & SOUR PORK

We love sweet and sour pork and chicken (this recipe would work for either), but once you bread and DEEP FRY the meat, you are talking about A TON OF CALORIES. Well, this quick and easy little recipe does away with all of that breading AND all of that DEEP FRYING and it is STILL delicious !!!

MARINADE
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon sugar
3 teaspoons corn starch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
black pepper to taste

Mix the above ingredients in a large bowl.  Cut  1 1/2 pounds of pork (or chicken) tenderloin into bite size pieces and put in the marinade. Stir to coat all of the pieces, then let sit for 20 minutes.

SAUCE
1 cup chicken broth (not bullion,it's too salty)
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 SLIGHTLY rounded teaspoons of corn starch
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
pinch of black pepper

Cook all of the sauce ingredients together until it thickens, then turn the heat down to a VERY LOW SIMMER and let it barely bubble while you brown the meat.

In a large skillet (I use my electric fry pan), heat up a tablespoon of vegetable oil and a tablespoon of butter until HOT (I turn my electric skillet all the way up). Add the marinated meat and spread it out so that none of the pieces are on top of each other. Let the meat brown (about 3-4 minutes?), then stir and put a lid on the pan so that everything gets cooked through (you want to get some nice brown crusty color on the edges of the pieces).

Once the meat is 99% done (keep lifting the lid to check for doneness), add the cooked sauce to the meat and keep stirring until everything is well coated. Reduce the heat and cook it all together for about 2 more minutes (watch carefully so the sauce doesn't burn).

Serve over hot rice.  Couldn't be easier!!  

Picky-picky husband is VERY SHY of spicy food, so 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne is just perfect for him. If you like extra heat, just add a little more cayenne when you cook the sauce.

ENJOY !!! 

GUILT FREE AVOCADO--RANCH SALAD DRESSING

Make sure you mix this up a day ahead of time, because (while you will be tempted to use it right away......don't!!). Something magical happens in the fridge overnight and the next day, all of the flavors will have blended and it becomes a wonderful salad dressing that you can use GUILT FREE!!

1 large ripe avocado (should be about a cup or so)
1/2  cup fat free  (good quality) PLAIN Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 to 1/2 skim milk (depending on how thick you like it)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder  (not onion salt)
2  healthy pinches dried thyme

Put everything in the food processor and blend until very smooth.
cover and CHILL OVER NIGHT.

This will stay vibrant green for 2 or 3 days (if it lasts that long) but will start to darken just a little on day 4 and 5.

I use 1/4 cup skim milk and it makes a pretty thick salad dressing like this:

 

If that is too thick for you, add a little more milk to thin it out.
NOTE: If this is just a little too fat-free for you, use olive oil instead of milk.

Enjoy !!

AVOCADO EGG SALAD

This quick and HEALTHY change to mayo-laden egg salad was a huge success; we didn't miss the mayo at all!! It was light and delicious and packed with flavor. I can see countless possibilities with this little recipe (I'm already planning to add a few green onions? hot sauce?).

Personally, I enjoyed this salad just wrapped in a big leaf of lettuce, but Picky-Picky husband went for the traditional sandwich.

4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1 large ripe avocado
2 stalks celery chopped finely
1/3 cup diced tomato flesh (see note)
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard (see note)
salt to taste (I just added a pinch)
pepper to taste (see note)

NOTE: NO MAYONNAISE!!

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and mash the flesh (I mashed about 3/4 of the flesh into a smooth paste and left 1/4 of the flesh in little chunks.

Stir the prepared yellow mustard, salt and pepper into the mashed avocado,  mix well.

Add the chopped eggs, celery and tomato and stir gently until well mixed.  That's it!!

NOTE: I wasn't sure how to explain "tomato flesh"; it just means leave out the juicy-seedy part of the tomato.

NOTE: Two tablespoons of yellow mustard is going to seem like a lot, but the final product does NOT taste overly mustardy, trust me. I just used plain old yellow hot dog mustard.

NOTE: I cook with coarsely ground black pepper, so I used a scant
half teaspoon. If you use finely ground pepper (it measures differently) use less.

NOTE: I put this salad in the fridge for several hours without any avocado darkening problems because I laid plastic wrap right on the surface of the salad and pressed down a little to force out all of the air. I'm not sure if it would turn dark overnight because it never lasts that long at our house.

RICE STUFFED MUSHROOMS

The origin of this recipe is fairly humble: Hubby was hungry for steak and I was not, so I stuffed some large button mushrooms full of leftover spicey red  rice and topped them with Monterrey Jack cheese and baked them. They were so good, I ate way too much...the rest of them I re-heated (microwave) for lunch the next day and they were excellent.

I used a melon baller to scrape out the gills of the large mushrooms which made a nice pocket for the rice.
 

I stuffed the raw mushrooms full of (cold) red rice. Place the stuffed mushrooms in a 9 x 13 baking dish and top with shredded Monterrey Jack cheese.

