Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

As a young girl, my favorite show was Mary Poppins. This was back before the days of Cable TV, or VHS tapes, or DVD players. I waited, rather impatiently, for Ms. Poppins to grace my TV screen.
God help anyone who would disturb me during my Mary Poppins time. After all, I had to concentrate. How in the world did she fly with an umbrella? Why were her cheeks so rosy? How was it that she could snap her fingers and the room would clean itself? All I knew was that I wanted to be her.
I wanted to be Mary Poppins so bad that I made up the Mary Poppins game and encouraged (maybe even forced) my friends to play along. The game was a simple concept really. I was Mary Poppins, naturally, and my friend and her brother were Jane and Michael Banks. (Yes, we're still friends to this day.) I would dress as Mary Poppins and ascend the stairwell with my umbrella. Jane and Michael would stand at the bottom of the stairs and sing to me. Once their song was finished, I would hold onto my umbrella and fly down the stairs. NOTE: My Mother hated this game. My friends didn't like the game, but went ahead with it anyway. I loved this game! I should be embarrassed to admit I did any of this, but I'm not. And, I'm still a sucker for Mary Poppins.

Right now you are asking yourself: What does Mary Poppins have to do with twice-baked sweet potatoes? One word:

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

I was trying to think of how to describe them, and this is the only word I could come up with. If you like sweet potatoes, then you really have to try these!

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4
About 210-250 calories per serving
2 medium sweet potatoes
1 -2 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced (I used 2 or 3 garlic cloves)
1 bag baby spinach (about 9 ounces ) (I used half a bunch of chopped kale)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 slices turkey bacon (feel free to use regular old bacon here)
4 ounces low-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F. Scrub sweet potatoes, prick with fork or knife, season with a little oil, salt and pepper, wrap in foil and bake for about an hour or until tender.
Meanwhile, in a deep saute pan, heat the olive oil and cook the onion for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add the entire bag of spinach (or some chopped kale) and scallions, cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes until the spinach has wilted.
In another pan, cook the turkey bacon until crisp and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. When cooled, chop the bacon into small pieces and reserve.
When the sweet potatoes are tender and through baking, let cool 5 minutes, then slice in half and scoop out inside of potato into a bowl. Add cream cheese, buttermilk, salt, pepper and vegetable mixture. Stir until desired consistency.
Coat your baking pan with a little oil. Place sweet potato shells onto baking pan and fill with mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown . Top with bits of turkey bacon and serve.

Notes: I adapted this recipe from the cookbook Cook Yourself Thin. These were hailed as healthy potato skins, but the skins never really got quite crispy enough to qualify as a potato skin. They were, however, absolutely lip smacking and delicious served over a bed of garlicky kale. I enjoyed them just about as much as you could enjoy anything. I served these twice-baked sweet potatoes as a meal themselves, but you could easily use them for a side dish.

Enjoy!!

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Picture a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and then divide it into fourths. Can you imagine eating such a large portion? I was surprised to find out that the serving size for these green chile chicken enchiladas was so big. You can literally eat one-fourth of a 9 x 13 inch pan for only 456 calories!!

I would actually refer to this recipe as an enchilada bake instead of individual enchiladas. I used some rotisserie chicken for the filling. The green chile sauce is made with two roasted and peeled poblano peppers, cilantro, chicken broth and lime.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas - Cook Yourself Thin
Serves 4 huge servings at 456 calories each
2 roasted poblano peppers, peeled
1 bunch of cilantro leaves, washed, stems discarded
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 corn tortillas
1 cup canned nonfat refried beans
3 cups of leftover roast chicken
3/4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese, such as Mexican-style, Monterey Jack, or Cheddar
2 scallions, thinly sliced

For the garnish: chopped fresh cilantro and 1 lime - cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray or teaspoon olive oil. (I think I forgot this step and mine turned out fine). In a food processor or blender, puree the roasted and peeled peppers, cilantro, garlic, lime zest and juice, chicken stock, salt and pepper until smooth.

Spread 1/3 cup of the sauce in the prepared baking dish. Top with an overlapping layer of 6 tortillas. Spread refried beans evenly over the tortillas. Top the beans with the shredded chicken mixture, and add 1/3 of the sauce, followed by the remaining 6 tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas. Cover with foil.

Bake the enchiladas until they begin to bubble on the sides, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil; sprinkle cheese and scallions on top. Continue baking until heated through and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes more. Top with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
Notes/Results: I didn't look at the serving sizes until we were ready to eat and couldn't believe how generous the serving size was. This is a great recipe if you are really hungry!! We really liked this dish and would make it again, especially considering the calorie count and the heartiness of the recipe. The book says that you can add a jalapeno to the green chile sauce for more heat. I wished I would've done that because the poblano peppers weren't very hot. In the case where you do not like spicy food, you can also use two roasted green peppers for the sauce. I loved the taste of this enchilada bake. You could really taste the flavor the the corn tortillas, and it was packed with all kinds of flavor. Definitely a must make for anyone who wants to eat healthier.

