Sweet Potato Puffs

This is a great ay to get the kids in the kitchen! They can make this recipe with minimal help.

• 2 17oz cans sweet potatoes
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• cinnamon to taste
• finely chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 12 large marshmallows

Combine mashed sweet potatoes, butter and salt. Mix well.
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and pecans.
Pat 2 generous tbsp of sweet potato mixture around each marshmallow. (the kids will love this! Just like play dough!)
Roll each ball in sugar. Place in 8x8x2 microwavable dish. Microwave on high 4-7 minutes or until puffed or thoroughly heated through.

Sweet Potato Crunch

This is similar to a soufflé.  If you serve it with whipped cream, it could be a desert! (And we've done that!) The crunch topping is great, but I usually only put it on half.  I put marshmallows on the other half in the last 15 minutes of baking- that way everyone gets what they like.

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 can (28oz) sweet potatoes
• cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

Topping-

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup self rising flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Mix eggs, milk, sugar, butter, vanilla and mashed sweet potatoes.  Pour into a well buttered baking dish.
Mix all topping ingredients together and crumble on top of sweet potato mixture.
Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.
(If you use marshmallows instead of topping, put them on for the last 15 minutes of baking.)

Brussels Sprouts/Cauliflower Bake

This is my favorite Thanksgiving dish of all! With all that yummy sauce, you won't even know you're eating a vegetable! Incredible delicious! (adapted from Williams Sonoma)


Gratin-

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• salt
• 1 lb raw, fresh brussels sprouts, cut length wise
• 1 lb raw, fresh cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 tbsp flour
• 8oz gruyere (or swiss), shredded
• 1/2 oz parmesan, grated
• 3/4 tsp pepper
• 1 cup heavy
• 8oz caramelized shallots   (You can use this recipe or buy them from Williams Sonoma)

Topping- (this recipes makes too much, in my opinion. Only use a light layer and discard the rest.  You could easily half this.)

• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp minced parsley 

Heat oven to 375
Mix topping ingredients and set aside.
Grease 12 inch pan with butter.
Bring salted water to a boil in a pot and add veggies. Boil 5-7 minutes.  Drain, dunk in ice water, drain and pat dry.
In a bowl  mix flour, cheeses, 2 tsp salt, and 3/4 tsp pepper.
Stir in cream, veggies and caramelized shallots.
Top with crumbs. Bake 35 minutes until golden brown.  Let rest 15 minutes.

Sweet Potato Fries

• Sweet potatoes
• olive oil
• garlic-salt
• pepper

Slice sweet potatoes into long, thin strips.  Coat lightly with olive oil.  Sprinkle with either garlic-salt and pepper OR coat with canola oil and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  bake at 400 for about 20 minutes or until tender.

Cheesy Beans

Now, this is good any time, but especially when you are on South Beach Phase 1!

When you are tired of chicken and veggies and fiending for carbs, this is a great lunch (veggies on the side, of course)!  Tastes just like a bean burrito! 

fat free refried beans
reduced fat shredded cheese
hot sauce (Taco Bell sauce!)

Heat beans (20 min in oven or 1-2 min in microwave)
Top with cheese and heat again until cheese melts.  Drizzle with sauce.

Lite Cornbread

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup whole wheat, unbleached flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• olive oil 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Coat an 8 inch baking dish with a light layer of olive oil.
In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking soda and sugar.
In a small bowl combine milk, egg and canola oil.
Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until moistened.
Pour batter into dish and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Bake 15 minutes.
*You can add shredded cheese, green onion, bacon or anything else you like before baking.  In the picture above, I added shredded cheddar and green onions!

Vanilla Fruit Salad

This is a great way to get your kids to eat two healthy things at one- fruit and yogurt!  They will never guess it is healthy!  You can use any fruit you like, but stay away from overly juicy fruits like melons. They water down the yogurt too much. You can also change the flavor of the yogurt if you like. Pina Colada yogurt and more tropical fruits work great as well!

• Chopped fruit- (I used bananas, grapes and strawberries)
• vanilla yogurt (the single serving size should do fine for a large bowl of fruit)

Mix chopped fruit and vanilla yogurt. Chill and enjoy! 

