Sweet Potato Veal Stew

I have decided that this month is sweet potato month. I have rediscovered it's delightful taste and versatility, so you will see a few more recipes coming up! I made this the other night for dinner, on a cold rainy night and it hit the spot. I made enough for left overs for lunch all week long. Soup with my Hummus bread on the side warms up my winter days.


Ingredients:
1 medium sweet potato
1/2 bag of frozen spinach
1/2 can white beans
1 medium red onion
3 garlic cloves
1 pound ground veal
2 tablespoons thyme
2 tablespoons sage
1 tablespoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Bake sweet potato at 425 until soft. Remove from oven and peel. Chop sweet potato into small pieces. Boil 8 cups of water, add sweet potatoes and mash with potato masher until pieces disappear. Add beans, meat, onion, garlic and herbs to water. Cover pot and simmer for 1 hour. If the soup becomes too thick then add more water. After an hour add spinach and simmer for another 30 minutes. Soup should be moderately thick but still have a broth element as opposed to a porridge. This soup keeps well in the fridge and is very filling. Bon appetite!

Butternut Squash and Spinach Casserole

Today is a blustery day so I decided to make this warm creamy casserole. I love using butternut squash for savory dishes as its typically only used in sweet dessert type of meals. I made an individual serving so keep that in mind when looking at the recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pureed butternut squash
1/2 cup frozen spinach
1/4 cup ground turkey
2 tablespoons cottage cheese
2 tablespoons egg whites
2 dashes of ground sage
1 dash of thyme

Preheat oven to 425. Take frozen spinach and defrost in microwave and drain the water. Place turkey in pan and cook. Break turkey into small pieces. Mix turkey, spinach, squash, cottage cheese, egg and herbs together in a ramekin and make for about 40 minutes at 425.

Portobello Pizza

These are a great alternative to regular pizza. They can be a great side dish, appetizer or snack. The Parmesan cheese really ramps up the flavor while still being low fat and low calorie.

Ingredient:
4 Portobello Mushrooms
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/3 cup ground turkey
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoon chopped basil
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 small block of Parmesan cheese

Mix turkey, tomato sauce, and spices. Remove the stumps of the mushrooms and fill with tomato mixture, spread it out evenly. Cut slices of Parmesan and over the top of mushrooms so you cannot see the tomato mixture. Place mushrooms on cookie sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, making sure the turkey has fully cooked.

Delicious Coleslaw

This is really delicious. It can be served as a side dish or as a light entree. It is quick and easy and also keeps well.
Ingredients:
2 Carrots
1 1/2 Zucchini
1/4 cup of raisins
1/4 cup of sliced almonds
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons of creamed horse radish (adjust to personal taste)
1 tablespoon olive oil
dash of salt and pepper

Grate carrots and place in pan with 1 inch of water and bring to boil. Boil for about 3-5 minutes. Drain water and place carrots in bowl. Grate zucchini and add to carrots, along with raisins, almonds, salt and pepper. Make sure the carrots have cooled before adding yogurt sauce. Add yogurt sauce to veggie mixture. Cool and serve.

Salmon Fish Sticks

These are very good and can be made a few different ways. I used Falafel chips which can be found at Whole Foods; you could also use any chips, pork rinds or almond meal. I also dipped them in a honey mustard sauce. They were very tasty!

Ingredients:
1 large piece of Salmon
2 cups of chips/ cereal or 1.5 cup of almond meal
2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons Italian seasonings

Preheat oven to 425. Place chips in plastic bag and crush into small pieces almost into a powder. Place powder in bowl and add garlic, pepper, salt, and italian seasonings. Mix well. Cut Salmon into rectangle pieces about 1/2 inch thick. Place salmon in bowl of powder and cover so the powder sticks to salmon. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake until fish is cooked all the way through, about 15 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe does really have tortillas-- you can certainly add them...I just didnt so it would be healthier. I did top it off with a few corn tortilla chips though. I made this soup in a crock pot but, it can be made on the stove cooked at a low temperature.

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
2/3 cup fresh salsa
1/4 cup tomatilla sauce
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup oil (your choice)
1 medium sized onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 can chicken broth
salt pepper to taste

Place chicken breasts in crock pot and cover with water. Add whole can of chicken broth and turn crock pot on high. Chop onion and garlic and add to pot. Add the remaining ingredients and cover pot. Let cook for 2 hours and taste-- if too spicy then add more water or spice accordingly. Remove chicken, chop and place back in pot. Let cook for another hour and serve. Crumble a few tortilla chips on top and enjoy!

Banana muffins

I made these muffins to have with my yogurt in the morning. They are really good and easy to make. They are high in fiber, sugar, grain, and dairy free. Make some extra and freeze them so you have a muffin every day with your coffee.

Ingredients
15 oz can white beans
2/3 cup flax meal
2 eggs
1 1/2 bananas
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped walnuts* optional
2 tablespoon stevia
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place beans in pot with 1/3 cup of water and heat. Mash with potato masher and boil until mixture becomes a paste. Pour beans into bowl with almond butter and mix. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Grease muffin tins and pour batter into tins. Bake until knife comes out clean. Let these sit for a good hour, to let them set, otherwise they can be mushy and fall apart. Viola!