Seven-Spice Sweet Potato Fries with Curry Garlic Sauce

Today we’re talking about spiced sweet potatoes. Who doesn’t love sweet potatoes? For one they’re delicious, they’re versatile (my favorite quality in food) and so good for you! Now you have no excuse to not eat these. 

Let’s talk spices for a minute. I never knew there was a 7-spice mix until my mom came to visit when Eva was born. We were buying groceries to stock up on food just a few days before she was due and my mom turned to me and asked if I had 7-spice at home. The look on my face probably told her everything she needed to know because she promptly picked up a jar to buy. Turns out that it’s a Lebanese spice mix I had savored many times while enjoying my grandmother’s cooking. Thankfully I live close to Dearborn, Michigan which has a large Middle Eastern demographic and makes for good eats. But don’t worry if you can’t find a Middle Eastern market near you, you can make your own, and you should because the stuff is delicious and goes with just about everything. I went a totally different way with the dipping sauce, but trust me on this one – it just goes. Greek yogurt makes is healthy, right?

7-Spice Sweet Potatoes
Serves 2

1-2 large sweet potato, cut into matchsticks
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp 7-spice mix
salt, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425F. In a large bowl add the ingredients for the sweet potatoes and toss. Arrange on a baking rack over a foil-lined baking sheet. I actually just use a cookie cooling rack and it works great but you can put them directly on the baking sheet if you don’t have one. Bake the potatoes for 20 – 25 minutes or until they are cooked through and to your desired crispness. While the potatoes are cooking make the dipping sauce by mixing all the ingredients in a small bowl. Serve the potatoes warm with the sauce on the side! 

Curry Garlic Yogurt
yields 1/2 cup

1/2 Greek yogurt, I used non-fat
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp curry powder
1 small garlic clove, grated (for a milder garlic flavor add 1/4 tsp of garlic powder)

Thoughts for Thursday

My brain works today, awesome!

1. Let’s start with some of the things we’ve eaten in the last week. I’m not really sure what to call this one, it’s kind of a cross between a taco and a quesadilla but I can tell you that it’s 100% delicious. Cheesy, warm, comforting and makes for a super quick dinner when you’re in a pinch. Would you like the recipe?

2. If you haven’t bought Jessica’s new cookbook I only have 1 question for you: why not? The recipes that I’ve tried so far are all delicious and it’s just so well-written. She dives into stories from her childhood and her passion for food. I’ve never met her but her book makes me feel like I know her in real life (creepy?). Anyway, after you buy it you can make this jalapeño and pineapple pizza with bourbon vanilla barbecue sauce. Uh, yeah, it’s amazing. We added plain roasted chicken but it really didn’t need it.

3. Oh! Oh! Here’s another easy lunch/dinner. Roast a plain chicken breast, slice it and toss it with pesto (store bought or homemade), add to a BLT on toast with a little more pesto on the bread. Done. These were HUGE.

4. The day I made these dream bars I ran 5 miles. FIVE! For the first time in my life, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was definitely a challenge and I was going at a nice slow pace, it took me almost one hour to get there. I stopped a time or two to have a drink of water but for the most part I kept going. It was such a mind game, too. I kept telling myself that my body was a machine and it could keep going. It was HARD but I did it. And tomorrow I’m going for another five miles. Possibly followed by another sweet recipe.
5. We’ve been working on potty training Eva for about a month now and she’s doing great. She’s had the occasional accident here and there but of course that’s expected. It hasn’t been as terrible as I feared it would be. We’ve just had her in a diaper when she naps/sleeps and when we go out. Last weekend we took the plunge and took her out without a diaper for the first time for a short time. This is her before we left the house, she was so excited! She did great and no accidents while we were out! 
6. Last week sometime, when we were leaving for the gym, I noticed landscapers around our neighborhood digging holes everywhere and I had no clue what they were doing. When we got back I noticed these beauties! This tree in particular is smack dab in front of our door so it’s the first thing I see when I step outside. Talk about a beautiful color. The color in the photo doesn’t do it justice, it’s so much more bright and almost has a pink tinge to it. Simply amazing. God’s creativity genuinely astounds me on a daily basis. 

Sweet & Salty Cookie Dream Bars

I’m sorry but not really.

These are so good I don’t even know where to begin. I guess I should start by telling you that this recipe is the reason I made you a tuna wrap last week. You’re going to want to bust that lunch out on the day you make these bars because you’ll find it very hard to not eat the whole pan in one sitting. Trust me.

I started with my very favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, tweaked it a bit and then piled a whole bunch of marshmallows (impulse buy) and pretzels on top. If you follow me on Instagram then you know that I bought these amazing Toll House peanut butter filled milk chocolate chips (also an impulse buy) and I just had to put them in these bars. They are really delicious and I would have used just those but I like the slightly bitter taste of the semi-sweet chocolate chips in combination with the sweetness of the milk chocolate ones. So I used both, problem solved. One of the things I love about this recipe is that almost every bite has different flavors, it’s impossible to get bored while eating these. Some bites taste like a delicious chocolate chip cookie, some bites you taste all the peanut butter, some bites are all about the toasted marshmallow and just when you think these might be too sweet you’re surprised by a salty, crunchy bite from the pretzel. You really need to make these.