Cheesy Potato Casserole

• 20 oz diced hashbrowns
• 10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups cornflakes, coarsely crushed
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 2 quart casserols dish.  Combine first 6 ingredients, pour into dish.  
In a small bowl combine last 2 ingredients and spread over potato mixture.  Bake 45 minutes. 

Granny's Cornbread

Cornbread- double batch

• 1 cup white cornmeal
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 cups milk
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten

Combine 1st four ingredients.  Mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl.  Mix wet and dry together.  Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes. (25-30 minutes for a single batch)

If you plan to make Granny's Cornbread Dressing, make sure to bake your cornbread the day before you want to make the stuffing!

Granny's Cornbread Dressing

• Granny's Cornbread,  baked the day before or store-bought cornbread
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 tbsp dried sage
• chicken broth

Crumble the cornbread into a bowl.  Cover tightly with a clean, dry cloth and leave overnight.  

The next day, mix crumbled cornbread, onion, celery and sage in a large bowl.  Add enough chicken broth to make it wet and mushy.  

Bake 1 hour at 400 degrees.  Check at 30 minutes.  Dressing is done when knife comes out clean.  Should be lightly browned, but still soft and moist.
*DO NOT cover the stuffing with foil at any time! 

Cherry Salad

I have had a lot of these marshmallow/fruit salads, but this is the only one that I actually liked!  It is delish!

• 1 can cherry pie filling
• 1 large container cool whip
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 large can crushed pineapple or tidbits, drained
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk

Combine all ingredients and chill.

Roasted Red Potatoes with Blue Cheese and Walnuts

• 1 pound red potatoes, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/8 tsp salt
• rosemary, to taste
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts 
• 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Coat a 9" baking dish with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Place the potatoes in the prepared dish and toss with the oil, pepper,  salt and rosemary. Turn cut side down in the pan. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes or until very tender and lightly golden on the underside.

Put the walnuts in a small baking pan or skillet and place in the oven to toast for 6 to 8 minutes. Tip into a bowl and let cool. Add the blue cheese and scallions and crumble with your fingers.

When the potatoes are done, turn them over and sprinkle evenly with the walnut mixture. Bake for 5 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.

Nutritional Info:Serves 4,  242 calories, 8 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 15 g fat, 4 g saturated fat*, 11 mg cholesterol, 279 mg sodium, 3 g fiber

Cilantro Lime Rice

Cilantro Lime Rice from Chipotle Mexican Grill

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or butter
• 2 tsp. fresh cilantro coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup white basmati rice
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Lime

In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil or butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Add rice and lime juice, stir for 1 minute. Add water and salt, bring to a full rolling boil. At boiling, cover, turn down to simmer over low heat until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.  Before serving stir in cilantro.

[bahs-MAH-tee]
Basmati is a long-grained rice, with a fine texture. It can be found in Middle Eastern and India markets, as well as some supermarkets.
The source of this recipe is attributed to Chipolte’s Executive Chef (and CEO), Steve Ellis.

Rice Salad

This is a recipe I got from an old neighbor who was from Puerto Rico.  Everyone always begged her for this recipe (including me!).  It sounds a little different, but is delicious! 

• 1 1/2 cups rice, preferably short grain
• 1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4)
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 banana, peeled and chopped
• 1 avocado, peeled and chopped*
• 3 1/2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 2 limes)
• 3/4 cup chopped cilantro

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rice until just done, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water. Drain thoroughly.
 Coat the chicken with the 1 tablespoon oil. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan over moderate heat. Cook the breasts until just done. Alternatively, heat the tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan and season and cook the chicken as directed above. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut it into 1/2-inch pieces.
Toss the rice with the chicken, onion, banana, avocado, the 1/3 cup oil, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the lime juice, and cilantro.

Baked Beans

• 6 slices bacon, cut up
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can lima beans, drained
• 1 can white kidney beans, drained
• 1 can butter beans, drained
• 1 can navy beans, drained
• 1 can pork and beans in tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
•  crumbled cooked bacon, optional

In a skillet, cook the cut bacon, onion and garlic until bacon is crisp and onion is tender; drain.  In a lrge bowl combine onion mixture, beans including sauce from pork and beans, ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Transfer to 3 quart casserole dish.
Bake, covered, in a 375 oven for 1 hour.  If desired, top with additional cooked bacon.


*From the Better Homes and Gardens New Grilling Book