This side dish is a great addition to any meal. The sweet potatoes combined with the sweet maple syrup and spicy chilies create a great balance. This side dish is recommended for the entire family.
Serves 4 as a side
INGREDIENTS
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1/2 inch half moons
• 1.5 Tbsp Grade B maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• pinch of cayenne (optional) *Reduce or omit cayenne if serving to
children
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 400F
1. Place sweet potatoes cut side up on a large baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper
2. Whisk together the maple syrup, olive oil, cayenne, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper; use all of the sauce to evenly coat both cut sides of the potatoes.
3. Bake for 30-35 minutes until sweet potatoes are fork soft and lightly browned.
This dish is spicy, savory and tomato-y! This is a perfect meal for the nights you are looking for something quick, satisfying and healthy.
INGREDIENTS
• 1T olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 4-5 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced*
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp tumeric
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/3 cup white wine or vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (6oz) can tomato paste
• 1 (15oz) can of black eyed peas,rinsed and drained OR 1 & 2/3 cups cooked black eyed peas
• 3 cups kale, collards or mustard greens, chopped into bite sized pieces
Directions
1. In a medium heavy bottom pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat; stir in the onions, carrots and celery. Cook for 6-8 minutes until they begin to soften.
2. Stir in the garlic and jalapeno; cook for 1 minute.
3. Stir in the paprika, Italian seasoning, turmeric, chili powder, salt and pepper; cook for 30 seconds.
4. Stir in the white wine and cook for 2-3 minutes until the wine has cooked off.
5. Stir in the bay leave, vegetable broth, tomato paste and black eyed peas; reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes.
6. Stir in the kale; cover and cook on medium-low for 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve over brown rice.
*If you don’t like a lot of heat or are serving this dish to kids you may want to omit the jalapeno.
Am I the only one craving fall? I can’t get enough of the crisp air, warming foods and the warm clothes. In honor of my Fall cravings I have a fantastic, quick and easy recipe for you –> Black Bean & Butternut Squash Burritos. To go along with the burritos I wanted a healthy and tasty sauce so I made a Chipotle-Cashew Sauce, however, you can always top these with your favorite salsa; I’d recommend a roasted corn one.
Black Bean & Butternut Squash Burritos
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
4 whole wheat or sprouted grain tortillas
Preheat oven to 350F and line and baking sheet with parchment paper
Heat the oil in a medium saute pan over med-high heat.
Add the onions and cook for 3-5 minutes until translucent.
Stir in the butternut squash, cover and reduce to med-low for 7-10 minutes or until the squash is tender.
Stir in the black beans and chili powder and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fill each of the tortillas with 1/4 of the filing and roll up.
Place seam side down on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Serve with the Chipotle-Cashew Sauce below or your favorite salsa and a green salad
Chipotle-Cashew Sauce:
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 dried chipotle pepper
1 15oz can whole tomatoes, with juices
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon cumin powder
3 tablespoons cashew pieces
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a small pan over med-high heat.
Add the onions and cook for 3-5 minutes until translucent.
Stir in the garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the tomatoes, water and chipotle pepper; bring to a simmer then cover and reduce heat.
Cook for 10 minutes on low.
Stir in the cumin and cashew pieces and cook uncovered for 5 minutes.
Transfer everything to a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
Return to the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Did you know it’s Hatch Chile season? Honestly I had no idea what a hatch chile was or that there was a season for them until we moved to Oregon and I saw signs at our local Whole Foods. I waited weeks anticipating their arrival and trying to figure out what I would make with this new to me chile. Finally they arrived and honestly they are tasty but I’m not sure I understand all the fuss, besides them only being available for a short window of time. Anyways I made a new recipe with them and it is super good (IMO). Don’t worry though if you can’t find hatch chiles you can leave them out or add your favorite chile to the recipe instead.
Cheesy Hatch Chile Sauce
This makes around 2qts so feel free to half or quarter this recipe. Also note you may need to add the broth in small batches if your processor or blender is on the smaller side.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 hatch chiles, diced
1.5 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
3-4 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat; add the onion, peppers and carrot and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 3-4 minutes until everything is tender.
