Sweet Potato Waffles

Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin C, potassium, calcium, and are full of good for you antioxidants.  Pack all of that into a delicious waffle and you've got yourself the perfect breakfast- delicious and good for you (and let's face it, that doesn't happen often).  These waffles are great topped with maple syrup, whipped cream, candied pecans......or all three.  This recipe will make 6-8 big waffles, so if you only need a few, do yourself a favor and throw the rest in the freezer for a quick breakfast on a rushed morning.  All you need to do is pop one in the toaster.

I make my own sweet potato puree by piercing a sweet potato with a fork, wrapping it in foil, and baking it in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes.  Then I scoop out the flesh, and throw it in the food processor to puree it (you can also use a hand mixer).  You can also buy it in a can, but make sure you buy 100% pure sweet potato puree without any added sweeteners or flavoring.  If you have the time, it's easy and much cheaper to make your own, so it's worth it. 

• 1 C whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 Tb baking powder
• 2 eggs, yolks and whites separated
• 1 1/2 C milk
• 1/2 C pureed sweet potato
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinammon
• 2 Tb agave nectar
• 1 Tb brown sugar

Preheat and lightly grease your waffle iron.

In a small bowl, combine the sweet potato puree, brown sugar, egg yolks, and agave nectar.  Set aside.

In another small bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks have formed and the volume has tripled.  Make sure their is absolutely no egg yolk in the whites or else the whites won't whip properly.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and cinammon.  Slowly add the milk and mix using a hand mixer.  Next, add the sweet potato mixture and thoroughly combine all of the ingredients.

Lightly fold in the egg whites.  This will make your waffles light and fluffy.  To fold, use a spatula and start at the far end of your bowl, scrape from the bottom and fold over the top into the middle.  Continue to do this, turning the bowl a quarter turn each time, until all the egg whites are combined.

Pour the batter into your waffle maker.  IMPORTANT- do not overfill!  Each section should have only about 1/2 C or less of the batter.  It might not look like a lot, but it will increase in size as the batter cooks, just like a cake would.  If you overfill it, you will have a huge mess on your hands and the waffles will be raw on the inside.  I know from experience, it once took me almost two hours to clean all the crevices of my waffle maker. 

My waffle maker beeps when the waffles are done (how awesome is that?), but if yours doesn't, buy a new one.  Just kidding, they cook for about 3-4 minutes and should be golden brown when finished. 



Mexican Lasagna

I know, I know.  Thanksgiving is in two days, and I'm giving you a recipe that has nothing to do with turkey or pumpkin, what was I thinking?  I'll tell you what I was thinking.  I am without a doubt excited to overdose on all things Thanksgiving, but I save it until Thursday because I always have plenty of leftovers to last me through the weekend, and I don't want to get sick of those flavors before the day has come.  So, instead of calling the local pizza place to feed us before the feast, I wanted to make something that's the complete opposite of Thanksgiving- Mexican food. 

I've been making this recipe for a few years now, but it never had a name.  Then one day it came to us- it has all the components of a lasagna, but it's ingredients you find in Mexican food, so there you have it!  Mexican Lasagna.  This can easily be made a day or two ahead of time and then baked.  I also like to double the recipe and freeze one to make at a later date (up to 3 months). 

For the Sauce:

• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 2 C. chicken stock
• 1 Tb. cumin
• 1 Tb. Mexican Hot Chili Powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

For the Filling:

• 12 corn tortillas, cut in half
• 2 Tb. olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• 2 jalepenos, ribs and seeds removed, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 Tb. cilantro, chopped
• the juice of half a lime
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 3 C. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 C. crumbled Queso Fresco

In a small saucepan, combine all of the ingredients for the sauce.  Bring to a boil, then bring down to a simmer.  Let simmer for 15-20 minutes, then take off of the heat.


In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions, peppers, jalepenos, and garlic and cook for 10 minutes.


Add the cilantro, beans, lime juice, salt and pepper to the onion and pepper mixture.  Cook for additonal 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.


Begin assembling the lasagna in a 13x9 pan.  Start with some sauce on the bottom, then 8 pieces of the tortilla, then the veggies, more sauce, and the cheese.  Continue this until you have three layers.  Your pan should look like this, from the bottom up-

Sauce

Tortillas

Veggies

Jack Cheese

Queso Fresco

Sauce

Tortillas 

Veggies

Jack Cheese

Queso Fresco

Sauce

Tortillas

More Sauce

Cheese

    Cook tightly covered in foil for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes or

    until cheese is melted and lasagna is bubbly.  Let rest for 15 minutes after taking it out of the oven

    so it doesn't fall apart when you serve it.  I like to garnish with sour cream, cilantro, and some

    crushed tortilla chips, but you can add whatever you like.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Pancakes

I developed this pancake recipe when my girls decided to go on a vegetable strike.  Knowing they would never even fathom going on a chocolate strike, I decided to combine the two in order to keep their vegetable intake at an acceptable level.  My children will devour nearly anything you put chocolate on or in, so these were an instant hit.  They are fluffy, flavorful, and come on- it's essetially cake for breakfast.  You can't get any better than that.

