Sweet Potato Crepes

Fall is in the air, everywhere I look around! The weather is starting to get cooler, and all the pumpkin recipes are being pulled out of storage. But wait-there’s a new kid in town…Sweet Potato Crepes! Just when you thought fall couldn’t get any better.

Sweet Potato Crepes

Ingredients:
1 Sweet Potato
1 c. Almond Milk
3 Eggs
1/4 c. Brown Sugar
2 tb. Flour
2 tb. Coconut Oil (melted)
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake a sweet potato for about an hour, or until it is completely soft.

Once the sweet potato has completely cooled, place in a large mixing bowl and add almond milk, eggs, and coconut oil. Thoroughly mix the ingredients together until the mixture is completely smooth.

Whisk in brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and flour. Once all the ingredients have been added, and the batter is smooth, place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

In a medium skillet heat up some coconut oil. When the pan is hot, pour a ladle full of batter onto the pan. Once the edges of the crepes begin to brown, it’s time to turn the crepe over. Allow the other side of the crepe to cook and then remove it from the heat.

Top the crepes with fruit, sugar, or syrup. If you’re feeling really sassy, try Nutella, you won’t regret it.

Summertime Tarts

Summertime and the living is easy…. so lets not make it complicated with confusing meals, shall we? Two easy tarts for any summer time dinner, or for those guests that stop by unexpectedly. Store bought puff pastry with fruits and veggies, almost as easy as a frozen dinner. And yes, you heard me right. Store bought, pre- made puff pastry. Sorry Martha, some of us work…. So, it’s time to clean out your crisper and dive into some tasty tarts.

Apple Goat Cheese Tart

Ingredients:
Puff Pastry
2 Large Apples
2 tb. Honey – extra for serving
3 oz. Goat cheese

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Peel two apples and thinly slice them. In a square, parchment paper lined pan, place one of the square puff pastries. Spread softened goat cheese on the uncooked pastry dough and top with apple slices. Drizzle two tablespoons of honey on the apples and baked for fifty minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown.

When the tart is finished cooking, drizzle more honey on top and serve.

IMG_2319

Roasted Vegetable and Hummus Tart

Ingredients:
Puff Pastry
1 Large Onion
1/2 c. Broccoli
1/2 c. Cauliflower
2 Hand fulls of spinach
Original or traditonal Hummus
Olive Oil
2 tb. Red Wine Vinegar
Black Pepper
Powder Garlic

*The great thing about this recipe is that you can add almost any vegetable and it will be amazing.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, and onion in a baking pan. Toss with olive oil and red wine vinegar and season to taste with pepper and garlic. Roast for thirty minutes. Once the vegetables are finished baking, place puff pastry dough into a square, parchment lined pan. Spread hummus on the unbaked dough and add roasted veggies. Drizzle olive oil and season again with garlic and pepper. Bake for fifty minutes or unit the sides start to turn golden brown.

When the tart is finished remove it from the oven and allow to cool for five minutes before serving. Trust me when I say,” Wait five minutes”…. the roof of your mouth will thank you.

IMG_2336

Eggy Rice Bowl

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away….. or a least a place that seems galaxies away from where I live now, there was an asian-fusion restaurant that served delicious, spicy rice bowls. Sigh, how I miss that crowded little eatery. But I do have a solution! My own creation, although not exact, will conquer any spicy, rice bowl craving. The masses have spoken! They demand more eggy rice bowls! How could I possibly deny the masses something so delicious? It’s merely my civic duty. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

3 Garlic Cloves
1/2 Yellow Onion
1/2 c. Dry Rice
6 Bacon Strips
3 Handfuls of Spinach
2 Eggs
Ground pepper
Garlic Powder
Salt
Cayenne Pepper
Sour Cream

First thing’s first, rice must be made! Using your favorite rice, cook half a cup of dry rice following the instructions found on the package. Once the rice is cooked, set it aside.
IMG_2085

On a baking sheet place six bacon strips, and cook at 400 degrees for sixteen minutes, or until they are brown and crispy.
IMG_2110

Chop the onion and garlic cloves and place them in a sauce pan. Using olive oil, sauté them until the onion becomes translucent. Season with a pinch of salt and some ground pepper and add the spinach. Cook until the leaves are ready and the onions begin to brown on the edges.
IMG_2113

Next, add the reserved rice and two pats of butter to the pan. Mix on medium heat. Crumble in four strips of bacon and finish mixing the rice mixture. Remove the pan from the heat and spoon the rice into two bowls.

