Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Oil

A Simple side dish of mashed sweet potatoes with coconut oil.  That's it and it is delicious.

A re-post of the original from 5/24/2013.  Adding pin-able image, tweet-ables, and editing.  225 views and 2 +1s.

I will no longer put butter in my mashed sweet potatoes.  It's not about health or nutrition, or even an aversion to dairy (though those are all good reasons) it is about taste.  Once I added coconut oil to my sweet potatoes I was hooked.  The coconut oil brings out the sweetness of the potato, and adds a creaminess, like butter.   I must stress:  if you like sweet potatoes, get and use some coconut oil with them.  Here is the easy 2 ingredient recipe.

Easy #2ingredient MashedSweetPotatoes w/ #CoconutOil  [Tweet this]

Another recipe in my Thanksgiving sides series.  Everyone knows about sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving but why not try Mashed Sweet Potatoes.  You could make it more like casserole by adding some cream (or keep it dairy free and use coconut milk), cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, and top with chopped Candied Pecans.  This will be my "sweet potato casserole" this year.

Trade #Sweetpotatocasserole 4 MashedSweetPotatoes #thanksgivingsides  [Tweet this]

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Oil

Servings:  2
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 very large sweet potato
1-2 Tbsp coconut oil
Cinnamon (optional)

Peel and cut the sweet potato in small even pieces.  Place in a saucepan and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil for about 10-15 minutes until potatoes are soft.

Remove from heat and drain.    Remove sweet potatoes to a medium-sized bowl (or just put back in the saucepan) and mash with 1-2 Tbsp coconut oil.  No need to add any other liquid because sweet potatoes absorb more liquid while boiling than regular potatoes (but if you think you need some reserve some of the cooking liquid and use it).

Makes 2 servings.

Enjoy.

Also mentioned in this post:

Candied Pecans

For more vegetable sides check out:

Cinnamon and Cumin Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Maple Glazed Carrots                                          -

Sauteed Kale                                           -

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Parmesan and Garlic Roasted Broccoli

A deliciously simple vegetable side of roasted broccoli flavored with parmesan, garlic and a dash of lemon juice.

Repost of original from 2/1/13 58 views and 1 +1. Better pictures, pinnable image, tweetables, and editing.

Leading up to Thanksgiving I'm going through my vegetable sides recipe posts.  To be honest, sides are my favorite parts of Thanksgiving dinner.  I'm looking for good sides to make this year and thought I'd re-share and update some of my favorite veggie sides.  Parmesan and Garlic Roasted Broccoli is a great side to serve for Thanksgiving.  It's not a usual Thanksgiving side but it should be.  It's simple and delicious and everyone will love it. Have everything ready and it can go in the oven once the turkey is out and resting.

Parm&Garlic #RoastedBroccoli for a #ThanksgivingSide  [Tweet this]

Many people need to eat more fruits and vegetables.  I know it's true for me.  This recipe makes eating your veggies easy.  Roasting makes broccoli sweet and tender.  The cheese adds a salty, cheese, and almost nutty flavor and, my favorite, makes the roasted broccoli crisper around the edges.  I love garlic and add it to almost everything so it's always a natural addition and makes this dish top the charts in flavor.  It's a great vegetable side dish for any meal.

Yummy way to get your #5aday Parm&Garlic #RoastedBroccoli   [Tweet this]

Parmesan and Garlic Roasted Broccoli

Cook time:  20 minutes
Servings:  2-4

Ingredients:

2-3 cups broccoli florets (about 1 large head)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp grated parmesan
juice from 1/2 lemon (optional)
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450F

Place the broccoli in a large bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients and toss until broccoli is thoroughly coated. (the oil should help the spices and cheese to stick to the broccoli)

Lay out in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake at 450F for 15-20 minutes or until dark brown and crispy around the edges. (sometimes I stir about half way through, but not always, and it seems to turn out great either way.)

Serve hot (it's still great cold too).  Makes 2-4 servings but it's so tasty I've been known to eat it all by myself.

Enjoy.

For more vegetable sides check out:

Cumined Cauliflower and Broccoli

Sweet Dill Glazed Carrots

Sauteed Kale       -

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Kimchi Fried Rice

A fried rice made with leftover rice and kimchi.  A popular recipe in Hawaii and a great comfort food.

