Oven "Fried" Potato Wedges w/ Balsamic Ketchup

it's good to be bad...

For this rainbow series, given my New Year's resolution to eat better, I'm lightening up some of my favorite comfort foods. It's important to still be able to enjoy some of what I consider comfort or "bad" foods like fries, pasta, and dessert. All in moderation. So, for this series, I'll be lightening up and highlighting the nutrients in each one of these dishes. First, I'm tackling the fry....

There is one easy way to bring down the calorie and fat count with fries and that's to bake them. And while I do this, I'm also taking my potato wedges a few steps further by making them good for you. First, I'm using 3 types of potatoes: red, yellow, and sweet. These varieties have many more benefits compared to the usual russet potato, such as iron, vitamins C/A/B5/B6, thiamin, and much more. Specifically, sweet potatoes contain carotenoids which help fight against disease and promote eye health. Secondly, I'm leaving the skins on the potatoes. That's where so many of the vitamins live and traditional fries strip us of those nutrients. Finally, I'm serving these potato wedges with a balsamic ketchup. Balsamic vinegar is high in antioxidants and it cuts down on the high sugar level found in most ketchups. I think I've given plenty of health reasons to make these fries, but I should also mention, they are tasty! So, make these with dinner tonight, here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
Potato Wedges
4-5 Small Red Skin Potatoes
4-5 Small Yellow Skin Potatoes
2 Small Sweet Potatoes
2-3 T Canola Oil
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
Cooking Spray
3 T Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 T Fresh Thyme, chopped

Balsamic Ketchup
1/4 C Ketchup
2-3 T Balsamic Vinegar
2-3 Dashes Worcestershire Sauce

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Clean the potatoes by scrubbing and drying them well. Cut into wedges, making sure each is about the same size. Put them in a bowl, drizzle with the oil, and season with salt. Spray the prepared baking sheets with cooking spray. Evenly distribute the potatoes on the two trays. Be sure to give the wedges space so that they can cook on all sides (and don't steam). Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the Parmesan cheese and thyme together in a small bowl. Once the potatoes have finished cooking on the first side, flip each fry, and sprinkle with the cheese mixture. Put back into the oven and finish cooking, about 10 more minutes.

As the fries finish cooking, make the balsamic ketchup. In a small bowl combine the ketchup, balsamic vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Taste and adjust flavors to your liking. Set aside.

Serve the fries immediately with the balsamic ketchup. We enjoyed ours with turkey burgers (yep, still working toward eating more poultry this year too). Sometimes, it can be good to be bad. Enjoy!

Neelys' Sweet Potato Pie Cookies (Remix)

mix it up...

For this recipe I took some help from Gina and Pat Neely (from Food Network fame). I've made a few of their recipes in the past, but this one is a keeper. Following their Sweet Potato Pie Cookie recipe I added a few extra ingredients to remix it. So, this recipe isn't an original from me, but I never said I was a baker.

This would be a great use-up for a leftover baked sweet potato from Thanksgiving, or any other dinner for that matter. These cookies are soft and cake-like due to the sweet potato. As part of my remix I've added oats for chew, cayenne for a kick, and dried fruit for a little extra sweetness. Lastly, I changed the glaze to something a little richer. Try out this remix cookie recipe, here's how...

Ingredients - Makes approx. 36 cookies
1 1/2 C All-Purpose Flour
1/2 C Whole Wheat Quick-Cooking Oats
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp. Allspice
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 Stick Unsalted Butter, softened
1 C Granulated Sugar
3/4 C Light Brown Sugar, packed
1 Egg
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 C Sweet Potato Puree (from about 1 large potato)
1 C Chopped Pecans
1/2 C Dried Fruit, such as Cranberries/Cherries/Mixed Berries

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, spices, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl cream the butter, granulated, and brown sugars together. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until just incorporated. Stir in the sweet potato puree. Beat in the dry ingredients, a little at a time. Finally stir in the pecans and dried fruit.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them. Bake until the cookies are light, golden brown, about 18 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. If desired, glaze the cookies (recipe follows). Enjoy!

Brown Butter Glaze
4 T Unsalted Butter
1/2 - 3/4 C Granulated Sugar

Heat a small pot over medium-high. Add the butter and cook until browned. Turn off the heat. Keep the pot on the burner and whisk in the confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, until a glaze forms. Place the cookies (keep on the cooling racks) onto sheet trays and drizzle the glaze over top.

Southwestern Sweet Potato Hash

hash in a hurry...

It's Thanksgiving week and let's face it, we will all be cooking A LOT over the next few days. But, that doesn't mean it's the time to give up cooking yourself something healthy and tasty for dinner. This recipe is both of those things and it's quick to make.

