Sweet Potato Fries with Curried Mayonnaise

Just now, when I opened my binder of Favorite Recipes I could smell this delicious side dish. Good thing I have some in my refrigerator left over from last night that I can eat now that I'm craving them. 

I have a friend from home who has this amazing ability only to pass on the easiest and tastiest recipes ever. Ever. Every recipe that she has ever given me has turned out fantastic. This recipe is one that she passed to me. I knew it was going to be great though when I saw it was a "Canadian Living"  "tested till perfect" recipe. If you are ever looking for a no fail recipe, Canadian Living has a ton of "tested till perfect" recipes that are indeed tested till perfect. 

So try these Sweet Potato Fries. easy, fast, and delicious. 

(Oh, I know that you can now buy Sweet Potato Fries frozen at the grocery store, and to be honest, I can't compare them as I've never tried them, but I can tell you that these ones are yummy. Also, in my experience, nothing much compares to homemade.)

Sweet Potato Fries with Curry Mayonnaise

2 Sweet Potatoes (try to find the straightest ones you can)

2 Egg Whites 

1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 tsp each of Ground Cumin and Paprika

1/2 tsp each of Salt and Pepper

Peel potatoes; trim ends and sides to create rectangles. Cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick slices; cut each lengthwise into 1/2 -inch (1 cm) wide strips. 

In large bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy (I threw the egg whites into my Magic Bullet Blender and they were frothy in no time). 

Whisk in oil, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. (I mix these right into a large Ziploc Bag, then when I add the potatoes I can just seal it and shake. fast, easy and mess free.)

Add potatoes, tossing to coat. Spread on 2 parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheets. (You MUST buy some parchment paper if you don't already have some. I use it for everything to avoid clean up)

Bake in top and bottom thirds of 425°F (220°C) oven for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating and switching pans halfway through, until tender and edges are browned and crisp.

Curry Mayonnaise

1/2 cup light mayonnaise (I NEVER use light mayonnaise)

1 tsp  lime juice

1/4 tsp  curry paste (I used to buy Curry Paste for this recipe but I couldn't get through it fast enough. I now just use a Curry Spice. We find that the flavor is the same.)

In small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice and curry paste; serve with potatoes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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Need a snack? How about a Best Ever Zucchini Muffin?

How do you feel about muffins? Well at our house muffins are a staple snack. My 5 year old daughter thinks that she must have a muffin for her afternoon snack at school. This isn't an option in her mind. There must be a muffin. Or 2 mini muffins. But rarely has anything else ever passed her approval for an appropriate afternoon snack during a busy school day. So we bake muffins at least once a week. NEVER buy a muffin from the grocery store, you may think it looks good but they always end up greasy/slimy and I'm confident that muffins are not supposed to be like that. 

We have a couple of favorite muffin recipes here. My 2 year old son wants Blueberry Muffins and my daughter is ofter heard asking for Zucchini. I've heard her explain to her friends why they are green and that "don't worry; you can't taste the zucchini". That kid cracks me up. 

So let me share with you our favorite Zucchini Muffin Recipe. It is actually a "Company's Coming" recipe and we all love it for different reasons. The kids like them because they are greenish and taste good. perfect. I like them because they are fast to make, smell amazing when baking, I can make a double batch with just 1 zucchini, and the recipe calls for whole wheat flour as well as all-purpose. I love whole wheat flour. I'm such a sucker for any recipe that uses it. 

Best Ever Zucchini Muffin

1 cup of All Purpose Flour

1 cup of Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/2 tsp of Baking Powder

1/2 tsp of Baking Soda

1 tsp of Ground Cinnamon (I usually add more than this because I like cinnamon)

1/2 tsp of Ground Allspice (I add a bit more of this too for the same reason as the cinnamon)

1 tsp of Salt

1 large Egg

1/4 cup of Cooking Oil

1/2 of White Sugar (I usually use a bit less than this, about 1/3 cup)

1 cup of Grated Zucchini, with peel (about 1/2 of a zucchini)

1/2 cup of Milk

Measure together the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. stir together thoroughly. Make a well in  the center. 