• 1 C. all purpose flour
• 1/2 C.  whole wheat flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 C. shredded zucchini (about one medium zucchini)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 Tb. light agave nectar
• 1 1/4 C. whole milk
• 1/4 C. vegetable oil
• 1 C. mini chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Add the shredded zucchini and toss with your hands to coat each piece with flour.  This will help the zucchini from clumping.  It should look like this-

and then this-

 In a small bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients except for the chocolate chips.  Whisk

 until it's thoroughly combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until everything is incorporated. 

Add the chocolate chips and stir.

Cook the pancakes in a skillet on medium high heat for 6-7 minutes per side.  You can tell when it's  time to flip them over when little bubbles form on the surface.

This recipe makes 12 medium size pancakes,but can easily be doubled.  I like to make a big batch on a Sunday and then freeze them in a Ziploc bag for easy breakfast all week long- you just need to pop them in the microwave. 
See?  All full of fiber and none the wiser-

Tomato Basil Bread

 

About ten years ago, I tried the Atkins diet.  For ten minutes.  It was miserable.  I am a complete and utter carbohydrate enthusiast, and I think no meal is complete without them.  Being married into an Italian family means we make a good amount of pasta, and I tend to get sick of plain old garlic bread as an accompaniment.  In an effort to mix it up a bit, I made this bruschetta inspired delicious bread that is baked in the oven until crispy and warm and full of melted goodness.

 

• 1 baguette, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 Tb olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tb fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 Tb fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 400.


Slice the baguette in half lengthwise.  Scoop out some of the bread from the inside of the baguette to make room for the filling.


Mix all of the remaining ingredients together.  Spoon the mixture onto the bottom half of the bread, then place the othe half on top.


Wrap the filled baguette in foil.  Bake for 30 minutes.


Slice and serve.

Garlic and Herb Infused Mashed Potatoes

 

These potatoes are everything mashed potatoes should be- creamy, buttery, and full of flavor.  The addition of garlic and herb infused cream gives the potatoes a delicious punch of flavor while allowing the potatoes to keep there uniform, creamy consistency in every single bite.  Be sure to make extra, because you this will disappear in minutes.

 

• 3 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 5 Tb butter at room temperature
• 1 C heavy cream
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 Tb whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp salt, plus more for the boiling water

 

Peel and quarter the potatoes.  Put them in a large pot and cover with cold water.


Bring the water to a boil.  Once it's boiling, add a generous amount of salt to the water.  (Note- it's important to start with cold water so the potatoes cook evenly).


While the potatoes are boiling, put the cream, garlic, thyme, and peppercorns in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and simmer this on low for about 15 minutes.  Make sure to stir it in order to prevent a film from forming on the cream.


When the potatoes are fork tender (15-20 minutes depending on their size), drain them, then return them to the pot.  Add the butter.


Slowly strain the flavored cream into the pot.  You can use a sieve or a cheesecloth.  If you have neither of these, just fish out all the garlic, thyme, and cream with a slotted spoon.  Add the tsp of salt.


Use a hand mixer to gently whip the potatoes.  At this point, you can make them as chunky or creamy as you want- they're delicious either way.


Garnish with fresh thyme leaves.

 

Spinach, Tomato, and Goat Cheese Pizza

 

 

I follow the mainstream American feelings about pizza in believing that it is a savory gift from the heavens meant to brighten even our most despicable of days.  Ok, maybe not everyone feels that way, but I wholeheartedly believe that there is no better food than a pizza pie.  It's versatile, it's personal, and there's no wrong way to top it.  I've had lots of fun trying hundreds of different topping combinations, and this spinach, tomato, and goat cheese pizza is one of mine and my husband's tried and true favorites.  I usually pick up a pre-made stone baked pizza crust from Whole Foods, but feel free to use your own homemade crust if you feel like showing me up (I'm looking at you Mrs. Overachiever).  This is great straight out the oven, and even better as leftover pizza the next day.  I've been known to eat a slice or five for breakfast. 

 

 

• 6 oz herbed goat cheese, room temperature
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tb olive oil
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2-4 small or medium plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 large bunch baby spinach, about 1 lb
• 1 pre-made pizza crust, our your own homemade crust
• salt and pepper to taste

Serves 4 (or if you are my husband and I, serves 2 very hungry adults)

Preheat oven to 450.


In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil.  Sautee the garlic in the oil until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the red pepper flakes and cook an additional 30 seconds..


Add the spinach to the pan.  It may seem like a lot, but don't worry it will wilt down.  Keep folding the spinach over onto itself as it wilts.  Season with salt and pepper.


Set the spinach and garlic aside to cool.


Spread the goat cheese on the pizza crust in one even layer.  You can dot the crust with pieces of the cheese if you like, but I prefer an even layer so I make sure to get goat cheese in every bite.


Layer the spinach and garlic on top of the goat cheese.  Then layer the tomatoes on top of the spinach.  Finish the final layer with the shredded mozzarella cheese.


Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly golden brown.

 

Pair this with a nice green salad for the perfect dinner, or cut it into smaller pieces to serve as an appetizer at your next party.