Hawaii is known for diversity.  So many cultures and cuisines come together and make one big 'ohana (family).  This makes for spectacular food.  Kimchi fried rice is just one of those foods that make Hawaii great.

HI's diversity makes great food #KimchiFriedRice  [Tweet this]

Kimchi is a Korean side dish made from fermented cabbage and hot chili paste (among other ingredients).  Adding it to fried rice makes a delicious, simple, and inexpensive meal.  This may not have originated in Hawaii, but it's a common menu item at many restaurants.  Of course, I had to try my hand at making it.  It turned out great.  It was spicy, tangy, bacony, nutty, and I added spinach for  little more nutrition.  This will be a common menu item in my home.  Some day I even want to try making my own kimchi.

#Kimchi FriedRice is an #inexpensivemeal  [Tweet this]

Kimchi fried rice can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or meal.  I think it makes a great lunch or snack while drinking beer and watching football (or any event--and you don't have to drink beer to enjoy it).

Kimchi #FriedRice is a great #Gamedaysnack  [Tweet this]

Kimchi Fried Rice

Cook time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

2-3 cups leftover rice
dash sesame oil
dash rice vinegar
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 lb bacon chopped
1-2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1/2 large onion, chopped
2-3 cups frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed
12oz jar of hot kimchi, drained & rough chop
1 cups chopped green onions, divided

KimchiFriedRice is a great use for #leftoverrice  [Tweet this]

I think fried rice always works best with leftover rice that has been refrigerated for a day or two.

Remove leftover rice from the fridge.  Add it to a large bowl with sesame oil, vinegar, and soy sauce.  Stir well breaking up any clumps and mixing well.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon, over medium heat, until it becomes crisp.  Pour off most of the grease (leaving some adds to the overall flavor of the dish) and add the oil.  Bring up the heat to about medium-high.

Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the onions and stir-fry until just softened.

Then add the spinach and kimchi.  Stir fry until just heated and add the rice mixture.  Continue stir-frying until the rice is heated through and fried to your liking. (I don't know what I did this time...maybe used plenty of oil, --closer to 2 Tbsp than 1, maybe a little more-- but the rice did not stick to my pan)

Turn off the heat and stir in about half of the chopped green onions.

Serve warm garnished with more green onions.  Sriracha can be added if you would like a little more heat.

Enjoy.

For more leftover rice recipes check out:

Spicy Vegetable Fried Rice

Coconut Rice Pudding

Pork Fried Rice

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Maple Glazed Carrots

A simple and tasty vegetable side dish of carrots roasted in maple syrup.  The perfect accompaniment to any meal.

**Updated post from original from 12/2012 (90 views): new pictures, minor editing, add tweetabe, like recipe links, rich pin.

Carrots are a great vegetable.  They add great color to brighten up even the blandest meal.  They are also very versatile.  They are great raw, steamed, stir-fried, and roasted.  What I love most about carrots is that they store well.   I have kept carrots in my refrigerator for over a week and they are still good.  This is a great recipe to keep in the arsenal.  It is warm, slightly sweet (the maple syrup brings out the natural sweetness of the carrots), and very simple.

Carrots brighten even the blandest meal.  [Tweet this]

Maple Glazed Carrots

Cook time:  45-60 minutes (depending on the size of your carrots)
Servings:  4

Ingredients:

3-4 Large carrots peeled and cut bite-sized or baby carrots
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp dried thyme
coarse salt and pepper to taste
juice from 1/2 lemon, optional

This is really easy, you can make more or less just keep an equal ratio of oil/syrup.

Preheat oven to 400F

Toss the carrot pieces with oil and maple syrup.  Add thyme and salt and pepper and toss to combine evenly.  Then pour the carrot mixture into a baking dish.

Bake at 400, covered, for about 40 minutes or until tender.  Then remove cover and bake for about 15 minutes more until nicely browned.  Remove from oven and add lemon juice and stir.

Makes 3-4 servings.

This is a wonderful side dish.  You can use any sweetener or syrup you like such as honey, or it might be interesting to try agave nectar.  You can also use any oil, and any herb (fresh or dry) you have or like.  I think thyme tastes really good with carrots, but you could use rosemary, dill, oregano, or anything that smells good just be creative. The lemon juice is optional, but I think it brightens up the carrots, I like to add an acid to sweet sometimes.  I saw a recipe that uses balsamic vinegar, that would be great too.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Enjoy.