Beat egg in medium bow until frothy. Mix in last 4 ingredients. Pour into the well of the flour mixture. Stir to just moisten. Batter will be lumpy. Fill your muffin cups 3/4 full. (I SWEAR by silicone muffin liners. If you keep an eye open you can get them for a good deal. I bought mine at Liquidation World for less than $3.00 for 12) Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Okay, now I must explain something. I did say these were FAST muffins to make and I'll tell you why. I've long learned that these muffins don't really require you to mix the dry and liquid ingredients separate. Just measure and dump everything in a bowl, stir it up and get them in the oven. 

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Teeny Weeny BEANY Burritos

Once upon a time, forever ago, I lived next door to 3 adorable little girls. I would go over and babysit and enjoy all of the girly perks that 3 small brothers didn't offer me; nail painting, dress-up and princess movies. Well, these adorable little girls went and did something terrible. They grew. And grew. And now they are old, which as you can probably guess makes me old too. BOO. I last saw them over a year ago and they were beautiful, and sweet and old enough to be babysitting my children. All of this growing kind of kills me a little. Well, anyway, the little girl who was stuck in the middle somehow got this recipe from the Chefs at NAIT (but don't ask me how). 

This meal was BRILLIANT! Super fast, delicious, and healthy. So So So good. I really appreciated the simple fast meal yesterday when at 2:00pm I decided to turn our kitchen into a sewing room, When we were ready to eat I still had a monster mess and was not ready to pack it all in. I ended up shoving everything in a corner whipping this meal up (and I mean it, it was so whip-able) and getting everyone fed 15 minutes later.

This is a recipe I will always keep the ingredients for on hand when I am in a rush and want something quick, and yummy. Thanks Girls for sending it my way.

Teeny Weeny Beany Burritos 

(I changed the name from Teeny Weeny Bean Burritos. I couldn't resist)

1-10 oz can of kidney beans 284 ml

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp butter

8 small tortillas (I used the regular size, so really our burritos weren't Teeny Weeny at all)

1/2 cup shredded lettuce

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup salsa

Prep: 15 min cook: 10 min (4-6 servings)

1. Wrap tortillas in foil and place into a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 mins.

2. Drain beans and then mash with enough water to give them a porridge like texture. (I threw mine in the blender for a few seconds. much faster and less grunt work)

3. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and chili powder and stir.

4. Add the bean mixture and simmer until thick.

5. Using oven mitts, remove warm tortillas from the oven.

6. Spread a little bean mixture on one end of the tortilla, add grated cheese, lettuce and salsa.

Roll up and serve with carrot, celery, green pepper, and cucumber slices.

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Savory Sauteed Vegetables

Like my title? I came up with it myself. 

Last night was a non-vegetarian night. We eat meat or fish at least 3 nights a week and last night was one of them. Aaron was working late at school, I didn't get home with the munchkins until after 5pm and for some reason was incredibly slow with getting dinner on. We didn't sit down to eat until almost 6:30pm. And would you like to know what fancy meal we ate? Perogies. I know! Why did it take me this long to make perogies? Well it did. 

When I make perogies I like to saute a ton of veggies to go with them. (I did add kolbassa but not until after I finished with the veggies). Last night I sauteed a nice variety and added some pre-mixed seasoning. They were amazing!  

Savory Sauteed Vegetables 

Chop a variety of veggies. Last night I used:

1/2 of an Onion

1 Green Pepper

1 Clove of Garlic

a handful of Mushrooms

1/2 of a Zucchini

Add 1 TBSP of Olive Oil to your skillet. Heat. Add your vegetables. Saute until smelling delicious and they are soft. At this point I liberally added some spice:

Club House "La Grille" Vegetable

I let it all blend together for a minute or two and wah-la! Done! (though last night I then added the Perogies and Kolbassa)

This is a FAVORITE around here. Sometimes we eat them as a side or sometimes I make them just because I love them. If you have never tried to these before do it TONIGHT.

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Marinara Sauce

This recipe is from The Italian Chef and is super easy and delicious.