Sweet & Salty Cookie Dream Bars
12 bars, (cookie layer adapted from this recipe)

2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup organic coconut oil, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup Nestle Toll House Peanut Butter Filled DelightFulls
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup crushed pretzels

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with enough foil so there is some overhang on the sides and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a stand mixer, beat the coconut oil and sugars until light and fluffy, then add the egg and vanilla extract. Slowly add the flour mixture, mixing until completely combined. Gently stir in both chocolate chips until evenly distributed making sure not to break the filled chips, you can do this by hand.

Put the dough into the baking pan and with your hands gently press the dough into a single layer.Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are slightly browned. Remove the pan from the oven and set to broil. Add the marshmallows to the cookie and place it under the broiler for 1 -2 minutes or until they’re toasted to your liking – be careful because they will brown very quickly!

Remove from oven and immediately press the pretzels into the marshmallows, you can do this with a spatula or your hands but be careful not to burn yourself. 

Allow the cookie to cool and rest for 30 minutes. Once it’s cooled, gently lift it out of the pan using the foil overhang. Cut into 12 squares and enjoy!

Really, though? Come on.

Tuna Salad Wrap

I made you a heathy lunch wrap in preparation for the indulgent dessert that is coming your way next week. It’s all about balance, you know. This is a simple lunch but delicious and totally hits the spot. It’s light and surprisingly filling. Canned tuna is one of those foods you either love or hate. I go through ups and downs with it but for the most part I’m for it. If you aren’t crazy about it you can substitute chicken.

Funny story, when I was in high school I flew to Florida to spend the summer with my cousin (who is practically my sister) and we were home alone one day around lunch time STARVING, as teenagers usually are, but with NOTHING to eat. So we had the bright idea to open the last can of tuna in the pantry, make a tuna salad and eat it with some stale crackers. There I am, preparing our only hope, I turn my back for one second to grab the crackers and when I turn back to the bowl I find my cousin’s cat on the kitchen counter neck deep in our lunch. Of course we didn’t eat it after that, and hate cats. End of story. We still bring up that story when either one of us eats tuna, we obviously haven’t gotten over it.

Tuna Salad Wrap
Makes one wrap

1 small can tuna packed in water, drained.
2 tsp Greek yogurt (or mayo)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 cup chopped carrot
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste
Lettuce or salad greens
Mustard
1 wrap, I used these

Add all the ingredients except the lettuce, mustard and wrap, to a bowl and mix well. Lay the lettuce in the center of the wrap and drizzle with mustard.

Add the tuna salad. Wrap it up. No cats allowed.

Crispy Rice + Beef Bowls

Crispy rice. Beef. Sriracha.

I have no thoughts today (there’s gotta be joke in there somewhere) so I’m interrupting your regularly scheduled Thoughts for Thursday post to bring you a recipe. It’s funny how for me writing about my feelings takes such effort but writing out a detailed recipe is almost second nature. I can do it while pondering my life’s future (hence all of my typos). This is one of those mindless recipes that can be made while pondering your future and you still can’t mess this up.

Crispy Rice + Beef Bowls
Serves  4

1 lb lean beef, cut into thin strips*
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp fish sauce
1 garlic clove, grated or minced fine
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp olive oil
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 large bell pepper, any color – I used yellow, cut into thin strips
1 cup of frozen peas, thawed
1 cup carrots cut into thin strips
1 small onion, cut into thin strips
4 cups cooked Jasmine rice
Cooking spray
Optional:
4 eggs, cooked over easy or sunny side up with a sprinkle of salt and pepper
Chopped cilantro for garnish
1 lime, cut into quarters
Sriracha

This goes pretty quick so have all of your ingredients chopped and ready to go once the beef is marinated.
Place the beef in a bowl and add the soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, pepper and oil. Marinate for at least 30 minutes, but the longer the better*.

Add cooking spray to a large pan over medium-high heat and sauté the vegetables until they start to caramelize and soften slightly. Remove from the pan and set aside.

While the vegetables are cooking crisp the rice in another skillet, also over medium-high heat. I used a small pan but you can use any size. Spray with cooking spray and add the rice (1 cup at a time if you’re using a small skillet) and gently pat it down with a spatula to make a single layer, being careful not to squish the grains.  Let the rice crisp for 3 -5 minutes or until it starts to toast and turn slightly brown. Once all the rice is crisp, portion 1 cup per person in bowls and set aside.

Add the beef to the same large skillet the vegetables were in, over high heat. Saute quickly to caramelize and cook to your desired doneness.

To assemble the bowls: Rice on the bottom layer -> veggies -> beef -> egg -> cilantro -> Sriracha -> lime wedge.  