Now, we’re in the home stretch. Fry two eggs using butter and season both with pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. When both eggs are cooked, place one on top of each rice bowl. Garnish with the remaining bacon strips and a dollop of sour cream.

Chard Roll-ups

Chard Roll -ups

With Summer coming in hot, and my winter bod still hanging around, it’s time to get down to business. The last week was filled with carnival goodies, and summer treats but, after a week of eating greasy delights, I’m ready for a change! This month I am going to be focusing on healthy food that not only fills you up, but also doesn’t make you guilty for having that second piece. And like the Fugees’ once said “Ready or not here I come, you can’t hide. Going to find you and make you want me.” And you are definitely going to want these Chard Roll-Ups.

Ingredients:

1/2 Small Onion
1 Garlic Clove
5 Small leaves of Basil
4 Large Leaves of Chard
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Pepper
3/4 Part Skim Milk Ricotta Cheese
Pinch of Salt
1/2 c. Shredded Mozzarella
Olive Oil

Begin by chopping and sautéing the onion, and garlic. Once the onions are translucent remove them from the heat and place in a medium mixing bowl. Chop the Basil and add it to the onion mixture. Next, add Ricotta Cheese, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and mozzarella to the mixture and set aside.
IMG_2030

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is preheating, rinse the Chard leaves and pat them dry. Cut each leaf’s stem away and coat each leaf half with a little bit of olive oil.
IMG_2037

Now, it’s time to begin stuffing the leaves and rolling them up. Using the Cheese mixture, that was set aside, spread an equal amount on every leaf and roll them up like a sleeping bag.
IMG_2047

Place on a baking pan that has been coated with olive oil and allow to bake for fifteen minutes.

These make great snacks, or apps for parties without all the guilt. Enjoy!

Biscuit Bread Pudding

Like Bert and Ernie, Harold and Maude, Marge and Homer, Bread and Pudding were meant for each other. I love bread! If it was nutritionally and socially acceptable to just eat bread, I would! So, when I was a kid and learned that one could eat various forms of bread for breakfast, lunch, dinner and now dessert, I was in! You can’t go wrong with bread pudding, especially when it’s made with Southern biscuits. So, get your fork ready and grab a napkin because I know you’re already drooling.

Ingredients:

3 Southern Biscuits
1/2 tsp. Almond extract
1/2 c. Heavy whipping cream
1/2 c. Brown sugar
1/3 c. Maple syrup
2 tbl. Butter
1 Egg

Biscuits:

2 c. Flour
1 tbl. Baking powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 c. Butter
3/4 c. Buttermilk

Enough for 4

Begin by making the biscuits. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients together and cut in the butter until it resembles crumbles. Add the buttermilk and mix until the dough begins to form. Dust the surface with flour and roll out the dough so that it is 1/2 in. thick. Using a circle cutter (a drinking glass will work too) cut out biscuits and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the biscuits begin to brown.
IMG_0208

After the biscuits have been cooled, tear apart 3 biscuits into a baking dish and set aside until you are ready to use them.
IMG_0224

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar. Next, add the almond extract, cream, maple syrup and egg. Once the cream mixture is smooth, pour over the biscuits chunks and place them in the oven. Bake for about 35 minutes
(If the mixture seems runny, bake a little longer).
IMG_0228

While the bread pudding bakes, it’s time to prepare the whipped cream. Using the leftover heavy whipping cream, use a hand blender and whip. After taking the bread pudding out of the oven, let it cool for five minutes and top with whipped cream.
IMG_0227

*This recipe can be made with leftover frozen biscuits.

Egg and Polenta

Stop yoking around! This recipe is egg-straordinary. I wasn’t at the wall when Humpty Dumpty fell but I heard his last words were “Put me in some boiling water and place me on a bed of polenta.” I may be paraphrasing…. but who are you to go against a dying egg’s wish?! Not I, thats for sure. Humpty Dumpty you were one good egg. Now, we don’t know why you were on the wall that fateful day but we all do wish you hadn’t fallen….I’m sure you made one delicious breakfast for someone though. RIP Humpty.