Marinara Sauce

1/4 cup of Olive Oil

4 cloves of Garlic (I know sounds potent. I love garlic)

1 35oz can of Tomatoes

Salt and Pepper to Taste

3 Basil leaves, washed, patted dry, and chopped (I used dry and it turned out great)

1: Place garlic and olive oil in a large sauce pan

2: Turn heat to medium and cook until garlic is soft and lightly browned.

3: Crush tomatoes and and add with their juices (I threw this in my magic bullet and purred until smooth)

4: Fill empty tomato can 1/4 of the way with water and add to tomatoes. Season with Salt and Pepper to taste,

5: Bring to boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook until thickened, approximately 20-25 minutes. Add chopped basil at the very end, stir in and cook for 1 minute more.

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Vegetarian Lasagna Gone Wrong. But Just Slightly.

First of all, what does everyone think of President Choice cheese. I learned this past week that it is AWFUL. Maybe I've just been spoiling myself with good cheese but I don't think that is it. You will see from my fabulous photography that the mozzarella on this lasagna that the cheese looks almost plasticy . As a house of cheese-lovers we were very unimpressed with the cheese in this dish. So, in other words; don't buy Presidents Choice cheese. Please.

Anyway, besides the look of the cheese on top, the lasagna was actually pretty good. Not my favorite though. This recipe was sent to me by my sister (who hadn't tried it yet at the time). The ingredients were calling my name for months and so last week when I was making my Weekly Meal Plan I thought I'd give it a try. 

The flavor turned out really good, not great but still yummy. The problem that I had with it was in the texture. I think it needed less Tofu and more Veggies. Next time I will double the veggie and perhaps cut the tofu in half and I think that should solve it. Everyone here ate it without complaint or much persuasion, well mostly everybody. We did have one small 5 year old who made some very lippy and bad choices last night which landed her to bed sans supper. But until the attitude came in she was happily chowing down. 

So here it is:

MEGA-VEGGIE LASAGNA

1 9oz package of oven-ready lasagna noodles

3 TBSP of Olive Oil

1 Onion, diced

12 Oz of Unflavored soy ground "meat" I think now is a good time to let you all know my opinion on "meat" products like these. I don't like them. I feel that if you are choosing a vegetation option for your meal, choose vegetarian all the way, even in appearance. And if you are a non-meat eater why are you eating meat flavored products. I know this one is unflavored but in general. I don't get it. If a recipe I am using calls for a "meat alternative" I use tofu. In this case I used frozen tofu and crumbled it.

sorry for going on and on.

1 Green Bell Pepper, Diced

1 Eggplant, skin on and cubed

1 large Tomato, Chopped (I just realized I missed the tomato...oops)

1 cup of diced Mushrooms

1 TBSP of Garlic Powder

4 cups of Marinara Sauce or Spaghetti Sauce will work (I made my own marinara sauce you can get the recipe here)

1 TBSP Dried Oregano

Salt and Pepper to taste

4 cups of Ricotta Cheese

Shredded Mozzarella (not PC brand please)

Directions:

1: Preheat Over to 400*F. Spray a nonstick 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray (I like PAM)

2: Smooth 1 cup Marinara Sauce over bottom of the pan. Lay down enough lasagna noodles to cover the bottom of the pan. (If precooking your noodles, make sure you do that first.)

3: Heat 2 TBSP of Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium heat and brown your onions for about 1 minute. Add the soy ground "meat" (or crumbled tofu) and saute for 3 minutes. Add the Bell Pepper, Eggplant, Tomato, Mushrooms and 2 cups of Marinara Sauce, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in your spices.

4: Spoon half of the soy "meat" (yes, the recipe actually puts meat into quotations) and vegetables over the lasagna sheets and top with ricotta cheese. Cover with more noodles and spoon and smooth on the remaining Marinara Sauce. Spoon on smooth out the remaining "meat" and veggies; sprinkle with Mozzarella. Cover with foil (I sprayed mine with PAM on the inside so the cheese wouldn't all get stuck on the foil instead of staying on the lasagna).

5: Bake for about 45 Minutes (If you precook your noodles the cook can be cut in half) or until the top layer of cheese melts and bubbles. Remove from the oven. Serve.