I use leftover spicy red rice,

here is the recipe:

1 cup raw white rice (not instant rice)
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
15 oz. can diced tomatoes in juice
1 tomato can of water + ½ cup

4 ounce can of mild green chili's

1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 cup red kidney beans

Heat the canola oil, then add the raw rice, onion and spices. Saute this mixture until the onion is transparent and the rice is opaque. Add the red bell pepper, kidney beans, the whole can of diced tomatoes (plus the juice) plus 1 full can of water and another 1/2 cup of water and the mild green chili's. Stir well and bring to a boil, stir well, put tight fitting lid on the pan and turn the heat down to a low simmer.
Cook for 20 minutes (don't lift the lid), then turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

Fill the prepared mushroom caps with the rice mixture and top with cheese.

Bake in pre-heated 350 oven for 15 minutes then turn on the broiler for a minute or two (to get some color on the cheese) and serve.

Delicious and good for you if

you go easy on the cheese.

GREEN ENCHILADA SAUCE

I have always cooked with canned Ortega mild fire-roasted chilies (if hubby doesn't know they are in a recipe, he magically does not get heartburn 😉). However, I have put off the urge to cook with fresh Anaheim chilies because I think he would seriously panic if he saw them. 

Well, recently, the opportunity to cook with fresh Anaheim's presented itself (hubby wouldn't he home for dinner) so I went for it. They were delicious!!
 

 GREEN ENCHILADA SAUCE

 

3 fresh Anaheim chilies
1 to 2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of chopped onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne*
1-2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons flour

Wash and dry the chilies and put them under the broiler for 5-10 minutes (my broiler took about 8 minutes) turning the chilies about once a minute. You want the skins of the chilies to blacken on at least 60% of their surface. 

Remove them from the broiler and place them in a seal-able plastic back or Tupperware container with a tight lid (this will help steam the chilies and make them easy to peel) for about 15 minutes. 

Next step is to peel off their skins (it's easy), cut  them open and remove seeds and dice the flesh; you should get about one cup of diced chilies (set aside).

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and saute the onions until they are mellow, then add the crushed garlic and saute for about another minute.  

Put the cooked onion + cooked garlic in a food processor along with 1 cup of cooked chilies, and 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and 2 tablespoons of flour; process until smooth. 

Transfer to a sauce pan and add the chili powder, cumin, salt and the remaining 1+1/2 cups of chicken broth. Cook until thick and bubbling; lower heat and simmer slowly for about 20 minutes. It's ready to use!!

While this enchilada sauce can be used on beef enchiladas, it does even better with chicken. The enchilada's pictured here were made with spinach/green flour tortillas + cooked shredded chicken, Monterey Jack cheese and some green enchilada sauce. I rolled them up and put them in a baking dish, then topped them with more green enchilada sauce and more cheese, then baked them at 350 for about 30 minutes or until everything was hot and bubbly.  Let them sit for about 10 minutes before you serve them. They were scrumptious!!!

ENJOY !!!

EASY VEGGIE RICE SIDE DISH

When I serve plain white rice, my husband slathers it with butter and white sugar (yuck). To avoid that, I've learned to jazz our rice up a little. This recipe is the result of years of tweaking, and we really enjoy it; I like it because it goes with almost anything, but especially good with baked chicken.

1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup of raw long grain rice (not instant)
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 and 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup of frozen veggies
sliced green onion tops for garnish
1 tablespoon butter

Saute the onion, celery and carrot in the canola oil until they start to lose their crispness; stir in rice and seasonings; stir to coat the rice with the oil and saute gently for a minute or two. Add the broth and frozen veggies and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, turn heat down to a low simmer and put a tight fitting lid on the pan. Simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off the burner and let it sit for five minutes. Add one tablespoon of butter & fluff with a fork and serve.

NOTE: You noticed I use 2 1/2 cups of broth, that is more than you would normally use for plain rice. I use this extra amount of broth to give me a slightly saucy rice.

 

VEGGIE RICE

When my carnivorous husband grills, I usually make this for myself instead . It is filling, healthy, spicy and delicious. Topped with cold avocado, sweet cherry tomatoes, a little cheddar, light sour cream and a piece of whole wheat garlic bread, it is my guiltless pleasure!

CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE

1 cup of chopped onion
1 clove of garlic minced
½ cup celery chopped
1/2 cup carrot chopped
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup raw rice
3 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 (15 oz) black beans
1 cup fresh corn
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1½ tomato cans of water
(1) 4 ounce Ortega mild green chilies

Sauté onion, garlic, celery, bell pepper in 1-tablespoon canola oil until onion is transparent. Stir in raw rice and let it sauté with veggies until it become opaque. Add the diced tomatoes, water, black beans, corn, carrot and flavorings. Cover the pan and lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes (do not raise the lid). After 20 minutes, rice should be cooked and veggies tender. Stir in mild green chilies. Mix well and serve with cold avocado, cherry tomatoes, cheddar cheese and light sour cream.

NOTE: This reheats very well and is even tastier on day two.
NOTE: I also like to eat this rolled up in a warmed tortilla.