Place all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until smooth, this can take a few minutes. Return the mixture to the large skillet and heat over medium while stirring constantly until it starts to thicken; this can take around 15-20 minutes.
Serve hot with tortilla chips, veggies or use as a sauce. We enjoyed it with homemade tortilla chips, as a sauce for pasta and as a sauce for enchilada casserole.
What’s that a recipe? Yes I actually took the time to write down and measure ingredients so I could write a recipe post. Lately I have been in the kitchen just tossing things together hoping that they workout and haven’t been writing down anything but that is going to change. This recipe is one that I have been thinking about for awhile now and it is based on one of my favorite salads from a local restaurant we love.
Ingredients
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups shredded kale
1-15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1-15oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup of fresh or defrosted corn
Lime Vinaigrette (Recipe Below)
Preheat oven to 375F. Toss sweet potato with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread onto a sheet pan. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes until tender and lightly browned. Toss the kale, beans and corn with the lime vinaigrette. Add the warm sweet potatoes to the salad and toss to combine. Serve room temperature.
Lime Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons agave
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Juice of two limes
1/4 cup EVOO
Whisk everything except olive oil together. While whisking slowly stream in the EVOO.
Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Naked via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Naked.
I don’t know about you but I love hummus. Actually, everyone in my house loves hummus, my 11 month old could eat an entire bowl full if I let her. Since we are hummus lovers around here and we go through so much I have been trying to make my own hummus at home to save money and to make a healthier version.
Neil used to make it for us all the time but with his crazy work schedule/commuting there just isn’t time so I have taken over hummus duty and have been enjoying making a variety of flavors. Just last week I made a jar of balsamic hummus and Bloody Mary hummus (recipe below). Both jars were gone by the end of the week. I think we might all turn into chickpeas!
The Bloody Mary hummus was inspired by all the juicing that I have been doing for my cleanse. Instead of oil I used Naked Power Garden Tomato Kick juice to thin it out and provide the tomato/veggie flavor base. My favorite Bloody Mary recipe uses wasabi instead of your traditional horseradish so I used it in my hummus recipe to give a little heat. I also added some other traditional Bloody Mary ingredients such as (vegan) Worcestershire sauce and some lemon to brighten up the flavor.
Add the chickpeas, wasabi powder, black pepper,salt, lemon juice, tahini and Worcestershire sauce to the bowl of a food processor that has been fitted with the s-blade. Process on low while slowly steaming in the Naked Power Garden Tomato Kick through the feeding tube. Serve up with veggies, crackers and/or pita. For the best flavor make at least an hour before eating.
What is your favorite flavor of hummus?What is the most interesting flavor you have tried?
Come back and visit on Monday, June 17 to learn how you can enter the Pinterest Sweepstakes contest with Naked Power Garden by voting for my recipe!
Power Garden is Naked Juice’s new veggie drink lineup with 1lb. of veggies in every bottle*. With delicious flavors that only Naked could blend, Power Garden offers one of the easiest ways to get your daily servings of veggies and fruits, along with good sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Learn more at
I love pesto, especially with pasta. I also really enjoy vegan sausages. Tofurky recently came out with a variety of artisan (vegan) sausages and so far my favorite is the spinach pesto variety. They are so good and even better with pasta and more pesto.
1 lb of bowtie pasta (or your favorite), cooked according to package directions
1/4-1/2 cup reserved pasta water
salt and pepper
Directions:
In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the mushrooms and sausages and cook until lightly browned. Stir in the tomatoes. Add the pasta and pesto and stir to combine. Add a the reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time if needed to help create the sauce (I used about 1/4 cup).
Disclaimer: Tofurky sent me their new Artisan sausages to try at no cost. All opinions are my own.
This side dish is a great addition to any meal. The sweet potatoes combined with the sweet maple syrup and spicy chilies create a great balance. This side dish is recommended for the entire family.