So, though this recipe was good its wasn't AMAZING. I would love it if you would send me your best vegetarian lasagna recipe so I can try it out. Thanks!

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Garlic Tomato Pasta: A lesson learned

This summer my Mother-in-Law sent us a nice little package. In it were some clothes for the kids and also a little Vegetarian cookbook for me. This was right after we had started our new eating foray and so thoughtfully she picked it up and sent it to me. 

 In it was a Pasta recipe that looked AMAZING in the photo and I finally, yesterday prepared it for our family. 

I learned a lesson; 

Don't this that old herbs and spices (and when I say old, I mean years old) will provide any flavor to a dish that needs those spices to make it taste fabulous. 

So, Our meal again turned out pretty bland. BUT, I'm positive that this would have been really good if I had of used fresh garlic (Which I usually always do because it is so tasty but of course I didn't have any last night). The Moral is this: If you decide to try this one out, make sure you have fresh ingredients. Lets hope I have learned that lesson now for good. 

Garlic Tomato Pasta

8 cups of Water  

2 cups of Whole-Wheat Penne Pasta  

(I used regular pasta because I cant stand the texture of Whole Wheat Pasta) 

2 tsp of Olive Oil 

1 whole sliced Red Onion

3 minced garlic cloves (or 3/4tsp of powder)

24 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup of Chopped fresh Parsley (or 2 TBSP of dried parsley flakes)

1 TBSP of Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp of Chili Paste (I couldn't find this at the grocery store I was in and so I used 1 tsp of hot sauce)

1/4 cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese

Measure your water into a large pot. Bring to boil on the stove. When the water reaches a rolling boil add pasta. Boil uncovered for about 15 minutes until pasta is tender but firm. drain and return to the same pot. 

Heat Olive Oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook for 5-10 minutes stirring often until onion softened. 

Add next 4 ingredients. Heat and stir about 5 minutes until tomato is starting to soften. Add to pasta. Stir.

Sprinkle with cheese. Makes about 4 cups. (And should be so good that you can't stop eating)

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Avocado and Black Bean Wraps

My Husbands Grandmother has a subscription to Womens World  Magazine. I always flip through them while we are visiting. One afternoon I came across this recipe...We Love It.

So I prepared this last night. Our van had been in the shop for almost 2 weeks and grocery supplies we pathetically low. I had to compromise the recipe a lot. It turned out pretty good, a little bit bland but still yummy and super filling. 

Avocado and Black Bean Wraps

What you Need

2 ripe avocados
1 cup fresh or jarred salsa (I had about 3 TBSP of Salsa so I added Spaghetti Sauce to make up for it)
2 tsp oil
1 red pepper, chopped (No peppers left in the house so I used Onion and Celery)
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 tsp ground cumin 
1 can (15 oz) low-sodium black beans, rinsed (I had cooked up a pile of Black Beans a couple weeks ago and froze them, so I used these instead)  1/3cup chopped cilantro (oops, none of this either. No wonder this turned out kind of bland)
4 whole-wheat wraps
4 cups coarsely chopped or shredded romaine lettuce (No lettuce either)

Recipe Preparation

1. Remove pit and peel avocados. Coarsely chop 1 avocado; mash the other avocado in a small bowl and stir in 1/4 cup salsa until blended. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. (I skip this step because I find its just extra work and doesn't change the flavor in the end. Its all about efficiency) 
2. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté pepper(or onion and celery) and carrots 3 minutes. Add cumin and cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add beans and remaining 3/4 cup salsa; heat through. Stir in the chopped avocado and cilantro (if you have it); mix well. 
3. Spread about 3 Tbsp mashed avocado-salsa mixture on each wrap and top with 1 cup lettuce. Spoon 1 cup bean mixture over bottom third of wrap. Starting at bottom, roll up tightly. Place seam side down on serving platter. Serve with lime wedges. 

*We added sour cream to our wraps last night. Like I said previously, They were pretty good. maybe 3.5 Stars. Ive made this exactly as the recipe calls as well and it is SO yummy. Try it tonight!

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