Makes enough for 4

avocado cream:
1/4 c. greek yogurt
1/2 an avocado
1/2 tsp. lime juice
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic
pinch of salt

4 eggs
4 pieces of bacon

Spinach:
1 bag of spinach
1/2 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1/8 tsp. pepper
Olive oil

Polenta:
1 c. polenta (corn grits)
3 c. water
1/2 tsp. salt

Start by making the polenta. Put 3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, stir in the cup of polenta. Remember to stir the polenta frequently otherwise it will stick to the bottom of the pan, cook until it is very thick (about 20 minutes). Add two tablespoons of butter to the polenta and stir. Now, put the thick polenta onto some plastic wrap and roll it up like you would with sugar cookie dough. Put the log of polenta in the fridge to firm up (10-15 minutes).
IMG_0372

Meanwhile, place 1/4 cup greek yogurt and half an avocado in a bowl. Add the lime juice, salt, pepper, and garlic. Using a hand blender whip up the avocado mixture until its smooth. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the avocado so that it doesn’t turn brown while in the fridge. Keep the avocado cream in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
IMG_0378

Heat up olive oil in a frying pan, when the oil is hot place the bacon in the pan and fry them up. Once the bacon is crisp, remove it from the pan and keep aside till later. Add the onion and garlic to the pan. Just before they are finished cooking add the spinach (For four people I used almost a whole bag of spinach). When the spinach, garlic, and onion is fully cooked put the mixture in a bowl. Crumble three of the bacon strips into the spinach mixture and set aside.
IMG_0383

Get the polenta out of the fridge and unwrap the log. Make slices about 3/4 of an inch thick. In the same pan the bacon and spinach was cooked, place the polenta (you’ll want to add a little more olive oil at this point). Begin frying the polenta. Once it is slightly brown on one side flip it over and do the other side.
IMG_0387

Once the polenta is finished browning remove from heat and begin boiling your water for the eggs. While you are waiting on the water to boil you can assemble the plates. First, place the spinach mixture and then the polenta on top.

When the water begins to boil place the egg in the water and then lower the heat (poached eggs take about 3 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, take the eggs out of the water one at a time. Place the poached egg on top of the polenta and top with avocado cream. For decoration break the remaining bacon strip into four parts and place them on top of the avocado cream.
IMG_0399

*The polenta recipe will make more than four plates.

Buffalo Style Cauliflower

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, not the holidays, but the Superbowl! Trust me I am no sports fan, I took PE online just so I didn’t have to play them. However, the Superbowl is always one of my favorite times of the year because of one thing, food and lots of it. Every Superbowl is like an hors d’oeuvre-a-palooza, mini food for as far as the eye can see. What more can a girl ask for?! My all time favorite sports viewing food has always been buffalo chicken wings. Am I right? I thought you’d agree. Well, make way for buffalo style cauliflower. It’s the cauliflower for vegetable lovers and non- veggie lovers a like.

Ingredients:

1 Bag of frozen cauliflower
2 Eggs
about two cups of flour
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of garlic powder

For sauce:
1/2 Stick butter
1/2 c Sriracha
1/4 c. Honey
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Salt

Blue cheese crumbles for garnish

Begin by defrosting the frozen bag of cauliflower. When fully defrosted take a clean towel and dry off moisture. Now, preheat your oven at 450 degrees and line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Crack two eggs in a bowl and beat. In a separate bowl place one cup of flour and add a pinch of pepper, salt and garlic powder and mix.
IMG_0246

Begin by coating the dry cauliflower with egg. Remove the cauliflower from the eggs, making sure to let the excess egg drip off before placing it in the flour mixture. Thoroughly coat the cauliflower in the flour (add the remaining flour to bowl when you begin to run out). Before placing on the baking sheet make sure to shake off any extra flour. Place baking sheet in oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
IMG_0262

While the Cauliflower bakes, prepare the hot sauce. Melt half the stick of butter and place in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients (sriracha, honey, pepper, and salt) and whisk.
IMG_0253

Once the Cauliflower is browned remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. When the cauliflower is cool enough to handle, place in the hot sauce mixture and gently tossed them in the sauce. Remove the cauliflower with a slotted spoon and place on serving plate. Sprinkle the buffalo cauliflower with blue cheese crumbles and enjoy!
IMG_0267

Warning: These babies are spicy and delicious! You might want a beer or two to wash them down 😉