For more carrot side dishes check out:

Sweet Dill Glazed Carrots

Moroccan Raw Carrot Salad

Simple Carrot and Cucumber Salad

Linked to:  Treasure Box, 2 Cup, Lou Lou Girls, Tickle My Tastebuds, Wake Up, Fun Summer Finds, Foodie Friends, Best of the weekend, Pretty Pintastic

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How to Make a Great Baked Potato

Baked potatoes are a simple and tasty side to any meal.  They can even be a great meal all on there own.  

I wasn't always a big fan of baked potatoes.  When I had them I would load them with 'fixings' and only eat the insides.  Everyone would tell me that the skin had the most nutrients in it, but it never tasted good.  However, when at a restaurant I would love the baked potatoes with salty, chewy skin and I would gobble up the whole thing.  For the longest time I could not duplicate this at home until, finally, I found the secret (I searched how to bake a potato online and found great instructions). Here are the steps I follow to make a great baked potato.

First it is important to thoroughly rinse and scrub your russet potato.  With these simple steps the potato skin turns out delicious and you won't want to waste it.

Then you will pierce the potato all over with a sharp knife or a fork (about 10 times, a couple of centimeters deep).  I use a sharp knife just because it is easier for me to insert and remove.

Next pour about 1 Tbsp of olive oil over the potato and rub/massage the oil all over the potato.

Sprinkle on about 1 tsp coarse sea salt or kosher salt and rub it in.  Not all of the salt and oil will adhere to the potato but some of it should. You can adjust the oil and salt to suit your tastes.

Bake in a 350 degree oven (right on the rack) for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until soft.

Depending on the size of the potato it may take longer (you can bake sweet potatoes the same way).  I usually only bake 2 potatoes so I use a toaster oven, but I think that baking is very important.  I know a microwave is quick, but once you try a potato this way you won't want to go back.  The skin is lightly salty and has a great texture.  I kind of want to try this, sometime, with butter instead of oil, I don't know how it would turn out but I am curious.

Enjoy.

Other posts with baked potatoes:  Loaded Potato Skins, Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin (baked sweet potato), Twice Baked Potatoes

Original post 12/24/12 (50 views and 2 pins) re-posted with new pictures and minor editing.

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Lentil Caprese Salad

A lentil salad with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette. It's great as a side or a light lunch.

I got the idea for this salad from Pinterest.  The recipe I saw was for a Caprese Pasta Salad from Simply Scratch.  It looked amazing and she used little mini mozzarella pearls and orecchiette pasta.  I wanted more fiber in my salad so I decided to try using lentils and I didn't have the mozzarella pearls but I always have string cheese in the fridge so I used that instead.  I loved the salad I stored it in the fridge and had it for lunch all week.  It looks the best when it's freshly made as the basil wilts over time but it still tastes great.

My pictures are of the salad after it sat in the fridge for a day.  The basil is not as vibrant green as it started but I made this on a rainy day so I had very little natural light in my apartment.  I don't have any fancy photo lights just some lamps and overhead lights that don't look good in pictures so I waited and took my pictures the next day when I had sunlight.

Lentil Caprese Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup dried lentils
1 1/2 - 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 cup fresh basil, cut julienne
2-3 mozzarella string cheeses, sliced
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse lentils and pick through to remove any rocks or debris.  Bring lentils to a simmer, in a saucepan, with 2 cups of water or broth (you can add a clove of garlic to the water if you like).  Let simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes or until soft.  Drain lentils and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare all of your other ingredients and then just toss everything together.  Serve immediately or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Makes 6 servings.

A little pesto would taste great tossed into this salad.

Enjoy as a side dish or a light lunch.

Linked to:  Two Cup, Lou Lou Girls, Teach Me, Tasty Tues, Tickle my Tastebuds, Whimsy Wed, Wonderful Wed, Yuck Stops Here, Cook, Craft, Share, Full Plate, Plant based potluck, Eat Create, Freedom Fri, Foodie Friends, Best of the Weekend, Pretty Pintastic, Sat Night Fever, Share it Sun, Merry Mon, See Ya in the Gumbo


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