A deconstructed bowl for Eva. She’s like me in that she doesn’t like her foods all mixed together. I only make exceptions for Chipotle and crispy rice + beef bowls – hold the runny egg, can’t do it. Notes & Modifications
– You can absolutely do this with any other kind of meat you prefer, chicken would be great, shrimp or fish. Tempeh or double veggies would also work if you follow a vegetarian/vegan diet.
– You can add any vegetables you like, there’s no wrong vegetable for this in my opinion.
*Put the beef in the fridge if you marinate it for longer than 1 hour. Take it out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before cooking to bring the temperature up slightly before it hit the hot skillet.
*Freeze the beef for 30 minutes before slicing so it will be firm and easier to cut.

You can thank the impending 4pm-sunsets-in-Michigan-for-the-worst-winters-ever for the horribly dark photos.

 

Healthy Deep-Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie

Okay, I haven’t posted in a little while so I bring you a peace offering in the shape of a cookie. But not just any cookie. This is a cookie you can whip up in 5 minutes, less if you don’t cook it, which is totally acceptable and basically eating raw cookie dough (minus the raw egg). And you don’t have to share.

Now, let me tell you why this is healthy. First, you’re going to swap butter for coconut oil (bonus points if you use organic). Second, you’re going to use whole wheat flour instead of white flour. And if you’re following a vegan diet you can use vegan chocolate chip. I’m giving you options, man.

Healthy Deep-Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie
Makes one deep-dish cookie (Adapted from Love From The Oven)

1.5 tbsp organic extra virgin coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/8 tbsp vanilla
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/8 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
Chocolate chips to taste

Melt the oil in a small bowl, add the sugars and vanilla and stir. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips. Mix everything until it’s well incorporated. You can pretty much just, ahem, eat it at this point. I mean, why not? Or you can put the dough into a ramekin and cook in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Thoughts For Thursday

Hello! I hope your week has gone well so far! Mine had been a bit difficult. I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t been as patient with Eva this week as I should have been. She’s really growing up fast and I think she’s ready for new challenges.

1. The twins are 7 months old today. WHAT? 7 months ago I was looking at their tiny little faces and couldn’t believe they were all mine. I’m so blessed to have them in my life!

2. Back to what I was saying about Eva. The girl wrote her name! I realize every parent says this about their child but she is just so smart! She knows letters and what some of them sound like, numbers in English and Spanish through 15, she can apparently write her name, and speaks in full sentences. We’re working on potty training, and she’s doing so well with that, as soon as that’s fully taken care of it’ll be off to school for her! I’ve considered homeschooling but she loves the idea of going to school and the school bus (although I’ll probably never let her get on one because I’m a freak), she loves people and making friends. Maybe I’ll let her go to school for a few years and then homeschool. I’m not sure, just some ideas I’m toying with.

3. Monday was National Coffee Day. Please tell me you enjoyed coffee in some way. I’m obsessed with Starbucks but you already knew that.
4. Pierre got a little tooth a few weeks ago and you can actually start seeing it pop up now. With as fussy as Olivia has been the past two weeks I’m hoping and praying her teeth cut through SOON. There’s only so much a mama can do to sooth a teething baby (or two). 5. HC was out of town this week AGAIN. We had him home for 1 full day before he left to NoWheresVille, IL. I’m really looking forward to having him home in a few hours. While he’s away I pretty much survive on coffee, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and what I like to call ‘mixing bowl salads’. I throw a bunch of stuff with lettuce in a huge mixing bowl with red wine vinegar, a little salt and olive oil and you’ve got yourself lunch. This one pictured had a tomato, onion, olives, avocado, feta cheese and baked chicken breast. Almost like quick Greek salad. I’ve had about 5 of these in the last 14 days. I’m really looking forward to eating pizza tonight.  6. I posted this quote from Michael Pollen on my Instagram account this week because I really thought it was a very interesting take on eating (It’s a little hard to read, it says “If it comes from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t”). It’s all about fueling your body so it can do amazing things, right? Why is it such a hard philosophy to stick to? I need to tape this quote to the back of my cupcake-reaching hand.  7. Why does this happen at the worst possible times? Like when you’re fridge is bare because your husband has been out of town for nearly two weeks and the only thing you have to eat are eggs, grapes and strawberries. Don’t tell Michael Pollen I’m getting pizza for dinner.

 

Balsamic Lemon Glazed Brussels Sprouts

Happy October! How many times have you heard that already today? OR “HOW IS IT OCTOBER ALREADY?” OR “Where has the year gone?” You’re welcome.

Let’s balance out those sliders, shall we? This is a perfect side dish, it’s delicious, healthy, and couldn’t be easier to prepare! You can just go ahead and add these to your ‘new fall recipes to try’ list, I know you have one. If you don’t like Brussels sprouts (WHAT?) then you can try this with carrots, just as delicious.

Balsamic Lemon Glazed Brussels Sprouts
Serves 2 – 4

1lb Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed and cut in half
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and the sprouts cut-side down. Add the remaining ingredients to a small bowl and stir, set aside. After 4-5 minutes check to the make sure the sprouts are caramelizing. If they are turning brown, gently toss them in the pan and allow to cook another 5 minutes. Add the balsamic and lemon to the sprouts and turn the heat off immediately. Stand back, this will steam quite a bit! Stir everything together and allow the mixture to bubble and reduce with the heat remaining in the pan. Serve immediately.  Perfect for FALL!