Gluten Free Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Even though I'm done with my gluten free diet, I'm still trying to be modest when it comes to my gluten intake, and in fact, Dan is trying it with me too.  Creating a stuffed sweet potato dish the other day, it turned out to be a nice gluten free alternative, as it used a quinoa, grilled chicken and herb stuffing that properly satiated us.  The recipe is simple, and is something you can have on the table in under an hour. Here's how you assemble it:

Gluten Free Stuffed Potatoes

Ingredients (serves 2):
Medium sized sweet potatoes
1/2 cup of quinoa
1/2 lb of chicken, grilled
1/4 cup of dried cranberries
Small bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
Small handful of grated mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Split the sweet potatoes in half and boil in water until tender; about 15 minutes.  Let cool, and then scoop out the flesh of the sweet potato, until it creates a nice well to fill with stuffing.

For the stuffing, brush the chicken with olive oil and then season with salt and pepper or even cayenne pepper if you have it on hand.  Place on a pre-heated grill or grill pan and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side (the outside should have nice char marks).  Let the chicken cool for a few minutes, and then chop it into 1/2 inch pieces.

In the meantime, cook the quinoa according to the directions on the box.  When finished, mix in the grilled chicken.  Add dried cranberries and chopped parsley.  Stuff into the cavity of the sweet potato and then sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Place into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the top of the potatoes is golden brown.  Let cool for a few minutes and sprinkle with more fresh parsley.

The Post Thanksgiving Eating Guide

Now that Thanksgiving is over and the indulgent feast is behind us, it's time to detox a little with some healthy dishes.  Sure, you may be thinking that the holiday season is just upon us and there will be so many other opportunities to indulge, but why not give your tummy a break with a few of these nourishing foods:

Healthy Stuffed Peppers - I love this recipe because it uses homemade, non-processed tomato sauce and can be a very versatile dish. You can make it veggie friendly or with lean meat too - I prefer the latter and like to use some lean ground turkey into the stuffing.  

My Healthy Bolognese - If you don't want to give up on hearty foods, I highly recommend this healthy take on Bolognese sauce, which uses fresh ingredients such as mushrooms, tomatoes, basil, and some chicken sausage in place of pork.  

Turkey Chili - If you've got some turkey leftovers (or have ground turkey on-hand), this is a nice dish to make. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days or you can freeze it and save it for a busy weeknight dinner.

Turkey Sliders and Salad - This recipe brings me back in time, as Dan used to create these little sliders a lot, especially during football season.  They're filling and tasty and are always a big hit whether for a small casual dinner or larger parties.

Shiitake Mushroom Soup - There's nothing like a delicious hot soup in the winter.  This one is especially earthy, with plenty of shiitake and baby bella mushrooms and I supplement the cream with a healthier alternative.  It's really nice to cozy up with a heaping bowl of this and watch your favorite holiday movie.  

A Light Banana Cream Pie - I Promise!

As you can tell, I really enjoy baking and in particular, making pies.  Although this pastime certainly has its advantages, it can be a little harsh on the waistline.  When baking, I've been trying to substitute low-fat foods or ingredients that are more natural.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it's a flop.

The banana cream pie recipe I'm about to tell you about was one of my recent low-fat successes.  It came from a fabulous book I acquired recently called Secrets of a Skinny Chef by Jennifer Iserloh, which contains, you guessed it, healthier options for your favorite comfort foods.  It has tons of great ideas from seafood, classic pasta recipes and of course dessert.  This pie is the only recipe I've tried from it so far, but I plan to do more since the results were so tasty.

I brought this pie to a get-together at Jess and Adrian's apartment and it was a huge hit.  Everyone including all the guys commented on how delicious it was but also how light.  Almost everyone grabbed seconds and I was glad that half of the pie didn't go to waste as often happens with dessert that's too rich or sweet.  You can make this for a party, a pie contest or an impromptu treat for you and a loved one.  It takes a little time to make but the end result makes it worthwhile.

A Light Banana Cream Pie 

Ingredients (Serves 8)

Graham Crust1 1/2 cups of whole wheat graham crackers (about 8 grahams)
2 tbs trans-fat-free margarine, melted

Filling
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbs ground flaxseed
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups fat-free milk (or 1% if you like)
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs trans-fat-free margarine
3 ripe bananas, thinly sliced (about 1 lb)

Meringue
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place the graham crackers in a food processor and pulse them into fine crumbs.  Drizzle in the melted margarine and pulse again.  Spoon the mixture into the bottom of an 8-inch pie plate and press with your fingers to form an even crust.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until crust is firm.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Whisk the flour, sugar, cinnamon, flaxseed and salt in a large saucepan off the heat.  Add the milk gradually, stirring until smooth.  Cook the mixture over medium-high heat, until it boils, stirring constantly.  Transfer 1 cup of the liquid into a mug.  Whisk in the egg yolks.  Slowly mix the contents of the mug back into the liquid in the saucepan.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and margarine.  Cool 10 to 15 minutes.

Place the bananas on top of the graham crust, pour in the filling, and smooth with a rubber spatula.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy with an electric mixer set on high speed.  Add the sugar gradually.  Continue beating the eggs whites until they hold a glossy peak.

Spoon the meringue onto the filling, spreading the egg whites to the edge of the crust with the back of a spoon.  To make decorative peaks for the top of the pie, touch the back of the spoon to the egg whites and lift up.  Bake 10-15 minutes or until the meringue is nicely browned.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Serve at room temperature or chill uncovered for 1 hour before slicing.

Thanksgiving is Over - Time to Eat Healthy

 

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to get back on track and shed holiday pounds.  In our household, that means cooking and eating healthy dishes, often times incorporating veggies and fresh ingredients.

The two dishes below are not only healthy, they're satisfying and very easy to make.  I was proud of myself for introducing brussel sprouts to Dan, him swearing them off even before trying them.  However, he took a couple of bites and then kept going, proving that if you prepare this super vegetable right, you can get even the pickiest of eaters to finish it.

And the other dish is an easy whole wheat pasta with a garlic, breadcrumbs and olive oil sauce.  It tasted a bit plain in the end, so I decided to add chunks of dried Italian sausage and fresh parsley for some flavor and it did the trick.  That mixed in with the brussel sprouts made a winning combination--and provided great leftovers.

Here are both recipes:
Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Linguine with Garlic and Breadcrumbs (from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine)

Ingredients (serves 4)

12 oz of linguine (I used whole wheat)

6-10 anchovy fillets, chopped plus 2 tbs of anchovy oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

1/2 cup homemade or store-bought plain dried breadrumbs, toasted

Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

1/3 cup of dried Italian sausage, chopped into small chunks

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta until al dente.  Reserve 1 cup of pasta water; drain pasta and set aside.  Return pot to medium and add anchovy oil and garlic.  Cook, stirring until fragrant about 30 seconds.

Add anchovies, cook until almost dissolved, about 30 seconds.  Add pasta, lemon zest and enough pasta water to create a sauce that coats the pasta.  Season with coarse salt and ground pepper and mix in chopped parsley and dried Italian sausage.  Serve topped with breadcrumbs.

Enjoy - and feel free to chime in with your favorite healthy recipes.