Happy Monday!!

Cook Yourself Thin Cookbook Review: Mini Turkey Meatloaves with Roasted Root Veggies

In an effort to start eating lighter and healthier, I bought the new cookbook Cook Yourself Thin. I kept hearing good things about this book and it was only about fourteen dollars, so I decided to give it a shot. The book's recipes are prefaced by information on eating lighter, eating habits, calorie contents and other "dieting" information. This portion is good for someone who wants/needs to educate themselves on eating lighter. It is good at helping you uncover your eating habits, both good and bad.

The recipes are broken down into three categories: Breakfasts, Mains, and Sweets. There are many beautifully plated pictures in this book, but not of every recipe. I was impressed that the recipes actually included whole foods (whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and lean meats) in lieu of non-fat, no-fat, sugar-free nonsense. The only substitutions you will see in this book are for low-fat cheeses, which is perfectly fine with me.

I bookmarked over twenty-five recipes to try and decided to start with these mini turkey meatloaves with roasted veggies. My husband and I love meatloaf, so I doubled the recipe. I was lucky enough to have found ground turkey breast on sale for $1.99/lb, so it was also very economical. Let me go ahead and say that this recipe blew me away! It was so good, especially considering the calorie content. I would eat this meal any day of the week, whether or not I was watching the waistline. This is definitely a five-star recipe, especially if you love meat and potatoes.

Turkey Mini-Meatloaves with Roasted Root Veggies -adapted from Cook Yourself Thin
Serves 4, but can easily be doubled
Calories per serving- meatloaves - 227
Calories per serving - roasted root veggies - 121

For the meatloaf:
1 slice whole wheat bread
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
5-ounce bag baby spinach leaves *don't omit - this is what keeps the turkey moist*
1-1/4 pounds ground turkey *I used ground turkey breast with awesome results*
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (omitted due to picky hubby)
Note: I added a couple cloves of sauteed garlic

For the glaze:
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce

For the roasted root veggies:
3 large carrots, cut on the bias
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut on the bias
1/4 cup asparagus (about 4 stalks) * I subbed out sugar snap peas (picky hubby again)*
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon chopped chives
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange oven racks to accommodate two dishes being cooked simultaneously. Grind the bread in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a large bowl, and pour milk over crumbs. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet, preferable nonstick, over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add spinach, and stir until just wilted about 30 seconds(This is where I added in my garlic and sauteed briefly). Transfer to bowl with soaked crumbs. Add the turkey, cheese, egg, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Combine the mixture with your hands until well mixed; it will be quite wet. (It was quite wet, but turned out just fine).

Pack 1 cup of the mixture into a 1-cup dry measuring cup, invert the cup onto a rimmed baking sheet, gently shaking the cup to release the mixture. Gently pat the moundn to smooth its shape. Repeat with remaining mixture. Bake mini meatloaves until cooked through and golden, about 40 minutes
Note: If you are not opposed to foil, you may want to line your baking sheet with foil for easier cleanup. My baking sheets were very hard to clean after this recipe.

While the meatloaves are cooking, make the glaze: in a small bowl combine the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Brush over meatloaves as soon as complete.

To makes the roasted root vegetables: On a baking sheet, toss all the veggies in the olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Add to the oven along with the meatloaf and roast for 30-35 minutes, stirring midway through baking. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh herbs.

Notes/Results: I was extremely happy with this recipe. The only complaint I have about the book is that I wish it listed all the nutritional information for each recipe. Instead, it only lists the calorie contents. It would be nice to have protein and carb counts. At any rate, I highly recommend this recipe. The glaze for the meatloaf is zippy, tangy and slightly spicy and pairs great with the meatloaf and the veggies. I was a little worried about roasting sugar snap peas, but they turned out fine. This is very pretty on the plate and I felt great about eating it, especially since the whole meal was less than 400 calories. Since I doubled the recipe, I took some to my mom and she loved it. She was even more surprised to find it was so low in calories. I plated up the rest to have as leftovers and they were gobbled up in no time. Don't be afraid to use ground turkey breast instead of plain ground turkey, the end result was excellent and probably even lower in calories!! Can you tell I'm excited?? I can't wait to cook up the next recipe.

Stay tuned for more recipes from Cooking Yourself Thin. Next up will be Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (200 calories each) and Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas (456 calories for 3 enchiladas)!!