This recipe is far from anything you will have for the Thanksgiving meal. It does have sweet potatoes, corn, onion, eggs, and nutmeg...some usual suspects of the holiday. But, all of these ingredients and more make up this one recipe. So, get prepped for the day and don't give up a healthy, easy dinner. Make this tonight, here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Large Sweet Potatoes, peeled & cut into 1" cubes
1 Medium Red Onion, thinly sliced
1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Jalapeno, seeded & minced
2 Cloves Garlic, sliced
1 C Frozen Corn, thawed
1/2 Bunch Kale, stemmed & chopped
1 T Chili Powder
1/2 T Ground Cumin
1 tsp. Paprika
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Powder
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
Kosher Salt
Ground Black Pepper
4 Large Eggs
Garnish: Crumbled Queso Fresco Cheese & Chopped Cilantro

Directions
Heat a large cast iron pan over medium-high. Add 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, enough to cover the bottom of the pan.

Add the sweet potatoes to the preheated pan and cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes. Toss the sweet potatoes and add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic. Continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Then add the corn, spices, salt and pepper; toss. Wilt in the kale a little at a time. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Remove to a serving platter, or 4 plates. Keep warm.

Return the skillet to medium-high and add another tablespoon of oil. Crack the eggs into the pan and fry until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Place the eggs on top of the hash. Finish with the cheese and cilantro. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Sweet 'n Spicy Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

sugar and spice, oh so nice...

I HATED, yes HATED, sweet potatoes when I was a kid. I used to sit at the dinner table forever when they were served. I eventually ate them by holding my nose and chugging milk as a chaser. Then I had sweet potato fries and realized that I do like sweet potatoes, I just don't like how they were served when I was a kid. I'd only had sweet potatoes with marshmallows, brown sugar, and butter. So, in essence, sweet potatoes were made sweeter.

This recipe is different, I've made sweet potatoes both sweet and spicy. This recipe is a riff on the popular twice baked potato, stuffed with cheese, green onion, jalapeno, and spices. It's a great side dish for fall and for the up-coming Thanksgiving holiday. Make this dish for either occasion, here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 4
4 Medium Sweet Potatoes, scrubbed clean
2 T Unsalted Butter, melted
1 C Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, plus more for topping
3 Green Onions, chopped
1 Jalapeno, seeded & chopped
1 T Chili Powder
1 tsp. Paprika
1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and cook for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are cooked through. Remove from the oven to cool slightly, enough to handle. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Once the potatoes are cooled, cut off the tops to make a canoe-shape. Reserve the tops. NOTE: You are only cutting off the top, not cutting the potato in half. Carefully scoop out the flesh, leaving enough for the skin to keep its shape. Place the scooped out potato skins back on the baking sheet.

Put the potato flesh into a mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix everything together really well. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Then, put the potato mixture evenly back into the skins, mounding as necessary.

Top each potato with a little more cheese. Place the tops, cut side up, onto the baking sheet as well. Season with a little salt, pepper, and chili powder. Place back into the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Honey-Roasted Root Vegetables

spring has sprung...

It's officially spring again! While it might not feel like it, the days are soon to get warmer, sunnier, and longer. While spring is a time for an "out with the old, in with the new" mantra, I do want to take a moment to say I have officially been posting to my blog for 1 YEAR! It is amazing how time flies...and the number of recipes I've posted - 73 (including this one)! In that same vain, I'd like to dedicate this next rainbow series to "Old Man Winter". Think of it as paying homage (or good riddance!) to the doozy of a winter we've had this year.

I found this super simple recipe online when I was looking for a way to jazz up roasted root veggies. While I enjoy veggies roasted with just a little olive oil, salt, and pepper the addition of honey is brilliant. The honey compliments and brings out the natural sweetness of veggies like carrots, red onion, and sweet potato while balancing others like the spicy turnips, parsnips, and fennel. Honey also helps the veggies caramelize as they cook giving you the perfect char. When you need an easy and colorful side, make this dish. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 8
1 Large Sweet Potato
2 Turnips
2-3 Parsnips
2 Carrots
1 Red Onion
1 Bulb of Fennel
1/4 C Honey
2-3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Salt
Cooking Spray

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

Peel and wash the sweet potato, turnips, parsnips, and carrots. Cut these veggies into approx. 1 inch pieces. Put into a large bowl. Cut the onion into 8 wedges and add to the bowl. Finally, cut the top off the fennel, remove the outer leaves, and cut out the core. Cut into approx. 1 inch pieces and add to the bowl. Pour in the honey and olive oil and add the salt. Toss to coat all of the veggies well.

On the prepared baking sheet, spread the veggies out into a single layer. Cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through. The veggies should be tender and browned. Serve these immediately! Enjoy!